TEARS FOR BATTERED BOXER

HE has been one of Britain’s most successful sportsmen for years.

But for Ricky Hatton’s fiancee Jennifer Dooley, the pain of seeing her man defeated and lying unconscious in a boxing ring was too much.

The glamorous blonde – known as Ricky’s Rock – let out an ear-piercing scream just seconds earlier as she watched Hatton fall for the third and final time in his short fight against Filipino Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night.

For three agonising minutes, the former college lecturer slumped forward weeping as the Mancunian lay sprawled on the canvas before medics revived him.

The 30-year-old was comforted by Jenna Coyne, girlfriend of Hatton’s younger brother Matthew – who had earlier won his fight at the same venue – after seeing the British world champion knocked out in the second round.

Beside them, Hatton’s mother Carol turned away unable to look on as the medical team worked away.

Pacquiao, known as Pac Man, felled “The Hitman” with a brutally quick left hook to the chin 15 seconds before the end of the second round of their IBO world light-welterweight title fight.

Seeing holder Hatton fall unconscious even before he hit the canvas, left referee Kenny Bayless no option but to stop the fight instantly. He was twice felled in the previous round.

Hatton, 30, was helped back to his corner before being taken to hospital for a precautionary check. He landed just 18 punches against Pacquiao’s 73.

It was a star-studded affair at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the fight dubbed “The Battle of East and West”.

Many celebrities, including Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington and British boxer Amir Khan, were ringside. Comedian Russell Brand sat next to rap mogul P. Diddy and they were later joined by superstar rapper Jay Z.

Singer Mariah Carey and husband Nick Cannon, who celebrated their first wedding anniversary last week, saw Hatton’s defeat, as well as Welsh crooner Tom Jones who sang the national anthem. Chelsea footballer Joe Cole and girlfriend Carly Zucker were also spotted.

The knockout, only the second in his 47-fight professional career, left many in the sport, including his trainer, urging him to hang up his gloves.

His father Ray, also ringside, said his son was “perfectly all right” after hospital checks. But he admitted his long-term future was now in doubt.

“Obviously we will support him in whatever he does,” he said. “And we’ll leave that with him. At this moment he’s probably got a few mixed feelings.

“He’ll make that decision whichever way he wants to and the family will support him. I don’t think he would let anybody make that decision for him.”

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/98845/Tears-for-battered-boxer-

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With one ferocious blow by Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton's amazing career is laid to rest

Ricky Hatton will not fight again. Not the one the fans remember. Even if a shredded remnant of the fighter who thrilled them for a decade contemplates doing so when he recovers from the shocking ­knockout Manny Pacquiao inflicted on him at the MGM Grand, the real Ricky ­Hatton started preparing for retirement soon after ­enduring a similar experience in the same ring 17 months ago.

The left hook with which Floyd Mayweather Jr repelled Hatton's crude ­challenge in the 10th round of their welter­weight title fight in December 2007 was the punch that instigated the Mancunian's slow exit from boxing. Until then, he was unbeaten, unfazed, the shiny young champion of his people. He was to grow old quickly. "He can't take a quality shot any more," a close friend said later on Saturday night, "and I think he knows it."

Mayweather's punch did not have the concussive finality of Pacquiao's wicked left, but the two blows will forever be linked. Pacquiao's arrived in the final second of round two, the third knockdown blow the Filipino had to throw to claim Hatton's IBO and Ring Magazine light-welterweight titles, and if Hatton heeds the wishes of family and friends the last one he will ever take.

Pacquiao put Hatton down in the first round with a right hook he admitted to his corner he never saw, and again with a short left before the bell. From that point on, it was clear we were in for a short night. Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, told later how they had worked on that right hook for weeks. "Ricky cocks his punches before he throws 'em. Every time he left an opening, Pacquiao's so quick, I knew the inside hook would work every time."

This was an echo of the strategic naivety Hatton showed against Mayweather, when he was out-thought and knocked down by a punch devised by the American's uncle and trainer, Roger.

Hatton seemed to have collected his thoughts when they resumed but was again afflicted by the "red mist" he blames for his wild, swinging ways and walked into more pinpoint shots from the smaller man. When the end came, it was as if we were all sharing the same, slow nightmare, so lightly did Hatton float to the floor. When he landed, he could barely open his eyes, but you could see the pain in them as he lay motionless, the referee, Ken Bayless, not needing to count him out.

Hatton did not just lose a fight and his titles at that moment. He lost all connection with the rest of us in the arena, the power drained from a body he had taken three months to whip into shape.

But the appearance of those rippling muscles could not disguise the damage he has done over the years with a hard-drinking lifestyle taken from some northern manual on male behaviour. It has been this, above all other follies, that has undermined his career, although he will not admit to it because he is a prisoner of his own making, a super-lad among lads.

By the time Hatton had recovered in the Valley hospital off Las Vegas Boulevard in the early hours of yesterday morning, he had Pacquiao's fists, not pints of Guinness, to thank for his headache, and he was greeted immediately by a mixed chorus of advice. Roach, the mastermind of his downfall, cautioned against carrying on. "He's had some mega-fights," he said. "He's had a great career. So, why? He doesn't need it. He has a family, he has a son. With commitments like that, he's got to think about retiring."

It will not be easy, but he will almost certainly walk away, having earned more than £30m in 12 years of largely exhilarating success, spoiled only towards the end by losing to two of the modern greats in Mayweather and Pacquiao. That fact will be the cornerstone of his justification for retiring now, the centrepiece of his ­nightclub act when he regains his self-esteem and goes back before his public.

That is the only consolation Hatton can take from the defeat. He lost to a fighter who Roach says is on his way to a special kind of greatness, a fighter who is now the hottest property in boxing. Mayweather, officially unretired, will want a piece of him, although Pacquiao now holds all the aces. "We're in no hurry," Roach says.

No amount of considered reflection will change the facts for Hatton, meanwhile: even if he wants to fight again, there is nobody for him to fight. What Pacquiao exposed was the last piece of evidence in a case that has been building steadily for a couple of years. Hatton's punch resistance has fallen to a dangerously low level. "The likes of Timothy Bradley and Kendall Holt would knock him out," a friend of Hatton's said. "Amir Khan would knock him out."

Juan Lazcano nearly stopped him in his comeback fight last year and even the light-hitting Paulie Malignaggi inconvenienced him a couple of times before Pacquiao got to him. The weeks, days and moments before this fight were fraught.

There were rows between his trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr, and his assistant, Lee Beard. There was speculation – since confirmed – that Roach had been asked to take over his training in the future. And there was a grim mood in the dressing room immediately before the fight.

