FIGHTHYPE PREDICTIONS: MAYWEATHER VS. HATTON

FightHype staff predictions are in for this weekend's highly anticipated clash between undefeated pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. and undefeated jr. welterweight champion Ricky Hatton. Somebody's "0" has got to go. Who will it be? Can Ricky Hatton pull off the upset? Will Mayweather cruise to another decision? Get the answers to these questions and more in FightHype's staff predictions. Plus, fighters and trainers in boxing as well as mixed martial arts share their thoughts on the fight as former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, undisputed super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe, undisputed cruiserweight champion David Haye, WBC jr. middleweight champion Vernon Forrest, IBF jr. welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi, world-class trainers Freddie Roach, Buddy McGirt, John Hackleman, Juanito Ibarra as well as contenders Alfonso Gomez, Luis Collazo, Sechew Powell, Buddy McGirt Jr. and Frankie Figueroa all weigh in. check it out!

The Hype - Mayweather TKO10
I gotta give HBO some major props. After watching their 24/7 series, they almost had me changing my pick...almost! I think, however, I'll stick with my original prediction. Here's the thing...we already know that Mayweather has seen the type of non-stop, in-your-face style that Hatton brings to the table. The question is, has Hatton ever seen the type of style that Mayweather brings to the table? Other than Eammon Magee, who dropped him, and Luis Collazo, who had him looking ready to go late in the fight, I don't think he's ever faced anyone as fast, slick and talented as Mayweather. The safe bet is Mayweather by unanimous decision, but I've got a feeling that this one might be ugly for the Manchester Mauler who's replaced his roughhouse tactics on the inside with a lot more clinching and holding. Mayweather by tenth round stoppage as he gives Hatton a taste of his own medicine, outworking him on the inside and eventually breaking him down with some vicious body shots. I'll definitely be rooting for Hatton, but I'm expecting a lopsided Mayweather victory.

Lennox Lewis - Undecided
I give Ricky Hatton a good chance because boxing is a sport that really keeps you honest and if you're not honest, it will let you know.  Hatton's coming with an entire country behind him, so that's a lot of strength he's bringing. They're coming! The British are coming! Obviously Floyd has the speed and the quickness. I've always said you can't hit what you can't catch, so we'll have to see how it plays out. If Ricky can catch him and if Floyd says he's not running, then it's going to be an interesting fight.

Percy Crawford - Mayweather TKO8
I could see this being a snoozefest and Mayweather winning or an ugly fight and Hatton winning, but looking at Hatton's face on the last 24/7, I can easily see Floyd busting him up for 7 or 8 rounds and Hatton's corner letting him fight another day. Yes, I'm picking Mayweather Jr. to stop Hatton the way Hatton stopped Kostya Tszyu, but in 8 rounds instead of 11.

Freddie Roach - Mayweather by Decision
I wouldn't be sticking my neck out if I pick Floyd because he's a good boxer and he's hard to beat, but I think he just may have too much speed for Hatton and I pick Floyd by 12 round decision.

Angel Colon - Hatton by Majority Decision
Alright, so I've been going back and forth and back and forth. I know everybody expects Mayweather to dissect Hatton and if you've ever bet against Mayweather, you're probably broke, but there's something about Hatton that makes me feel like he's really going to pull this one off. Hatton makes a very strong point in his assessment of Floyd's last couple of fights, where he waits for his opponent to get tired and then picks them apart in the later rounds. I don't think Hatton is going to slow down and he'll win enough early rounds to pull off the upset. Then we'll see him in a fight with De La Hoya next year.

Joe Calzaghe - Mayweather
Ricky has got a huge heart and has a chance of winning, but Mayweather has to be a big favorite. He is pound-for-pound the best and a 5-weight world champion. They don't just hand that sort of thing out. Ricky has got the style to cause Mayweather problems, but I think Mayweather has to be the hot favorite.
 
Sean Malone - Hatton by Split Decision
While I feel that Mayweather is the best in the business, something tells me that Hatton will pull off the upset. It's no secret that Mayweather does not like constant pressure and I feel that Hatton will smother the "Pretty Boy" from the opening bell. You can just see the fierce determination in the eyes of Hatton and I feel that he wants to win this fight moreso than Mayweather. Hatton wins by close decision.

Buddy McGirt - Mayweather
Mayweather. All day!

John Hackleman - Mayweather
I like Hatton, but I would have to go with Mayweather. I think he's too skilled and fast and he will leave Hatton in the dust. I don't see anyone beating him right now unless he tries to step up to MMA (laughing) and then he will get killed (more laughing).

