PACQUIAO VS. HATTON

This is my favorite time of the year, no not spring-time, not baseball season, not draft day, and definitely not Alcohol awareness month! It's big fight time! The Bryguy is ready to hunker down and watch arguably the biggest boxing event of the year.( I say arguably only because if Pacquiao wins there could be a Mayweather-pacquiao showdown later in the year.)

Does it get better than this? I love the hype of a big fight, especially when the fight looks like it could live up to it.(Not like Delahoya-Mayweather, although I enjoyed that hype as well.) For most people all they have to do is go to the bar or call a friend to talk about their favorite sport. Baseball fans have at least a game a day, Fox shows a National game every Saturday afternoon, ESPN has Sunday night baseball, and of course in New England, Red Sox games are always available on NESN(shameless plug).  Football fans have every Sunday and Monday night to bunker down and devour game after game. Boxing fans get one or maybe two big fights a year that will attract casual fans. This means more interest in the sport and more people to talk boxing with.  A fight like this to a boxing fan is like the playoffs to a football fan. Can you tell I'm excited?!

Prediction:

This is a tough fight to call, both guys are very good and looked like world beaters in their last fights. Ricky Hatton dismantled the usually slick Paulie Malignaggi, and Manny Pacquiao tore apart Oscar Delahoya as if he were nothing but a club fighter. There are many things to consider when talking about the outcome of this fight:

1. Hitman has never lost at 140lbs and Pacman has never fought at 140lbs

2. Hatton has only been with his trainer for 1 fight, Pacquiao has been with Freddie roach since 2001.

3. It's been a while since Hatton has fought a guy his own size(Ricky is small for 140lbs.)

4. Paulie Malignaggi has zero power, so Ricky had nothing to fear with him.

5. Delahoya was a shot fighter by the time Manny got to him.

6. Most importantly, Ricky can't wear his thong into the ring(check out the first 24/7 on demand if you don't get the joke).

So after thinking about all that, forget it because none of it matters! Yes Pacman is stepping up in weight; Yes Hitman is with a new trainer; Yes Hatton is a great body puncher; Yes Delahoya was shot; What I see more than anything is, Pacquiao has much greater hand speed and is the all around better fighter. Ricky, no matter what Floyd Sr. says is still the same fighter he was before. Hatton is the underdog going into tomorrows main event, but he is about as live an underdog as you're going get. He lost one fight to the pound for pound best fighter on the planet, of course in this fight he is taking on the guy who replaced Mayweather as number 1 on that list.

My pick is going to be the same as most, Manny Pacquiao. Although I think this will be a solid fight, worth the money spent on the PPV, I just feel that Manny is too good a fighter. Hatton will bring the fight to Pacquiao and force the Phillipino icon to dig deep, I just don't think Hatton can pull off the upset.  I think The Hitman will have his moments, perhaps even hurting Pacman in the middle rounds, but Pacquiao will recover to bring home the victory.  One of the problems is, as I just stated Hatton will bring the fight to Pacquiao, David Diaz did the same thing and Pacman ate him up with ease. I am not saying Diaz is as good as Hatton, but they both come straight forward and don't get too cute. Pacquiao has most famously had trouble with Juan Manual Marquez, a counter-punching wizard that throws punches from all angles. Hatton does have a tremendous body attack, but I don't see Pacquiao sitting on the ropes the way Jose Luis Castillo did when he fought Hatton.(The Hitman stopped Castillo in four rounds with a body shot). In the end Pacquiao will be too fast and surprisingly I think stronger than most think, Ricky Hatton will fall in the 11th of a tough fight.

PPV Plans:

When shelling out cash for a boxing event, it is always best to get a group to split it, and use it as an excuse to party.  I will be watching this fight at my brothers place, having some Delicious Bud Lights and perhaps some wings(I recommend Wings Over Brookline).   The last Hatton PPV was a great time at my place and I am hoping tonight will be just as good.  Sadly we will be missing one from the party, Boom-Boom made the last Hatton PPV an event to remember.  Boom-Boom has moved on to a better place, his presence and picture taking skills will be sorely missed tonight.