"He was very nervous in the dressing room before the fight," a friend said. "I don't think he thought he was going to win, even then. I think he suspected he didn't have it anymore, but you can't admit that, not even to yourself."

For weeks, Hatton had railed against those who said that he was going to lose to the best fighter in the world. He sounded then as if he were trying to convince himself but, when it came to proving it, Hatton was in no position to argue the case. He was unconscious and lying flat on his back in the middle of the ring, as former a fighter as it is possible to be.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/may/04/ricky-hatton-manny-pacquiao-retirement-boxing

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Manny Pacquiao could have the boxing market cornered

Reporting from Las Vegas -- Manny Pacquiao prides himself as a smart businessman who knows how to play poker. Let future opponents beware: He walked out of the MGM Grand casino-hotel this weekend with a stack of chips.

A record-tying world title in a sixth division. A fourth consecutive victory in a different weight class. And a one-sided performance in a major fight that, compared to the Tyson-Spinks mauling and George Foreman's "Down goes Frazier!" triumph, has given Pacquiao unprecedented power in mapping his immediate fighting future.

The best pound-for-pound fighter in the world coming off a second-round knockout victory like that in a lucrative junior-welterweight championship bout against Ricky Hatton? That creates perks.

After the first major bout of the post-Oscar De La Hoya era, Pacquiao is now the man. He is empowered to pick who he wants to fight, when he wants to fight them, and at what weight.

The handful of opponents before him includes Pomona's world welterweight champion Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, unbeaten lightweight champion Edwin Valero, Mexico's popular Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and unbeaten and recently unretired Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The problem with Mayweather is that he signed Friday to fight Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18. The move surprised the Pacquiao camp, who say they are unlikely to rest until the super-fight.

"A busy fighter is a good fighter, we're not going to wait around," Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said. "Mayweather just had to wait one day and this fight could've happened. I think he's scared of Manny."

Privately, the Pacquiao camp said Mayweather Jr. harmed his leverage in future Pacquiao negotiations -- perhaps for a bout early next year -- by agreeing to fight Marquez in a bout expected to struggle for pay-per-view buys.

Meanwhile, the buzz around Pacquiao (49-3-2, 36 knockouts) intensified after he knocked down Hatton three times, including a highlight-reel left hook that flattened Hatton with one second left in the second round.

Pacquiao, 30, is in peak shape, showcasing ring smarts that have caught up to his speed and punching power. He's better than even those closest to him think. Pacquiao business manager Michael Koncz said before the fight that he bet at the sports book that his fighter would knock out Hatton in three to six rounds.

Roach, for the second consecutive fight, ended the night urging a Pacquiao victim to retire. De La Hoya did, and Hatton should, too, Roach said. "He had a great career, but knockouts like that aren't good for people."

Hatton's promoter Richard Schaefer said Hatton "never mentioned retirement" in a post-fight discussion.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank said, "I have something special in history here, an athlete who's improving every fight. He's like a grand painting."

The next stroke, Arum said, is to have Pacquiao film a movie in the Philippines, then travel to New York in June to pick up his 2008 fighter-of-the-year award and watch Cotto's welterweight title defense against Joshua Clottey. The Pacquiao camp will then huddle to select a new foe.

"Manny will fight anybody. He says, 'Whoever, whatever, no problem, I just do what my coach [Roach] wants me to do,' " Arum's matchmaker, Bruce Trampler, said. "Freddie knows. He thinks about this stuff all the time."

So it's noteworthy that Roach first mentioned Mosley as a future opponent. "As a fan, that's the fight I'd most want to see," Roach said.

Mosley congratulated Pacquiao late Saturday, then quickly lobbied to get that fight while knowing Top Rank could be tempted business-wise to match Pacquiao against Cotto, a Top Rank fighter. Trampler said assuredly there's no such conspiracy theory in play.

"Let's get it done," Mosley said. "I don't see a reason they'd want to fight Cotto when I'm the champion who beat [Antonio] Margarito, who beat Cotto. It'd be a classic fight [against Pacquiao]. We both have good hand speed and power and I think that fans want to see the best fight the best."

Team Pacquiao, however, doesn't want to fight either Mosley or Cotto at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds, and would demand that either move down to a catch-weight bout of 143 pounds, said Roach.

"We can talk," Mosley said.

First, it'll be up to Team Pacquiao to make the call.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-boxing-pacquiao4-2009may04,0,5137234.story

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Shattered Hatton told to retire after devastating defeat

Ricky Hatton, who underwent a brain scan following his calamitous defeat by Manny Pacquiao, is being advised to quit boxing.

Freddie Roach, mentor of the Filipino fighter, said: ‘Ricky should call it a day.

'He is well off, he has his family and he doesn’t need to go through anything like this again.

'Very few fighters are ever the same after taking a knockout this bad.

'This was devastating.’

Hatton’s trainer, Floyd Mayweather Snr, was expecting to be fired after a training camp bust-up with the Manchester fighter just before the fight and he made his departure inevitable on Sunday.

‘Ricky lost because he didn’t do what I told him,’ he said.

‘He didn’t keep his hands up. I also told him not to fight so aggressively from the start.

'I can’t fight for him. He should retire.’

But Roach added: ‘I’d been watching the tapes of Ricky for weeks and every fight is the same. He’ll never change.’

Hatton spent just over an hour in hospital and was given the all-clear after his scan, but will delay any decision about his future until he has a chance to review this fight.

He admitted: ‘I was hit a lot. The last punch which put me out was a great shot.

'I know I’ll be OK. I have felt worse after 12 tough rounds.’

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1177018/Shattered-Hatton-told-retire-devastating-defeat.html

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Mexican breakfasts come back to haunt Ricky Hatton

Even before Ricky Hatton's fight started, the villain of the piece had been identified by Sky's pundits. Step forward Hatton's trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr, roundly condemned by former boxers Johnny Nelson and Nicky Piper for his less than serious demeanour in the run-up to the fight and for the cardinal sin of constantly turning up late for training.

I must say I had already formed the view that the trainer's judgment was open to serious question, watching the preview documentary Sky screened plugging its Box Office coverage. In it, we see footage of Mayweather driving to work – late again – stopping at one of those quasi-Mexican drive-through places to pick up some breakfast/lunch.

He chooses Number 8, which I should have counselled against. It appeared to be three crisp taco shells filled with something pretending to be meat, lots of that gloop that makes cheap Mexican food the bowel-opening crime against humanity that it is, with a cheese-style substance melted on top of the whole disaster. Not only did the trainer make this ill-advised choice – filled taco shells remain Mexico's most toxic export despite anything you might read elsewhere in this newspaper – but he spent rather too long discussing what exactly might be in his meal.

