Pacquiao vs Hatton

News of Floyd Mayweather Jr's unretirement has been floating around lately. And as much as some boxing fans eagerly await the official announcement of his return and his possible bout with Pacquiao, Manny Pacquiao's camp is not looking beyond his current challenge in Ricky Hatton. Ricky Hatton vs Manny Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather. However which way you put it, the title alone gives fight fans a chilling tingle to the possible matchup. Mayweather vs Pacquiao. Pound for pound. There can only be one. Now that's one fight boxing fans should never miss.

But let us focus on the current business at hand. Pacquiao vs Mayweather will never happen unless Pacquiao gets by Ricky Hatton who in recent reports have been throwing a lot of bombs towards Pacquiao's camp.

Ricky Hatton has time and again boldly declared that he will shock Manny Pacquiao during their May 2 fight in Las Vegas. Citing ultimately that Pacquiao's team is not preparing him for the new and overhauled Hitman Hatton.

With Floyd Mayweather Sr. in his corner, Ricky Hatton is beaming with confidence. So confident in fact that he believes that not only will he overpower the smaller Pacquiao, he will also match Pacquiao in speed and aggressiveness. Hatton has boldly predicted that he will knock Pacquiao out and claim the Pound-for-pound title.

But let us look at all the fight hype objectively. With Floyd Mayweather Sr. in Ricky Hatton's camp, all the bombs towards the other camp is expected. It is part of Mayweather Sr's tactic of psyching out the opponent. Boxing after all is not just a brute fight in the ring. It is also a mind game. And this is what Floyd Mayweather Sr. is trying to pull off.

But come fight night, will Ricky 'the Hitman' Hatton really overpower the Pacman? Will he be able to neutralize Pacquiao's speed, power and unrelenting attack? Will his size advantage be really that much of a difference? And more importantly, with Floyd Mayweather Sr in his corner, how much of a difference will it really make?

We've seen Ricky Hatton transform into a boxer from a bullying brawler in his fight against Paulie Malignaggi. And fight fans should not forget how Hatton fared in his previous fight. Yes Ricky Hatton has slowly changed his fighting style. He now picks his moments and has added some defensive arsenal in his fighting style. But is this really good for Hatton? When all his life he has fought straight-up, brawling his opponents to submission?

What fight fans should remember is Paulie Malignaggi is a weak boxer who depends so much on scoring points to win fights. He is no Manny Pacquiao, not even close. And although Hatton outscored Malignaggi in their fight, Ricky Hatton cannot do the same against Pacquiao.

When Hatton starts feeling Pacquiao's power, I doubt he will be able to retain composure. This is evident on how Hatton lost his cool against Floyd Mayweather Jr., which eventually led to him kissing the canvass.

Ricky Hatton has declared that he is the king of the 140-pound division and no one can beat him at that weight. Well, THAT is a fact...for now that is. But how long can Hatton hold on to his crown? Until Manny Pacquiao officially fights at 140, we will just have to wait.

May 2. East vs West. Hatton vs Pacquaio. Pacquiao vs Hatton.

Is Bob Arum Afraid of Mayweather for Pacquiao?

Pacquiao against Cotto. Pacquiao against Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. These are the fights Top Rank Boss Bob Arum wants. And with the rumors of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s comback floating around every corner, Arum is obviously playing deaf. Or is he?

The big fight for Pacquiao, should he win against Ricky Hatton, is Cotto or Chavez. This was according to Arum of course. Even the name of a fighter who should have retired years ago is being put into the picture. And that name is Oscar Dela Hoya.

Arum obviuosly thinks that Mayweather is not the name to rake in the money right now. Well let's say that maybe, just maybe, Money May needs a little bit of a tuneup before he can again be in the boxing spotlight. But it is an undeniable fact that the rumors of Mayweather coming out of retirement (not the closet) is making more buzz than the names Miguel Cotto or Julio Cesar Chavez.

Even Chavez 39-0-1 (29KO), who is fresh off a victory against Luciano Cuello in Tijuana, Mexico on Saturday night is overshadowed by the mere news of Mayweather's return. Besides, Chavez fights in the Junior Middlewieght ranks and Pacquiao has only started to climb up to Welterweight. If many argued how much of a mismatch Pacquiao's last fight against Dela Hoya was, I wonder what boxing fans would think about this matchup. Sure, Pacquiao could give Chavez a beating like he did Oscar, but it would still be a mismatch one way or another.

Given that both Cotto and Pacquiao are promoted by Arum's Top Rank seems logical enough that Arum wants the two slug it out. However, this is not the fight fans want to see.

Mayweather is a boring fighter. He cherry-picks his opponents. He runs around the ring more than he throws punches. And Freddie Roach was spot on when he said that when you fight Mayweather, win or lose, you look bad doing it.

Nevertheless, even with all these negative publicity, Mayweather undeniably still has star-power as well as hate-value that keep fight fans interested in him. And a fight with Pacquiao definitely will pull in more PPV numbers than a fight against Cotto and Chavez combined.

Bob Arum apparently does not want Pacquiao to fight Mayweather for the reason that if the current Pound-for-Pound champ loses to the former Pound-for-Pound champ, Pac will lose the luster he has earned during his one-sided win against Dela Hoya. Pacquiao after all is his Money Man.

But will this really be the case? Other than Paul Williams, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, Pacquiao has what it takes to beat Mayweather. And should this fight materialize, it will still be one hell of a fight (all credits to Pacquiao of course).

Mayweather is a boring fighter but he is good at what he does. And if Arum wants Pacquiao to fight anyone but PBF, that makes him no different than the cherry-picker in Mayweather.

