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SO LONG, RICKY!  England's RICKY HATTON heads for dreamland after MANNY PACQUIAO tags him. |
Pacquiao erases Hatton
with explosive finesse
of TheColumnists.com
Manny Pacquiao has erased Ricky Hatton from the list of serious contenders for future glory in the prizefight world. He did it quickly, easily and decisively with a one-punch knockout in round two of the match everybody figured might be the bout of the year.
It turned out to be the rout of the year.
As I watched it happen, I had to wonder why I ever thought it would turn out any differently. Hatton, the scrappy 140-pounder from Manchester, England, came to Pacquiao with fists flying in his usual fiercely combative style. He was so determined to take the fight to the Filipino with explosive fury that he never saw the bomb drop so perfectly on his own chin.
It was, "Lights out, Ricky!" Referee Kenny Bayless didn't need to count. He called it off the instant he saw the vacancy sign go on in Hatton's eyes. It was a perfectly timed left that Hatton's chin met rushing in. Before that, southpaw Pacquiao had dropped Hatton with a right hook and was hitting him dead-on with virtually everything he threw.
When he entered the ring, Hatton held the IBO and Ring Magazine light welterweight title and Pacquiao was the challenger. But Hatton passed up the chance to enter the ring after his challenger, a privilege usually reserved for the champ, because Pacquiao had the unofficial honor of being recognized world-wide as the "pound for pound best fighter in the world." Hatton claimed that was the title he was after.
Well, he'll never come close to having that honor. Pacquiao proved beyond any doubt that there's nobody better out there at any weight. He has fought from 105 pounds all the way up to 147 pounds and still outclassed nearly everybody he's fought. He's a great puncher, a great counter-puncher, an aggressive attacker and an elusive target. He can do it all.
On the day before last Saturday's showdown, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the man Pacquiao replaced as "pound for pound champion," announced he was coming out of a one-year retirement from the ring to reclaim that honor. That announcement hung over the fight Saturday night, holding forth the promise that Pacquiao and Mayweather someday soon will meet to settle the issue of who's best in the world.
Right now, though, it's hard to imagine anybody else laying claim to Pacquiao's position. Hatton had lost only once in 46 prior fights--and that was a knockout by Mayweather. Hatton gave Mayweather a pretty tough fight until the slick boxer-puncher put him to sleep. In contrast, Hatton scored little against Manny in their brief encounter, going down once in round one and barely surviving the Filipino's savage finishing attack at the bell.
In round two, Hatton plunged right back into the meat grinder, trying to do some damage before it was too late. But it was already way too late. The official stoppage came with only one second remaining in the round, but Hatton had no idea where he was for several minutes after the kayo punch sent him to dreamland.
Hatton was supposed to be bigger and stronger than Pacquiao, but Manny is actually half an inch taller and weighed only two pounds less than Hatton at the official weigh-in. They looked evenly matched in size, but Pacquiao's fists moved faster and Hatton kept forgetting to move his head. That was a big mistake because Manny rarely missed hitting Ricky's stalwart chin.
I always loved watching Hatton because he was all business from the minute the bell rang in all his fights and literally overwhelmed most of his opponents. Now I think the party is over for him. Two knockout losses will sap his confidence and his motor skills surely will be diminished by the battering he took in just those few minutes Saturday night. He had a glorious run and will be a hero to his loyal fans even if he hangs up the gloves now. He should, if he wants to live to a ripe old age.
For Pacquiao, the future couldn't be brighter. He's already talking about running for public office in the Phillipines, where he's the No. 1 national sports idol. Some even think he could be president there. Hell, if he hammers the cocky Floyd Mayweather into silence, I might even move there and vote for him.
©2009 by Ron Miller. The photo is courtesy of HBO Boxing. This column first posted May 4, 2009.
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