BRITISH SUPERSTAR RICKY HATTON declared there will be no winner on points when he finally meets Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao this weekend in Las Vegas.
In last weekend’s third installment of HBO’s 24/7 reality series to promote their fight, Hatton said his style as well as Pacquiao’s skills will only mean a knockout win for either fighter.
“There will definitely be a knockout in the fight,” said Hatton. “Me and Manny don’t exactly tiptoe around the ring and feel each other out. We’re both knockout fighters.”
Hatton’s colorful trainer Floyd Mayweather, Sr. guarantees his fighter will go for the body and stop Pacquiao with brutal body blows.
Mayweather said two of Pacquiao’s three losses were due to punches to the body, something which the American trainer says is still the Filipino’s weakest point.
Both Pacquiao and Hatton are scheduled to be given red carpet arrivals tomorrow. Pacquiao will arrive at the Mandalay Bay around noon while Hatton will be at the MGM Grand Garden Hotel around 1:30 p.m.
Pacquiao and Hatton will square off this Sunday morning (Manila time) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Although under instructions to take a rest, Pacquiao was so pumped up he defied conditioning expert Alex Ariza on Sunday and jogged for 30 minutes at the nearby Pan Pacific Park in Hollywood.
Pacquiao did some sprints and playfully cleared three hurdles, shadow-boxed for a few minutes and then capped his “day-off” by doing 1,200 sit-ups.
“Maintain na lang (Just maintain it),” Pacquiao said. Pacquiao earlier attended the 8:30 a.m. mass at the Christ the King Church, about a kilometer from the Wild Card Cym.
NOTES: Michael Koncz topped Pacquiao’s weight challenge and pocketed $10,000 Sunday. Koncz, who handles some of Pacquiao’s business deals, was able to shed off 24 lb from his weight when the contest started. There were 74 participants and all those who were able to lose 10 percent of their original weight won $3,000 each. Since 56 passed the challenge, first held during the Pacquiao-De La Hoya showdown, Pacquiao will hand out $175,000 (about P8.2 million) on Monday. Ariza emerged the winner last year, when $2,000 was given to the successful weight losers.
I've been loving the behind the scenes look at the Pacquiao camp that HBO's 24/7 has been providing...it's really got me pumped up for Saturday! This past week in particular was a great episode. I’m glad they used the song “The Goin’s Great” by Sammy Davis, Jr. to start the episode….such a great mood setter - makes me think Vegas, which of course makes me think boxing.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I hope Pacquiao puts on a show, to prove he’s the toughest pound-for-pound fighter there is, and also just to shut up Meriweather…. Check out the opening clip at http://displacedbrett.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/pacquiaohatton-madness/
Two more nights to go and it will be the grandest battle of the year. Without reservation Pacquiao will go out like it's an all out war!!!
ReplyDeletePacquiao by nine rounds!!!