Al Mermini - Mayweather by Unanimous Decision
I think Floyd is up for this challenge and he is a very hard guy to pick against. Floyd's technical boxing superiority should be the key for him in this fight. His lateral movement and ability to keep Ricky turning will make it hard for ricky to set his feet and punch with the ferocity he is known for. All the while, Pretty Boy will batter him with lightning fast and pinpoint precise punching. With all this said, I do believe this is a much closer fight than the oddsmakers have it and I say if you can get Ricky at better than 2-1, then bet on the dog cause I promise you he is LIVE! My money, for the value, is on Ricky. My experience tells me Mayweather.

Vernon Forrest - Undecided
Well it's no surprise that everybody's picking Floyd and rightfully so. He is the pound for pound best fighter in the world. I think that the Dancing with the Stars thing would've been a major distraction for him. I couldn't see how he could honestly train for a guy like Hatton and also moonlight with another job. With a guy like Hatton, he needs your undivided attention inside or outside of the ring. What you eat, what you sleep, what you do, you have to be 100% completely prepared for a guy like Hatton. Not so much because of his skill, but his style. The roughhouse tactics, he's a fast guy, he can box, he can bang, he's always in great condition, plus he's a rugged fighter. Floyd is used to fighting guys he's able to control inside of the ring and he can do whatever he wants to do and I don't think it's going to be that kind of a fight. I think him getting voted off of that Dancing with the Stars thing should really help him because now he's focusing his attention on Hatton. If he's not 100% focused on Hatton, there's definitely going to be an upset that night.

Juanito Ibarra - Hatton by Late Stoppage
Hatton's in phenomenal shape. He's an old school mixed with the new school type of fighter. I think what could hurt Hatton is his weight fluctuation between fights because that's always hard on the body. Mayweather's a smart kid. He's fast and elusive and it's hard to beat a guy like that unless you could really hurt that kid to the body so I'm going to say Hatton in the later rounds. I'm just going to roll the dice on that. I want to see Hatton beat Floyd Mayweather.

Josh Jordon - Mayweather by Unanimous Decision
I think Hatton will make it tough on Floyd early in the fight, getting his head into Folyd's chest and trying to rake him while he gets him on the ropes. But Mayweather's pinpoint counterpunching will start to take their toll on Ricky. Once Hatton slows, even the slightest bit, Floyd will take over and sweep the later rounds.

David Haye - Undecided
Hatton is fighting the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet! If Hatton's game is 100% tight, and he fights the fight of his life, he can pull off the biggest upset since Honeyghan beat Curry. But it will be a great fight no matter the result. Never underestimate Hatton's heart!

Paulie Malignaggi - Mayweather
I think it's a one-sided fight for Floyd Mayweather, who I see dominating Ricky Hatton. I see Ricky Hatton not coming back to America for a while after that. Mayweather is going to dominate that fight.

Sechew Powell - Mayweather
Well I think it will be a more competitive fight than most people think. A lot of people think that Floyd is going to blow him out, but I think it'll be competitive. Ultimately, I see Floyd beating this guy. He doesn't have the boxing fundamentals that Floyd has and, in my opinion, Floyd is more of a complete fighter and I think that will get him through the fight. I see him breaking Ricky Hatton down through the fight.

Steve Coleman - Mayweather TKO9
It's funny, but both Mayweather and Hatton don't seem to look that good in the face (just saw them on ESPN).  Whereas Floyd looked tired, Hatton looked more drawn and gaunt. I'm still going with Mayweather. I think Hatton's going up and down in weight will finally catch up with him when those counterpunches start catching up with him in the later rounds. Hatton's skin just does not look like it's going to last.

Luis Collazo - Mayweather
Well Ricky is a tough fighter who you have to take serious and I don't know if Floyd is taking him serious or not. He's going to give Floyd a couple of problems in there if Floyd gets cocky, but if Floyd goes in there and takes care of business, he should get the W.
 
