Ricky Hatton, the pride of Manchester, has been on top of the jr. welterweight division for a considerable amount of time. He has fought the best the division has to offer. Kostya Tszyu, Paulie Malignaggi, Jose Luis Castillo are all great names; great warriors who succumbed to Hatton's great strength. Still, the dilemma for Ricky Hatton has been the fact that he's always been labeled as a one-dimensional brawler who always comes forward without any concern for defense. His career-defining moments were often marred with thoughts of "what if?"
What if...he had fought Tszyu and Castillo during their prime years.
What if...he had fought a healthy, two-fisted Malignaggi.
Hatton, throughout his career, was never given the benefit of the doubt. He was always this and that or he only won because his opponent was this and that. However, I firmly believe that Hatton, with all due respect to Marquez, will be the toughest challenge that will come Manny Pacquiao's way. Through the years, Hatton has mastered the art of pressure fighting. He is a dangerous opponent with a very dangerous punch.
In recent fight predictions the Pacquiao-Hatton duel, Hatton always seems to fall on the losing end of the stick. There have been daring and bold predictions of an early round knockout victory for Pacquiao. Other so-called "experts" have labeled Hatton as tailor-made for Pacquiao. Personally, I really don't know how they come up with such predictions, but believe me, Hatton will come to fight. He isn't going to roll over and die.
East meets west...
Two separate worlds in faraway continents...
Millions of people anticipating the moment of truth...
One superfight that'll be remembered for years to come...
Two brave ring gladiators...
The one out to prove he's still the best...
The other out to prove that he can be the best...
When the curtain falls and all is said and done, only one man will reign supreme. One will enjoy the sweetness of victory while the other will taste the bitterness of failure.
Only one man is destined to continue the ballad of his boxing career.