Pound-for-Pound Champ Pacquiao is 2008 Fighter of the Year

For the second time in three years, Manny Pacquiao has been voted by The Boxing Writers' Assn. of America on Tuesday as the Fighter of the Year.

The Filipino fighter, who is currently preparing for his May 2 clash against Ricky Hatton, edged out the recently retired Joe Calzaghe for the award. Freddie Roach, the Hall of Fame trainer of Pacquiao, was also named Trainer of the Year for the third time since 2003.

Pacquiao, who first fought Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008 won a super-featherweight world title last March on a split-decision. He then moved up in weight and beat world lightweight champion David Diaz by ninth-round knockout. After that fight, he once again moved up in weight and defied boxing logic by dismantling Oscar De La Hoya over eight rounds in December, making the 10-time world champion quit before the ninth round began.

"It's always nice to be recognized for doing a good job. I appreciate it a lot. We worked hard on making Manny a better fighter, and I think he was last year."

Roach said Pacquiao is "very excited" at the honor and intends to attend the BWAA dinner in June in New York.

Pacquiao is currently training under Freddie Roach for his May 2 fight against Hatton with a possibility of facing Floyd Mayweather on July.

Mayweather to Comeback; Still Cherry-Picking?

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Some want it. Some don't. But make no mistake, Floyd Mayweather will come back.The main issue however is who Floyd wants to fight.

Marquez has openly expressed his intention on fighting Mayweather. The winner of the Pacquiao-Hatton fight on May 2 is also being put on the line. And there's Shane Mosley.

Mayweather of course is reportedly asking for a tune-up fight before taking on the bigger fights. Many think that Andre Berto, an undefeated boxer going up in the welterweight ranks, would be perfect for this tune-up fight.

With all these developments, one cannot help but ask why a lot of significant names are not being mentioned. When Mayweather retired on 2007, he said there was no more challenge left for him in boxing. This of course was a lie. A lie that Mayweather knows but made himself firmly believe in.

Miguel Cotto.

Antonio Margarito (who unfortunately is suspended).

Paul Williams.

These names are the biggest names in Welterweight along with Mosley. But Mayweather has continually ducked them opting for safer fights in the older Dela Hoya, the smaller Hatton, and the safety of retirement.

Before Mayweather retired, Cotto was undefeated. He was the man-to-beat. He was a hungry champion. But Mayweather has ducked him straight up while giving lousy excuses. He knows Cotto was dangerous. He would not dare risk his record against him.

Cotto, of course suffered his first defeat in the hands of Antonio Margarito. With his rock-hard chin and hands, Margarito was a feared man. He simply walks up to his opponents straight up and pounds them like a jackhammer on concrete. Its no wonder Mayweather avoids him.

But the biggest name in the welterweight ranks has got to be Paul Williams. At a towering 6'1, williams is an unstoppable force. Height advantage, reach advantage, speed, power, metal chin, and a physique made of molded iron, Williams possesses all the arsenals that make him the best Welterweight.

What these three fighters need to do is go to Mayweather's gym or anywhere else and challenge him straight up in front of many people. This way, Mayweather will have no choice but to accept or risk being exposed of yet ducking these fighters.. in public.

Marquez is too small. Hatton had his chance. Pac could beat him. Mosley is great but old.The real fights are there in his own division. So why look in the lower weights? If Mayweather says he is the best then he should prove himself against the best.

My two-cents worth:
Cotto will give Mayweather a run for his money and take it away.. Margarito will beat him to a pulp.. and Williams will send him back into retirement.

Why Mayweather's Comeback Is Bad For Boxing

Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s name has been making news in the recent weeks. Recent reports talked about his possible comeback to the boxing scene and much hype is passed around about his possible square-up against Marquez, Hatton, Pacquiao or Mosley.

What I do not get is why boxing reporters are giving Pretty Boy so much hype. Well it is a given that he is an undefeated boxer and the former pound-for-pound best, a title which he does not very much deserve.

How can he be pound-for-pound best when he hasn't even fought the top fighters in his own division?

I also do not get why some writers anticipate his return like its the event to watch out for. Mayweather is a boring boxer, a very boring one in fact. Having seen plenty of his fights, I am surprised that people still watch him do his stuff in the ring. If you are wondering what I am talking about.. get a copy of his fights and tell me if you are entertained.

Each time I watched his fights with some friends and six-packs, it never fails to get those "oh man, will you just stand your ground and fight like a man" comments. It's boxing for crying out loud and people do not pay to see someone throw one punch and run around like a chicken. Heck even I am embarassed by his "please dont hurt me" style.

Mayweather was given the nickname "Pretty Boy" because his face has never been cut or bruised in a fight. Well of course. That's a given considering his fighting style if it could even be considered fighting.

My point is why give a fighter much hype when he is bad for the sport? I remember one a hall-of-fame commentator saying, during Mayweather's fight against Dela Hoya, that he hoped the fight will be as good as all the hype during the pre-fight events. This was an obvious concern over the fate of boxing with the growing popularity of another combat sport in Mixed Martial Arts.

If it wasn't for Dela Hoya's pressure from time to time, the fight would have been a lot more boring than it was. The fight sold record pay-per-view numbers of course because Dela Hoya is a house-hold name in boxing. There was much hype in that fight with all the celebrities at ring-side and serious and casual boxing fans glued to the their sets on PPV.

The fight however was a disappointment. There were no knockouts. Even Dela Hoya did not get a single bruise from all Mayweather's one-punch and run tactic. And it was bad for the sport. During a time when the sports world's attention was focused on boxing, Dela Hoya gave it all and Mayweather did his usual running.

Fighters like Pacquiao and Marquez have kept boxing alive and exciting. Mayweather's return may and will cause some excitement. But it will be short-lived and overshadowed by his boring style. And it is bad for boxing.