"Has it got, like, tomatoes in it?" Mayweather mumbled into that voice-distorting microphone these places always have, wasting valuable time that might have been better spent explaining to Ricky that Pacquiao was a southpaw. I mean, any man who can live 57 years in the United States and still has to ask what is about to go into his crisp taco shells has clearly not been paying attention.

And then – horror of horrors – Mayweather proceeded to eat the catastrophe while driving his big posh car – a Mercedes or something, I'm not an expert – to the gym where his affable charge patiently waited.

The most junior travelling salesman could have told him that Mexican is not good driving food. Quite apart from the smell – which, in fairness, you could easily clear by driving four or five thousand miles with all the windows open – and the grease on the steering wheel, there is the ever-present danger of spillage.

When I used to drive around a lot – before taking on the sport-on-TV gig, which is the journalistic equivalent of house arrest – the meal-at-the-wheel was one of my most important choices of the day.

A simple yet sustaining sandwich was what I sought. However tempting the deep-fill might look, I resisted it. Certainly, any sandwich containing tomatoes was to be viewed with deep suspicion, because those tomato seeds will fly out of your snack and zero in on a freshly laundered white shirt like a heat-seeking missile. And I made a particular point of slinging a deaf 'un to the honeyed words of the Ginsters people. Pies and pasties will crumble, and as you brush the pastry from your clothing, you may find some of the filling has sneaked out; and gravy smeared on a navy blue suit is never considered an especially good look.

I could not imagine Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's quieter, more serious- looking trainer, making such elementary food-choice errors.

Roach was a telemarketer before taking up training, calling himself Joe Davies and selling pens and mugs, quite successfully apparently. You could never imagine Mayweather Sr being self-effacing enough to change his name and sell stuff over the phone.

And there is another thing. I am not entirely comfortable with the Sr tag. It always says to me that the father has somehow been eclipsed by the son, as in George Formby or Frank Lampard Sr – fine overlapping full-back though he was, with a famously famous left foot. Where the father is the real deal, like Frank Sinatra or Hank Williams, it is the son who has to carry round the Jr tag.

But what, I hear you asking, of the fight? Well, for those of you unable or unwilling to stump up the fifteen quid to watch, what I am trying to do is give you some idea of the balance of Sky's coverage. It began at 10pm, and lasted for 480 minutes, of which less than six were taken up with the fight. Take away the two minutes I spent with my eyes averted from the punishment meted out to my fellow Mancunian, and you will know why the brutal business is relegated to these few words.

Amid all the analysis, the night was best summed up by Hatton's girlfriend Jennifer, who looked as nervous as a kitten before the fight, and ten seconds before the end of round two, put her hands to her face and let out a piercing scream.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/may/04/martin-kelner-screen-break-ricky-hatton

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What does the future hold for Manny Pacquiao?

Now that the smoke has cleared from the latest “fight of the year”, what’s next for Manny Pacquiao?

A battle with Floyd Mayweather Jr. seems the most likely scenario. But what if Mayweather can’t hack it against Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18? If he loses, where does that leave Pacquiao?

You’d think a fighter of Pacquiao’s stature would draw everyone in the 140- and 147-pound divisions, especially since Pacquiao got $12 million and Hatton $8 million. But this isn’t the 1960s where everyone would fight everyone. Money and promoters usually gum up the works.

There isn’t enough space here for a list of fights that never took place for selfish reasons. Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones Jr. II, de la Hoya-Trinidad II, Mosley-Mayweather…That doesn’t even scratch the surface.

After his destruction of de la Hoya and Hatton some fighters may even avoid him. Just ask Paul Williams. Finding a good fighter willing to meet you can be frustrating.

Curiously, Pacquiao was coy when asked if he would fight Mayweather, only to say: "I can fight anyone I want to fight at 147 or 140." That doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement for a Pacquiao-Mayweather mega-bout in November.

Just in case he doesn't fight Mayweather, which would totally give fuel to critics who claim boxing is dead, the following is a list of suitable fighters.

Miguel Cotto - Assuming he beats Joshua Clottey on June 13, this would be the next best matchup. Cotto got a new lease on his boxing life after Antonio Margarito was caught cheating.

Shane Mosley - The clock is ticking on Mosley, whose age is bound to catch up with him. Waiting until 2010 for another big fight won't help "Sugar" Shane's cause.

Joshua Clottey - If Clottey can upend Cotto, don't be surprised if you see this matchup. Clottey is filled with confidence and will explode if he tops Cotto.

Juan Manuel Marquez - Right now this seems like a long shot. But if he beats Mayweather, get ready for Marquez-Pacquiao III.

Timothy Bradley - Bradley was just stripped of his WBC junior weltweight title for not meeting the deadline to fight mandatory challenger Devon Alexander. But he is still the WBO champ, and might welcome a chance to put his name in lights. Although a talented fighter and undefeated, Bradley (24-0, 11 KOs) doesn't have the name right now to draw a mega-match.

Other possibilities include Paul Williams and Andre Berto. Williams is an extreme long shot because it's doubtful he would go back to welterweight now. And Berto doesn't have enough of a track record.

- MARCUS HENRY

AP Photo

Source: http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/boxing/blog/2009/05/manny_pacquiao_is_the_hot_tick.html

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Hatton's Father: Decision On Boxing Future Up To Ricky

AHN Sports Staff

London, England (AHN) - The decision on whether he would continue boxing following Saturday's brutal second-round knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao is all up to Ricky Hatton, the Briton's father said Sunday.

"Obviously we will support him in whatever he does," Ray Hatton told Sky Sports. "And we'll leave that with him."

"At this moment in time he's probably got a few mixed feelings about it. He'll make that decision whichever way he wants to and the family will support him," the older Hatton added.

Ricky Hatton lied down sprawled on the MGM Grand canvas in Las Vegas after taking a ferocious left cross from the Filipino pound-for-pound king and later was brought to a nearby hospital for precautionary reasons.

Ray Hatton said the former IBO and The Ring light welterweight champ is doing well after Saturday's fight.

What remains unclear, though, are the days beyond for the former undefeated fighter out of Manchester, England.

"I know privately in a few months' time what he'll be thinking but I wouldn't like to say because I don't want to be putting him under undue pressure. He'll make the decision," Hatton's father said, according to Sky Sports.

By deciding against retirement, Ricky Hatton could avoid the ignonimy of being the second straight Pacquiao victim to call it quits from boxing.

Most recently, Oscar De La Hoya walked away from the sport only five months after taking a beating from Pacquiao.

But one thing going against Hatton in resuming his career is his nasty exit from the ring Saturday.

He's never been defeated at 140 pounds nor was he taken out in such a speedy and ghastly manner. The setback was so devastating that even his trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. said it's time to quit.