Jack Plato - Mayweather by Unanimous Decision
When it comes down to it, Floyd Mayweather is simply too slick and elusive for Ricky Hatton. He has the jab, the lateral movement, and the ring generalship, in addition to the smarts NOT to get into a brawl with Hatton. There are many who hate Floyd for his arrogant demeanor, but that doesn't take away from his boxing abilities in the ring. Hatton's best chance is to make a Castillo effort out of this fight by mauling on the inside, but even if Hatton does that, much of his efforts will be blocked by Floyd's arms, shoulders, and elbows. Hatton must get rough and occasionally dirty to make this fight competitive. This way, he might be able to make it close on the scorecards. The problem is that you can't hit what you can't catch. All Floyd has to do is stay on his toes, pop the jab and move away. He'll win about 8 or 9 rounds doing that, collect his millions, take a decision and Hatton will complain that Floyd wouldn't stand and fight. One judge will have it closer than it needs to be, but the outcome will be the same. The question isn't whether Floyd Mayweather wins this fight, but by how wide a margin the judges will give it to him.

Alfonso Gomez - Hatton
Well I think that Mayweather has been in with people who try and pressure him and he's able to slip the punches pretty well, but I don't think that Ricky Hatton is going to allow him to throw his gameplan out of the window. I kinda see Hatton winning this fight and people look at me weird when I say that (laughing), but I saw what happened with Castillo in their fights. The first one I thought Castillo won and the second one was definitely close so I think that kind of pressure might hurt Mayweather in this fight and we know that Ricky Hatton is nothing but a pressure fighter. He just pushes you and pushes you so I think he might take it. It's going to be interesting, but I think it's going to be the biggest fight of the year.

Buddy McGirt Jr. - Mayweather
If Floyd comes to fight, which we know he will, I think he picks Ricky Hatton apart. I take nothing away from Ricky Hatton, but when I saw him fight Louie Collazo, I didn't think he was ready for that type of boxer with that speed. With Floyd being the best boxer in the world, I don't know if Hatton is ready for that yet. I know he's a brute, but Floyd fought De La Hoya who's 154 lbs. and he sat there, caught and rolled. I don't know if Hatton is strong enough to break through that guard and he's not quick enough.

Joey "Titlebelt" Karash - Mayweather by Unanimous Decision

Joey Falvo - Mayweather by Unanimous Decision
Yeah, I know, the pick seems to be a given, however, I do think the Hitman can rough up the Pretty Boy just a bit on his way to his first loss (Hatton's first loss that is).  With his aggressive/wrestling style, Hatton can be a handful to fight and sometimes to watch. He also has a lethal left hook to the body which also makes him VERY dangerous, even to a fighter such as Floyd.  But, in the end, it is hard for me to imagine a guy who struggled with the tricky, but light-hitting southpaw Luis Collazo and the aggressive, but one-dimensional Juan Urango beating the best fighter in the world. His struggle with Collazo is particularly disturbing because the Hitman never really got going. Of course, he was facing southpaws, but now I am getting complicated so let's just get straight to the point....Mayweather has some rough moments or perhaps a lot of them, but he pitty-pats his way to a unanimous win or a stoppage by cuts.

James Almonte - Mayweather by Unanimous Decision
I think this fight should be called "Sprint vs. Marathon" instead of "Undefeated". If Ricky Hatton is going to win this fight, he is going to have to stay in Floyd's chest for the entire fight and not let up. The problem with this is that Floyd is going to be peppering him with clean shots so he risks getting a cut. I think Floyd, having fought plenty of grade A pressure fighters, is going to be more prepared mentally and that is going to give him the edge. I see Floyd being able to close the distance and taking some of Ricky's will as the fight goes on when he sees that Floyd is effectively countering his pressure tactics. Much has been said about the third man in the ring, Joe Cortez, and how he will allow in-fighting and though I agree, I don't think he will let either of these fighters get away with their sometimes dirty tactics for too long. So I don't think the ref will play that big of role in the outcome of the fight. This should be a decent fight with Floyd winning via unanimous decision or TKO stoppage due to cuts.

Charles Presnell - Mayweather TKO9
Floyd is on a different planet than Hatton. I agree that Hatton has an outstanding record, but when has he beat anyone in their prime?  Hatton's two trips up to the A class were Tsyzu and Castillo and both of them were at the end of their road. Hatton has the ability to wrestle and make this fight ugly, but I don't see that happening. Mayweather is fighting someone his size this time so he won't be as cautious as he was against Baldomir or De La Hoya. Expect the best of Mayweather as he gives a Gatti-like beating.

Frankie "El Gato" Figueroa - Mayweather
I've sparred Hatton too. I got Floyd Mayweather. I don't want to go with Floyd Mayweather, but he's a fighter that's hard to figure out. He's a great fighter.   I love Ricky Hatton's style. I love how he is. I love how he treated me when I was out there and love the people in England. Ricky Hatton is a guy who goes in there and fights the fight. He's pound-for-pound. I still got Floyd, but I don't want to have Floyd.
 
