This fight was a brutal one. Not many people saw this result coming, and definitely not in this fashion. The Hatton that had once battled so hard against Kosta Tsu was supposed to be the first "real test" for Manny at a higher weight class. Hatton was a natural 140, and would be sure to be his quickest and most vicious at this weight and could have too much size and power for the smaller Pacquiao to handle.
From the opening bell you could see that was exactly what was on Hatton's mind. He immediately surged forward towards his smaller opponent and began grabbing, clinching and taking his little shots which would seemingly be part of plan to wear down Manny. This game plan was classic one for a larger fighter, and if executed could work. Past performances have also shown that Manny is quick to deviate from his game plan. His "blood lust" often leaves him fighting the other man's fight, trying to beat him at his own game
Those first two clinches would be about the only times Hatton was able to find Pac Man all night. Pacquio landed what seemed like every punch he threw. Hard decisive shots that would rock Hatton. Pac had speed that Hatton couldnot keep up with, and before Ricky could get off Manny had already found him. The perfect case in point was the first knockdown. Manny had already cocked, stepped, landed and pulled back before Hatton even had the chance to get off. I had read the Live Chat off of ESPN.com and when Roach spoke about Hatton always cocking his hands too far back and that Manny would get to him easily I was more then skeptical. If it was so simple why has it not been done before?
In thinking of my answer I came to one conclusion: until this last fight there has been no recent fighter, with the exception of Floyd Mayweather Jr., that has possessed the blend of blinding speed and top notch skill. Welcome Manny Pacquiao to the discussion of "Greatest of All Time."
However in my comparison to Floyd I may be actually doing some disservice to Pacquio. The reason people watch Floyd Mayweather and tolerate his antics is because he is so good. He is too hard to find, delivers clean crisp combos that can sometimes only be really appreciated on slow motion and commonly leaves other boxers looking foolish. He gives us exciting and dominant moments. That last word is what I want you to focus on: MOMENTS.
What Pacquiao brings is heart, big time heart. Lots of aggression, lots of big shots and memorable fights. He has become a boxing fan's dream fighter, and this leads us into our next post. Does Manny have what it takes to bring down Pretty Boy Floyd?