The older Mayweather urged "The Hitman" to retire and leave the ring. Going away while at your prime is the thing to do, the cocky trainer said.

Source: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7015007312

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Fight too short, TV ads too long

THEY CAME IN A FURIOUS, mind-numbing barrage.

No, not the punches that Manny Pacquiao threw to floor Ricky Hatton in two rounds—but the load of advertisements that stretched the fight’s free TV broadcast for hours to the exasperation of millions of Filipino viewers yesterday.

Henry, an air-conditioning system technician in Quezon City, said he turned off his set in frustration after waiting more than an hour for the bout’s “‘delayed telecast’” on GMA 7.

“I already heard on radio (at around noon) that Pacquiao won,” Henry said when reached by the Inquirer at around 1:30 p.m.

“I won’t watch it on TV anymore,” he said in Filipino. “The thrill is gone. It’s so annoying.”

The main event was finally shown at around 2 p.m., but commercial breaks again chopped up the preliminaries into several parts—the entry of the fighters, Martin Nievera’s singing of the Philippine national anthem, Michael Buffer’s ring introductions—that it took another 40 minutes for Round 1 to be aired.

The GMA 7 telecast noticeably skipped the singing of the British national anthem “God Save the Queen” by Tom Jones, and another singer’s rendition of the United States’ “Star Spangled Banner.”

The Inquirer noted that some commercial gaps during the main event ran for up to 8 minutes, while airtime for the pre-fight sequences lasted only about a minute.

But according to GMA 7 insiders, not a single centavo of ad revenue from the fight went to the network.

GMA 7’s partnership with Solar Entertainment, which holds broadcast rights to Pacquiao’s bouts, is a “blocktime deal,” said network officials, who declined to be named for lack of clearance to speak on the matter.

Bigger than De La Hoya fight
“That means that all advertising revenues go to Solar Entertainment. GMA 7 only gets a fixed amount, commensurate with the air time bought by Solar,” said one of the officials.

A Solar executive confirmed that ads from the Pacquiao-Hatton mainer, as well as from the undercards, delivered the biggest payday ever for the company, which has a lock on the Philippine broadcast rights for the Pacman’s fights up to 2011.

Jude Turcuato, Solar Sports vice president for sales and marketing, said Sunday’s blockbuster duel was bigger than the Pacquiao-Oscar De La Hoya showdown held five months ago.

“It’s not big percentage-wise but we’re coming from an already big base, the De La Hoya fight. The bottom line is this is the biggest,” said Turcuato.

He declined to give exact figures, but said the company definitely made more than P100 million on Sunday.

Blanket coverage
Turcuato said the Wilson Tieng-owned media outfit scored record numbers in TV ad placements, ticket sales and pay-per-view subscriptions based on preliminary data.

Compared to the De La Hoya fight, Turcuato said Solar practically also had blanket coverage of all theaters in Metro Manila for the Hatton match.

Solar also got more bookings not only from commercial outlets such as hotels and sports bars, but also from provincial capitols and barangay halls in areas where local officials had to give in to their constituents’ clamor for a live Pacquiao fight, he said.

Turcuato noted that since the De La Hoya fight, Filipinos had been craving for more of the collective experience of watching Pacquiao in real time—not unlike the thrill shared by football fans when watching a World Cup match.

Aside from having Pacquiao pitted against a marketable opponent like Hatton, Turcuato said, the earlier tug-of-war for the broadcast rights to the fight may have also added to the hoopla.

Gaining from controversy
“The controversy actually benefited us in a way because the public became more aware of how big the fight is and it heightened their interest,” Turcuato said, referring to Pacquiao’s aborted transfer to ABS-CBN in March.

Whether Pacquiao’s next foe would be WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto or retired welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., Turcuato said he is confident that the Pacman’s next bout will be another record-breaking day for Solar.

An ad industry insider told the Inquirer that “multimillion-peso packages” were offered to companies that wanted to place advertisements in the free TV airing of the Pacquiao-Hatton bout.

“Anywhere from P3-million to P15-million package buys were made available,” the source, an executive representing a group of advertisers, disclosed. “No spot or segment buys were allowed.”

Not covered by ad cap
“The lower packages were considered sponsorships only,” the source said. “Companies that availed themselves of P10-P15-million packages were called co-presenters or presenters.”

A broadcast industry insider noted that by partnering with GMA 7, Solar could put in as many commercials as it wanted since the Kapuso network was not covered by the ad cap imposed by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP). (See “In the Know”)

Unlike its main rival ABS-CBN, GMA 7 is not a member of the KBP.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090504-202907/Fight-too-short-TV-ads-too-long

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Lay it to rest, Manny Pacquiao is the best

Ricky Hatton, his eyes closed, was at rest before his back hit the mat after taking the sleep inducing left hook from Manny Pacquiao in their 2 May 2009 140-lb IBO and Ring Magazine title fight.

After regaining consciousness, Ricky realized that indeed there was somebody who could beat him and who did beat him, and devastatingly, in his claimed domain at 140 lbs. The much hyped Battle of the East and West proved to be not a battle after all because Manny Pacquiao deftly defused it.

Doubters should now put to rest the lame excuse that Oscar dela Hoya was not his usual self when the Pacman beat him like he never was. This excuse downgraded Manny’s accomplishment to some extent. Hatton even bought the idea and said that he could have likewise beaten the drained Oscar that night of 6 December 2008. Oscar’s partial assessment of a stronger and bigger Hatton winning over Manny supported the doubters’ proposition that Manny is not really that great.

With Ricky’s easier and earlier dismissal by Manny than Oscar was, Freddie Roach proves right in his assessment that the Oscar of 6 December 2008 could still beat many top fighters of today. And this does not exclude the Ricky Hatton of 2 May 2009.

When Floyd Mayweather, Jr. announced his comeback, these doubters immediately removed Manny from the top P4P pedestal and reinstalled Floyd to it. That because of Manny’s previous 3 losses as against none to Floyd the latter should be on top. But if past performances against common opponents were to be the gauge, which should not be, Manny’s have the edge.

Floyd struggled with Oscar to earn a split verdict while Manny dominated and made Oscar quit before the start of the 9th round. The old-man-making defeat eventually led to Oscar’s retirement from being a fighter.

It took Floyd almost 10 rounds to beat Ricky who, before the stoppage, was holding his own to give Floyd problems. Manny easily beat Ricky who was on dreamland just before the bell to end the 2nd round. Now Ricky might be contemplating retirement himself.