Simon Ruvalcaba - Mayweather by Unanimous Decision
Listen to Ricky Hatton and he'll have you convinced that Mayweather won't stand up to his power. Listen to Floyd and you'll believe that Ricky will not get the opportunity to land his big shots. Floyd's mouth may be almost as fast as his hands, but one thing for certain is that, to this point, he has been correct and backed up his words. Casual fight fans who watch 24/7 are convinced that Hatton will pull it out. I think back too much, however, on the Collazo fight and how Hatton had trouble handling his speed. I believe Mayweather's speed will be the difference. Hatton will bring pressure all night and have his moments, but Mayweather will cruise on the scorecards in an entertaining fight.

Joe DeMaria - Mayweather by Unanimous Decision
After speaking with a good number of boxing fans and experts, I find that I'm in the minority here - even as I tab Floyd to win a decision. I find that a good number of people are thinking this will be a total washout, an embarrassment, a fight that rivals Mayweather-Gatti in competitiveness. Let me just get this out of the way right now and say that this fight will be competitive and Floyd Mayweather will be forced to work as hard as you or I have seen him work since the first Castillo fight and maybe harder. Don't be mistaken. Joe Cortez as the referee is a serious break for Ricky Hatton. Cortez will let him work on the inside, and that includes a leniency when it comes to fouls. That said, I expect the same kind of leniency for Floyd, though we know that is not his fight. I think people, Floyd Mayweather included, are underestimating Hatton's handspeed, footspeed, footwork, tenacity, and his English stubbornness. I am unsure of how Floyd is going to deal with Hatton's fighting style and I am extremely interested to find out. I think early on we will see Floyd standing with Hatton more than we all might expect. I think we may even see Floyd try to do something dramatic and bang Hatton out of there. I firmly believe that the Pretty Boy does not respect Ricky Hatton. Not only does Floyd think he is better and more athletically gifted, but he also thinks he bigger and stronger. After a couple rounds of doing that and soon realizing that Hatton is not going anywhere, he will look to fight at a distance. I think Hatton will maintain the pressure and continue to keep Floyd working like he has not had to do in years. In the end, I think Floyd Mayweather wins a close decision, but let me tell you, I am so damn tempted to pick the upset here. If Hatton maintains the pressure and aggression for the entire fight, I would not be surprised to see the judges reward him accordingly. This fight is in Vegas and it is a Golden Boy Promotions card. It is hard to pick against Floyd, but there are a lot of factors at play here, one of them being Oscar's hope of getting a date with the Hitman in May. On the flipside, there is always the potential for a cut when it comes to Hatton, especially with a guy who has Mayweather's handspeed, but I am not that good of a prognosticator so I will leave those calls for the real experts. Give me Floyd Mayweather by a close, hard fought decision in a fight that has most people surprised by how competitive it is. If Floyd wins, he will work damn hard to do so.

John Tandy (Editor, www.ultimateboxingresults.com) - Hatton TKO10
This one has been dubbed the fight of the century. Whether it lives up to that huge label, we will see. Mayweather is obviously the hot favorite coming into this, but as the fight draws nearer, more and more people are changing their minds in regards to the Hitman's chances. When the fight was made, there were only a handful of people giving Hatton any chance. Now I would say it is probably 50-50. I think this is a fair assessment. Both men come in confident, neither has ever been beaten and both are taking this one very seriously. Whatever Mayweather says to the press, he is smart enough to know that this will be, by far, the biggest test of his career. Hatton has the style that has caused Mayweather problems in the past; he is the stronger, fitter man of the two. Mayweather has the edge in boxing ability, but he has never really needed to really dig deep to grind out a victory. If Mayweather is prepared to stand and fight, this one really could be a classic, however, I personally think Mayweather will be on his bike with Hatton chasing close by. If this happens, Hatton will have to fight against, not only a very slippery opponent, but also the frustration of having to chase for the full 12 rounds. If it is close, Mayweather will get the decision. If Hatton has a reasonable lead, he may get the draw. The only way I see Hatton getting the win is if he clearly wins the majority of the rounds or he manages to stop Mayweather, both of which are a possibility. Tough fight to call. A lot could depend on how the judges see it. I say it doesn't even end up in the hands of the judges. Hatton by tenth round stoppage.

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