Sunday, May 03, 2009

Hatton plays the game wrong against Pacman

So I stayed up into the early hours of Sunday morning to see five minutes and 59 seconds of boxing action which might seem not worthwhile but it certainly was worth ruining my sleep pattern for.

What was seen was one of the greatest boxers of this generation, as Manny Pacquiao dismantled Ricky Hatton with unbelievable ease.

Never before have I seen the right hand jab of a southpaw used with such ferocious precision, Hatton seemed to miss them though because he got caught flush with 80 per cent of them.

I knew what to expect from the Philippine, having been first introduced to the 'Pacman' when he blitzed Marco Antonio Barrera back in 2003. You know he's going to come out throwing shots faster than the eye can see.

However, that was the shock for me because Hatton didn't seem to know what was going to happen and despite all his pre-fight talk of using his jab, having composure and moving his head to work his way in, the Hitman approached the fight as if it was like he was back in the MEN five years ago, fighting some other journeyman that Frank Warren pulled off the street.

With his head down and hands low he went at Pacquiao time and time again, in the aggressive nature that Freddie Roach had predicted, and planned for.

Right from the opening bell Hatton flew at his opponent and right from the opening bell Pacquiao landed his jab straight down the middle.

Hatton kept coming in a straight line, head still and just looking for the power shots. It would have been harder for his opponent to miss.

The British boy brought the crowd but he didn't bring his pre-fight tactical plans to the MGM Grand which, I imagine, will make Floyd Mayweather Sr decide to step down as his coach if he wasn't going to already.

Whoever thought in the Hitman's camp that the Philippine did not have the power or the ability to maintain his ferocious speed at the light welterweight division, should also quit.

He just destroyed one of the legends of the ring in Oscar De La Hoya, and even if the Golden Boy was off colour or past it, that was at welterweight, why could he not do the same at a lower weight?

In fact I would have been more worried that Hatton would not have the power after yet another draining training programme to make the 10 stone limit.

Let's not take anything away from the pound-for-pound champion, Pacquiao was superb.

He and Roach got the tactics spot on and used Hatton's over the top aggression against him.

It was Roach's words after the fight that signified the simplicity in their preparations.

"Every time Ricky throws his left hand he pulls it back and cocks it and he's wide open for a short right hook on the inside from a southpaw stance.

"I knew it was over because it seems like Ricky doesn't have the ability to adjust.

"He fights the same way over and over again. I've watched him for the last two-and-a-half months. I know him pretty well."

It may seem obvious to watch the tapes and find the weaknesses but in the professional game with all the hype, money and pressure for excitement, it's sometimes forgotten.

The way that the tactics were employed, worked to utter perfection. It could not have worked any better.

It typifies Roach, a pure perfectionist that makes sure his fighters are ready for whatever lies ahead.

He took on Pacquiao as a decent slugger and turned him into a boxing master who's record of beaten opponents now reads like a Hall Of Fame list.

Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, De La Hoya and now Hatton are just some of the greats he has beaten.

In my opinion he should only fight once more before calling it a day as a true ring legend and turning his attention to the world of politics.

With the winner of Floyd Mayweather Jr versus Marquez in July getting the privilege of facing the Philippine to decide who really is the true pound-for-pound champion and probably the greatest fighter of the last decade.

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