By unseating Ricky Hatton, Manny won his 6th title in as many weight divisions. More so, he is the first fighter to win a 4th lineal or real championship in 4 weight divisions. He has now won the flyweight, featherweight (which many erroneously do not recognize), junior-lightweight and now junior-welterweight lineal championship.

So the question as to who is the best P4P fighter should now be laid to rest. Even with the return of Floyd Jr. to the mix, the world champion from the east is simply and would still be the best.

Source: http://philboxing.com/news/story-24069.html

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Pacquiao proves he's the real man

FILIPINO southpaw Manny Pacquiao confirmed his status as the world's best boxer, flattening Ricky Hatton in the second round in Las Vegas yesterday, taking a historic victory with a devastating left to the chin that put the Englishman in hospital.

Pacquiao equalled a boxing milestone with a title in a sixth weight class by slamming a powerful left-hand blow into Hatton's chin to buckle his knees and send him to the canvas on his back unconscious.

"It was a hard punch. It was a solid punch," Pacquiao said. "I hit him on the chin and I didn't think he would get up."

Referee Kenny Bayless knelt over the unmoving Hatton and halted the fight after two minutes and 59 seconds of the second round, giving the Filipino a victory and the International Boxing Organisation junior-welterweight title.

"Everybody is surprised. Me, too. I didn't expect this would be so easy," Pacquiao said. "But I have worked hard in training camp. Nothing personal. I was just doing my job."

Hatton awoke and walked from the ring to the locker room but was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution.

"It was a hard loss but I'm OK," Hatton said. "I didn't really see the punch coming, but it was a great shot. I know I will be OK."

Pacquiao, widely considered the world pound-for-pound champion, won his 10th fight in succession, improving to 49-3, with two drawn, with his 37th early stoppage coming on a spectacular punch for the ages.

"That was the best knockout punch I've ever seen," Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said. "It was the perfect shot. That rarely happens."

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum said his charge would be considered the best fighter in history by the end of his career.

But he may face a challenge from Floyd Mayweather Jr for the title of world's best.

Former undisputed welterweight champion Mayweather ranked himself atop the list of boxing's best a few hours before the fight by announcing the end of his 17-month retirement and a comeback on July 18 in the same arena against Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez.

Mayweather abdicated the pound-for-pound throne that Pacquiao has claimed by winning four consecutive fights in as many weight classes.

"Manny is unbelievable. He's the best fighter in the world," Roach said. "He is in his prime right now. Anyone in the world, he could beat them all."

However, an agreement on what weight the pair would meet at - Pacquiao is comfortable at 140pounds, while Mayweather will fight Marquez at 144 - could prove an insurmountable impasse.

Roach said Mayweather feared facing Pacquiao at a similar weight.

"Mayweather, he just had to wait one day and he could have fought Manny. I think he's afraid of Manny," Roach said. "He made the fight maybe not happen. We're not going to wait for him. There are other great fighters out there."

As for Hatton, who has also been floored by Mayweather, Hatton's trainer - Mayweather's father - said that after two devastating defeats the "Hitman" should call it a day.

"I would suggest he retire. At the end of the day it's his decision," Mayweather Sr said. "He tried twice. He failed twice. He lost to my son and to lose to someone below that, it's time to leave the ring.

"He made a good profit. Sometimes you have to go when your prime is still there.

"A lot of times in boxing when a fighter gets knocked out - I'm not saying this particularly about Ricky - they are just not the same anymore."

Meanwhile, millions of Filipinos danced in the streets and joined raucous parties yesterday as the impoverished southeast Asian nation celebrated Pacquiao's win. Motorists waving the national flag drove through major cities tooting their horns and shouting out of the windows after Pacquiao's victory.

The Philippines' usually jammed highways had been deserted before a delayed broadcast of the Las Vegas fight was screened on free-to-air television, and police said even criminals took the day off.

"It's zero crime rate today," national police spokesman Senior Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome said. "We wish Manny would fight every day so we will have no problems in security."

Troops fighting Muslim militants on Jolo Island also watched the fight, while President Gloria Arroyo took time out from an official visit to Egypt to comment on the win.

"President Gloria Arroyo joins the entire nation in gratitude of God for the spectacular victory of our Manny Pacquiao," her spokesman Cerge Remonde told Filipino radio by telephone.

At least 10,000 people watched a free live screening in Pacquiao's dirt-poor home city of General Santos, while in Manila's depressed Tondo area another 2000 people packed an airless gym to watch the fight.

Source: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25423790-2722,00.html

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Cotto next for Pacquiao – Arum

LAS VEGAS — Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum said on Saturday night though many would like to see Manny Pacquiao face Floyd Mayweather Jr., the Filipino’s next likely opponent would be Puerto Rican puncher Miguel Cotto sometime in November or December with New York as venue.

Arum, grinning from ear-to-ear after Pacquiao’s sensational demolition of Ricky Hatton, said during the post-fight press conference that everything would all depend on the outcome of Cotto’s June 12 fight with Joshua Clottey at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Arum said Pacquiao will be on hand at the Garden when Cotto faces Clottey since he will be attending the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) awards dinner on the eve of the fight.

The BWAA has named Pacquiao as its Fighter of the Year for 2008, while cornerman Freddie Roach will receive the Best Trainer award.

This marks the second time Pacquiao will receive the award having been named as Fighter of the Year in 2006.

If everything falls into place, Pacquiao and Cotto will duke it out at the Garden, where Cotto has sold it out a few times owing to the large Puerto Rican population there.

Cotto, 5-7 a right-hander, has rebounded strongly from his knockout loss to Antonio Margarito of Mexico last year and has since made his way back into the win column, stopping Michael Jennings of the UK in five rounds at the Garden last February.

The 28-year-old Cotto, who is also under the promotional banner of Top Rank like Pacquiao, has a 33-1 card with 27 knockouts.

Source: http://mb.com.ph/articles/204728/cotto-next-pacquiao-arum

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Ricky Hatton v Manny Pacquiao: How the fight unfolded

Ricky Hatton v Manny Pacquiao for the IBO and The Ring light-welterweight titles

Round One
Hatton starts well for the first 30 seconds, stays outside, moving well (and keeping to the game plan) as Pacquiao appears to start slowly. Then Pacquiao launches an assault catching Hatton flush with a straight left hand. Then a right hook. Then he launches an all-out assault, twice sending Hatton to the canvas. The final minute of the round is torrid for the Mancunian, a rapid right hook as Pacquiao moved to his left catching Hatton on the chin sending him to the canvas. Hatton takes the count from referee Kenny Bayliss on one knee, rises, but is soon in trouble again, as a straight left floors him in front of his corner.
10-7 Pacquiao

Round Two
Hatton looks composed, remarkably, at the start of the second stanza, beginning it with some success, knocking Pacquiao back, but is then warned by Bayliss not to hold and hit. Hatton lands with a left hook, and looks to be getting back into the contest but as the round ends Pacquiao enacts a punch of clinical brutality, felling Hatton flat onto his back, crumpling under a left hook which leaves him glazed and motionless. Hatton looked out before he landed on his back on the ground.

"I did not count," said Bayliss. "I called the fight over because Ricky was glazed in his eyes and was showing no motion to get back up." Promoter Bob Arum says immediately at ringside that Pacquiao can "go on to become the greatest pound for pound fighter of all time". Hatton is on the canvas motionless for three minutes, and walks out of the arena. He is immediately taken to hospital "on precautionary grounds".

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxingandmma/5266578/Ricky-Hatton-v-Manny-Pacquiao-How-the-fight-unfolded.html

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BOXING PROMOTER ARUM CHALLENGES MAYWEATHER

LAS VEGAS: If Manny Pacquiao works fast, so does his promoter—that is, in lining up the next fight for the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank Promotions announced at the post-fight press conference Sunday that he wants to match Pacquiao with former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto or lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez.

But Mayweather came out of a 17-month retirement also on Sunday to announce that he would be fighting Marquez on July 18 at the MGM Grand, the venue of Sunday’s showdown. (See related stories on front page and A8)

“Floyd Mayweather Jr., if you want a piece of my little Filipino, be my guest,” Arum said.

Pacquiao earlier told a small group of Filipino journalists that he wants to fight the man he replaced at the top of pound-for-pound totempole.

“I like to fight him. I can fight anybody,” said Pacquiao, who knocked out Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton of Britain in round two of the so-called fight of the year.

“Manny is unbelievable. He’s the best fighter in the world,” said Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach. “He is in his prime right now. Anyone in the world, he could beat them all.”

Former undisputed welterweight champion Mayweather put himself atop that list a few hours earlier by announcing the end of his retirement.

Mayweather abdicated the pound-to-pound throne that Pacquiao has claimed in 2007 by winning four fights in a row in as many weight classes, but the International Boxing Organization’s new junior welterweight champion likes his current size.

Announcement at high noon

Mayweather’s return was announced at a noontime press conference at the Hollywood Theatre at MGM Grand.

“I’m back, and I’m here to stay as pound-for-pound king of the world,” Mayweather said during a press conference.

He added that he was willing to fight all the big names, including Pacquiao.

In a separate interview, Marquez said through an interpreter that he was also raring for a third fight with the Filipino icon anytime.

“I think Pacquiao is scared of me, because he knows I beat him,” said Marquez, who has won two consecutive knockout wins at lightweight since losing his junior lightweight title by split decision in March 2008.

In his first match with Pacquaio in 2004, Marquez was knocked down three times in the first round but rallied furiously to retain his super featherweight title in a controversial draw that many thought was won by the Filipino southpaw.

Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, which is co-promoting Mayweather-Marquez with Mayweather’s promotional outfit, said the winner of the two biggest events of the year would logically fight each other in a super fight to decide the best.

Just noises

Roach downplayed Mayweather’s desire to fight Pacquiao, saying the former pound-for-pound champion was only making a “lot of noises.”

“I don’t think Mayweather really wants to fight Manny,” Roach said. “He’s scared of my man, and I doubt if he would like to fight him after this [Pacquiao’s decisive win over Hatton].”

US veteran Shane Mosley and Puerto Rico’s Cotto, two fighters who have tried in vain to make a deal to fight Mayweather, were mentioned by Roach as possible next foes for Pacquiao.

Asked to predict how Pacquiao-Mayweather would end, Roach said he expected the fight to go the distance.

“We win on points,” Roach said. “He doesn’t like to engage. He’s going to run from us.”

Roach also made it clear they would not make the leap for a chance to fight Mayweather at his prime weight if he would not step down to face Pacquiao at 140.

“At the right weight? No problem. At 147? Forget it,” Roach said. “Why? Manny doesn’t need it. Manny’s best weight is 140. He should take some time off and make a good decision. He needs some time off.”

Pacquiao promoter Arum said no decision about who Pacquiao faces next would be made until after Cotto’s next fight in July, just one week ahead of Mayweather’s return to the ring.

One person who thinks Pacquiao-Mayweather will happen sooner rather than later is Mayweather’s estranged father and Hatton’s trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr. He doubted there would be much talk about his son fighting Pacquiao.

“They probably aren’t going to be talking about it a long time,” he said. “They are probably going to be doing it.”

Source: http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/may/04/yehey/top_stories/20090504top2.html

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Hatton Almost Wins In Las Vegas!

Ricky Hatton did himself and his vast army of travelling fans proud here in Las Vegas in the early hours, when the Manchester-based boxer came to within a hairs-breadth of beating Manny Pacquiao in their light-welterweight championship bout at the MGM Grand.

The pre-fight hype had placed Hatton as the underdog, but he made a mockery of that, as he came storming out of his corner in the first round, landing shots left, right and centre - a couple of which connected - before taking a couple on the chin himself.

Spurred-on by 25,000 adoring fans from Manchester who had defied the economic downturn and raided their piggy banks to come and offer him their undying vocal support, Hatton took a breather to regain his strength during the first round, before coming out in the same attacking frame of mind in the second.

He lasted a huge 2 minutes and 59 seconds of that round before finally running out of steam, and was knocked into the middle of the week-after-next by the Filipino, who hadn't even bothered to remove his dressing-gown, so confident was he.

The defeat could mark the end for Hatton, who is only 30, but many fans told us that they wanted him to carry on, and that this wasn't the end of Ricky Hatton.

One staunch admirer, Barry Madd, from Chorlton-cum-Hardy, said:

"Wot a waste o' money! All this way f' 6 minutes! Jeeeezus Christ!"

Source: http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s6i52460

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Pacquiao stuns Hatton with second-round KO

Manny Pacquiao turned in perhaps the most dominating performance of his career Saturday night, knocking Ricky Hatton down twice in the first round before finally stopping him with a ferocious left hand in the final seconds of the second round.

Pacquiao showed why he is considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world with a stunning knockout that left Hatton lying motionless on his back in the middle of the ring.

Hatton had lost only once in his career, but he was no match for Pacquiao, who knocked him down midway through the first round and again towards the end of the round.

Hatton regrouped and made it through most of the second round before a chopping left hand sent him sprawling at 2:59 of the second round.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/05/03/ap6370382.html

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Vegas Blow Out: Pac-Man KOs Hitman in Two

I would like to remind everyone that there is nothing personal for this fight and we are just doing our job to give a good fight to the people and make them happy. -- Pacquiao

They call this the Battle of East and West. And our worlds will collide in the ring on Saturday night.. --Hatton

Manny Pacquaio wasted no time whatsoever as he landed hard straight shots early and then simply overwhelmed Ricky Hatton in the first round with two very punishing knock downs, the last coming at the end of the round (a dangerous time for a fighter to be hurt).

The second stanza started out with Ricky, his confidence badly shaken, resorting to roughhousing and manhandling. He was beginning to get back into the fight until Manny settled down and began landing hard lefts and rights from all angles until one backed up Ricky and served notice that the first round assault and battery would resume. Ricky, as is his wont, was unable to adjust to Manny’s all-out tenacious attack Then with just one second left in the round, Pac-Man caught Hitman with a fully leveraged left hook, and that was that as Ricky was unconscious before he hit the deck and remained so for several frightening minutes.

This was a scenario I did not expect. Though I did think Pac-Man would win, I expected some ebb and flow before Pac-Man would take control late in the fight. I did not expect the end to come in such a devastating and early fashion, particularly by a fighter moving up in weight.

With the loss, Hatton must seriously consider whether he wants to fight again. Knockouts like that can be career-enders for anyone and the way helooked on the canvas and walking back to his dressing room was worrisome to say the least.

Manny Pacquiao (now 49-3, with 37 KOs) continues to notch big names on his belt and continues to affirm the fact that he is the best P4P fighter in the world. Should Floyd Mayweather Jr. get by Juan Manuel Marquez in July (and I think he will), the right fight for both PBF and Pacquiao (and for the fans) would be against one another--and I already have a hunch as to who will win.

Source: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=19676&more=1

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TV ads ‘knock out’ Pacquiao fans

MANILA -- Mang Henry, an air-con technician, threw in the towel while he waited for GMA-7 network to air the historic Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight.

"I won't watch it on TV anymore. What time is it now? I already heard on radio that Pacquaio won," said Mang Henry in Filipino, declining to give the Philippine Daily Inquirer his last name.

Mang Henry said his excitement to watch the fight on TV waned after he waited for more than an hour for GMA-7 network to air the delayed telecast from Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Nawala ang thrill... Nakakainis [The thrill is gone. It's annoying]," Mang Henry said, adding that the string of commercials got on his nerves as well.

Instead of waiting for the fight, Mang Henry said he returned to work. He was not even keen on waiting for it to be aired on Sunday's evening telecast.

Oscar Dizon, an engineer, spent more than an hour in front of the TV anticipating the airing of the fight.

"Bakit ang tagal [Why is it taking too long]?" he asked.

His son, Raymund, had fallen asleep on the couch, while he waited for the telecast even if he had already seen the fight on pay-per-view earlier in the day.

The younger Dizon simply wanted to see for a second time famed British boxer Ricky Hatton fall in the middle of the canvass, knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in the second round.

GMA-7, the official media partner of the Pacquiao-Hatton fight, finally aired the delayed telecast of the main event at 2:03 p.m., two hours after Pacquiao knocked out his opponent.

It began with celebrity Martin Nievera singing the Philippine National anthem then immediately cut to a rundown of nearly 30 major and minor sponsors.

The telecast noticeably skipped Tom Jones singing "God Save the Queen," Britain's national anthem, and another singer's rendition of the United States anthem,"Star-Spangled Banner".

There were three commercial gaps before the telecast showed Pacquaio enter the arena.

Some gaps were as long as eight minutes and a portion of the introductions to the match lasted for only a minute before another commercial break.

Even after Michael Buffer announced that the arena was "ready to rumble," GMA 7 cut the telecast for another round of commercials.

Finally, at 2:41 pm, thousands of Filipinos waiting at their TV sets got to see Pacquiao pounce on Hatton.

A source familiar with the commercials aired over the fight's telecast told the Inquirer that placements for the TV ads had been assumed for six rounds of the match.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity as she was not authorized to discuss details of the ad placements, said that industry standards dictate that ads would still follow the original placement schedule even if the fight ended at round 2.

She said a likely solution was to replay the two rounds until the original placement schedule was met.

The Inquirer tried to call GMA-7 for its side but as of press time, had not yet received any word from the network.

Whether the fight was seen on delayed telecast, pay-per-view or at the malls, many Pacquiao supporters said it ended much too soon as they wanted to see more action from the Filipino champion -- now certifiably the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Pasig City resident Roger Degollado was at the Robinson's Galleria cinema as early as 7:30 a.m. with his two sons to watch the fight.

Along with other fans, they endured a four-hour wait, watching an HBO documentary on Pacquaio and Hatton and the undercard matches before the main event finally went on screen.

"It was all over after a few minutes!" Degollado said, adding that the first round already had fans cheering Pacquiao wildly after his punches visibly disoriented Hatton.

It was a good thing, the Degollados said, they had complimentary tickets for the otherwise pricey match.

It was a sentiment, the said, shared by other fans who watched at the cinema.

"On our way out, we heard people say it was a good thing their tickets were from a major sponsor," said Degollado's son.

Source: http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20090503-202834/TV-ads-knock-out-Pacquiao-fans

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Pacquiao fans create record crowd at World Resort

Despite an initial report of slow ticket sales, fans of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao turned up in record numbers yesterday to watch his fight against United Kingdom's Ricky Hatton live via satellite at the Saipan World Resort.

Though a little bit disappointed because it ended quickly, the predominantly Filipino crowd brought the house down at the Taga Hall and Red Box Sports Bar when Pacquiao knocked out Hatton during the second round of their bout.

Mark Birmingham of MCV Broadband said it was the biggest ever crowd for them, exceeding the crowd that watched the Pacquiao-Oscar Dela Hoya match last October.

Pacquiao knocked out Hatton in the second round with a powerful left to the head that sent the English fighter to the canvass during their 140-lb title bout at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

MCV Broadband now expects a bigger crowd in the next Pacquiao fight, especially in the event of a deal with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather was the undisputed pound-for-pound boxer before his retirement a few years back.

“We are happy. We need to increase the seats next time. We need a bigger venue,” said Birmingham.

Birmingham said they did not really expect people to come and watch but yesterday's tickets were sold out at the doors.

Gov. Benigno Fitial was one of those who watched at the Red Box Sports Bar.

Ronald Sanchez, Saipan World Resort's banquet and restaurant manager, said those who came to watch the fight exceeded the capacity for both the general admission and the VIP Room.

For businessman John Jones, the 3-1 odds for Pacquiao could actually have been 10-1.

“Pacquiao is such an amazing fighter. He's got real determination to win. He fights from his heart and soul,” Jones said.

Saipan long-time resident and court reporter Patricia A. Garshak said Hatton was no match for Pacquiao.

“Manny Pacquiao is a heart and soul fighter, just like the Latino fighters,” said Garshak, who is a native of Puerto Rico.

Hatton had too much expectations of himself but there was so much difference between the two fighters.

“There's no way Pacquiao could lose because, no matter what, he must win any fight. Latino fighters have the same motivation. They fight from their humble beginnings,” she said.

Jones said he closely watched the pre-fight viewing and learned a lot about the Filipino fighter.

“I like that part and the photos were very good,” Jones said.

MARPAC's Jojo Camacho said they are glad the fans came out and they are looking forward to the next Pacquiao fight.

Birmingham said Pacquiao is now the biggest boxer in the United States.

“Pacquiao keeps getting better and better,” said James Matsumoto of Wells Fargo.

“I'm just a fan but I like the way he takes care of his fights. There's no doubt that he's the best in the world now. He keeps on listening and concentrates on training,” Matsumoto said.

He said that unlike others who begin to lose control when they reach the top, Pacquiao is the opposite.

Matsumoto said Pacquiao won not only because of his speed but also because he is more powerful this time.

“I think the key for the win is that he's a humble fighter,” he said.

Mike Cruz of the Fil-Taga Golf Association joked that the fight was “not worth it.”

“I paid more and watched less,” he grinned.

He said he had predicted that the fight will last seven rounds and that the two fighters will get tired first before Pacquiao achieves victory.

Source: http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=89940&cat=1

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Pacquiao's Hatton hammer blow leaves new champion sore

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Manny Pacquiao admitted his hand was still feeling a little bruised two hours after a booming left hook knocked out Ricky Hatton in the second round of their eagerly awaited showdown on Saturday.

The Filipino challenger claimed the IBO light-welterweight title after sending Hatton sprawling to the canvas twice in the opening round before knocking him out cold with one second remaining in the next.

"I believe it was a very hard punch," Pacquiao told reporters after improving his career record to 49-3-2 with 37 knockouts. "My hand still hurts."

Hatton's assistant trainer Lee Beard said: "There was nothing Ricky could do. He got caught with a few good shots, he got back up and then obviously he got caught with that one big shot at the end."

Although Pacquiao was widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Hatton was believed to hold a size advantage at his natural weight of 140 pounds in a division where he had never previously lost.

However, Pacquiao always believed he would prove to be the stronger man.

"Before the fight, a lot of people think Ricky Hatton's bigger than me but I didn't put that in my mind," said the 30-year-old, who weighed only 106 pounds on his professional debut.

"I still believe that my body's bigger than Ricky. But with respect, he's still a good fighter."

Continue reading here: http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKTRE5420O320090503

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PACQUIAO WATCH: Manny in devastating KO win

FILIPINO beakbuster Manny Pacquiao broke many Englishmen’s hearts by dealing their countryman his most devastating defeat with a spectacular second round knockout to wrest the Ring Magazine’s welterweight crown from the kid from Manchester Ricky Hatton.

The end came via a powerful left hook late in the second round which sent Hatton crashing into his back. Referee Kenny Bayless immediately waived his hands up in the air to end the fight.

Hatton lay motionless for several minutes, his eyes rolling over as his handlers tried to revive him.

Pacquiao was a favorite coming into the fight but many never expected the bout to end so soon.

The Filipino boxing sensation made it clear right in the first round that it would be a short and pitiful night for Hatton.

The man from Manchester tried to establish his rhythm by crowding Pacquiao at the opening bell and throwing his vaunted body punches but Manny deftly danced out of harm’s way and landed the first telling blow with a thundering right hook in the early going which untracked Hatton.

He would mix up his punches with left straights.

With barley 40 seconds left in the first canto, Manny uncorked a powerful right hook off a missed jab from Hatton.

It sent Hatton on all fours with his forehead touching the canvass.

Hatton rose at the count of eight but a worried face was splashed all over the television.

Manny chased him and Hatton tried to answer back.

But with 12 seconds left, a one-two combo attack capped by a signature left straight from Manny sent Hatton crashing down into his own corner with just the lower rung of the ring preventing his head from touching the canvass.

Referee Bayless again gave Hatton the mandatory eight count and the two trade punches when the bell sounded for the first round.

Ricky Hatton was still visibly hurting during the break as he kept nodding to the advices from his corner men.

He was again in his element at the beginning of the second round and tried to lure Manny into a phone booth brawl.

But it was not meant to be. Manny wisely hugged Hatton while covering his face with his left hand.

Then the climactic ending came.

A right jab set up Hatton for a left straight that looked like a hybrid of a left hook.

Hatton fell on the canvass with a big thud like the proverbial London Bridge.

With the win, Manny joined the rarefied circle of boxing greats who won world titles in at least five different weight categories.

Pacquiao, who started as a light flyweight, had captured world crowns in the flyweight, superbantamweight, super featherweight, lightweight in addition to the welterweight title he wrested from Hatton.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum proclaimed Pacquiao as “the greatest fighter to have ever lived.”

That may be a little too early but with only a megafight with former world pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. looming in the horizon as a stumbling block to that accolade, Manny’s greatness as one of the most devastating punchers in modern times is now cemented and etched in the hallowed walls of Las Vegas, the Mecca of world class boxing.

Mayweather has signified his interest to fight the winner of the Pacquiao-Hatton bout.

That fight could come in the fall when Mayweather Jr. shall already have his tune up fight in the summer.

It was the first time I watched Manny’s fight live on cable outside of General Santos City.

In Cagayan de Oro City, virtually all villages in the heart of the city set up widescreen viewings – for free – for residents in their respective areas.

At the square center of Cogon public market four big television sets were already mounted as early as 6:00 in allowing marketgoers unhampered view from four sides.

Betting was heavy in favor of Pacquiao ending the fight as early as the third round.

When the first two knockdowns were registered against Hatton in the first round, audiences already saw the end coming just as long-time Pacquiao coach Freddie Roach correctly predicted.

The Englishman now knows what others have known before him.

That Manny’s speed is like no other and that while Manny may miss the bullseye on the dartboard inside Hatton’s pubhouse, his punches are as good as a ‘bulls out’ in a 501 game of darts.

That Hatton only lasted two rounds against Manny should sent a message across the boxing world that a new king has emerged in the world of boxing.

That his win over Oscar de la Hoya was by no means a fluke.

That Manny ably filled up the void left behind by de la Hoya who chose to retire after being handed out his most lopsided loss by the Filipino puncher-slugger turned into sweet-punching executioner.

The mantle has been passed and it fitted to a T with Manny’s recent decisively and clinical conquest of Hatton.

Source: http://philboxing.com/news/story-24047.html

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