Sports
The Front Row: Mayweather versus Hatton
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| AP Photo | Jae C. Hong WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, and Ricky Hatton, of Britain, face off after a news conference held at the MGM Grand hotel and casino in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The two will fight in a WBC welterweight title match tomorrow night in Las Vegas. |
By Nick Prevenas, Green Valley News
UNDEFEATED: Anyone who reads this section regularly knows I’m a huge boxing fan.
Whenever pugilism starts making headlines on mainstream sports outlets for reasons other than ear biting, I get unspeakably excited.
With the Floyd Mayweather versus Ricky Hatton mega-fight happening tomorrow, let’s take a closer look at boxing’s latest marquee event and determine which of these fighters will reign supreme.
Resume: Mayweather (38-0, 24 KOs) is, without question, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
During his 11-year career, he has dispatched his opponents with relative ease, employing a lethal mix of quickness and ring generalship.
Hatton (43-0, 31 KOs) might have more die-hard fans than any other fighter.
His everyman demeanor has given the Manchester, England native a fanbase that follows him around the globe.
While Hatton’s accomplishments are quite impressive, few can match what Mayweather has done in the sport.
Edge: Mayweather.
Likability: Mayweather comes across as a brash, arrogant and, at times, exceptionally rude fighter.
During every major press tour on which he has embarked, he has gone out of his way to insult his opponent.
However, Mayweather is an exceptionally smart fighter. He knows every fight needs a villain—a role he’s more than willing to play for big money.
Hatton, on the other hand, might be the most likable fighter of his era.
He’s funny, charming, courteous and wonderfully entertaining.
I expect at least 80 percent of the crowd at the MGM Grand will be cheering for Hatton—with thousands of British fight fans singing his name in Mayweather’s hometown.
Big edge: Hatton.
Skills: Mayweather might be the most technically sound boxer in today’s game.
He has been blessed superior quickness and phenomenal athleticism. Simply put, there’s nothing he can’t do in a boxing ring.
Hatton is an unconventional brawler who can throw power punches from any angle.
He is absolutely relentless, and attacks his opponents like a pitbull attacking a steak.
Mayweather has faced boxers with a similar warrior mentality (Jose Luis Castillo, Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti), while Hatton has never faced anyone as quick and skilled as Mayweather.
Edge: Mayweather.
Power: On the surface, this would appear to favor Hatton—a devastating body puncher who routinely knocks out opponents with a well-placed shot to the kidney.
However, most of Hatton’s knockouts have come at the 140-pound weight class.
With this fight taking place at 147 pounds, Mayweather should enjoy a major advantage.
He doesn’t knock as many opponents out as he used to, since he started suffering hand problems over the past couple years. But every opponent who has ever faced Mayweather comes away surprised with how much power he packs in those punches.
In his last bout, Mayweather had no trouble absorbing Oscar de la Hoya’s body attack at 154 pounds, so that could prove to be prophetic in tomorrow night’s bout.
Edge: Even.
Signature fight: Hatton made a name for himself on June 4, 2005, when he battled 140-pound kingpin Kosta Tszyu—a fighter who had held a world title for more than a decade.
Many boxing experts expected Hatton to suffer his first loss to Tszyu, but Hatton put on a clinic, forcing the champ to quit on his stool prior to round 12 and sending him into retirement.
Mayweather’s best moment came on Jan. 20, 2001, when he dominated an overmatched Corrales for 10 lopsided rounds.
Corrales, a two-time world champion, came into the bout undefeated. Many picked the bigger, stronger Corrales to give the cocky Mayweather his first professional loss.
They couldn’t have been more wrong.
Mayweather pitched the boxing equivalent of a perfect game, knocking Corrales down five times. In no round did Corrales land more than nine punches.
Edge: Mayweather.
Nickname: Hatton’s fans call him “Hitman,” while Mayweather goes by “Pretty Boy” or “Money May.”
Even though Thomas Hearns had the nickname first, Hatton carries the tradition proudly, having grown into the moniker.
Meanwhile, Mayweather’s nicknames are kind of uninspired.
Big edge: Hatton.
Final call: I’d love nothing more to see Hatton pull off the upset. He represents everything good about boxing and a win over Mayweather would be one of the sport’s biggest moments.
If Mayweather’s money and fame start going to his head and he takes Hatton lightly, Hatton will make him pay for it.
However, I can’t really see any way Mayweather loses this bout.
He’s too quick, too skilled, too much.
Unless Hatton lands a perfect punch, expect to see Mayweather walk away with a unanimous decision.
nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747
Whenever pugilism starts making headlines on mainstream sports outlets for reasons other than ear biting, I get unspeakably excited.
With the Floyd Mayweather versus Ricky Hatton mega-fight happening tomorrow, let’s take a closer look at boxing’s latest marquee event and determine which of these fighters will reign supreme.
Resume: Mayweather (38-0, 24 KOs) is, without question, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
During his 11-year career, he has dispatched his opponents with relative ease, employing a lethal mix of quickness and ring generalship.
Hatton (43-0, 31 KOs) might have more die-hard fans than any other fighter.
His everyman demeanor has given the Manchester, England native a fanbase that follows him around the globe.
While Hatton’s accomplishments are quite impressive, few can match what Mayweather has done in the sport.
Edge: Mayweather.
Likability: Mayweather comes across as a brash, arrogant and, at times, exceptionally rude fighter.
During every major press tour on which he has embarked, he has gone out of his way to insult his opponent.
However, Mayweather is an exceptionally smart fighter. He knows every fight needs a villain—a role he’s more than willing to play for big money.
Hatton, on the other hand, might be the most likable fighter of his era.
He’s funny, charming, courteous and wonderfully entertaining.
I expect at least 80 percent of the crowd at the MGM Grand will be cheering for Hatton—with thousands of British fight fans singing his name in Mayweather’s hometown.
Big edge: Hatton.
Skills: Mayweather might be the most technically sound boxer in today’s game.
He has been blessed superior quickness and phenomenal athleticism. Simply put, there’s nothing he can’t do in a boxing ring.
Hatton is an unconventional brawler who can throw power punches from any angle.
He is absolutely relentless, and attacks his opponents like a pitbull attacking a steak.
Mayweather has faced boxers with a similar warrior mentality (Jose Luis Castillo, Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti), while Hatton has never faced anyone as quick and skilled as Mayweather.
Edge: Mayweather.
Power: On the surface, this would appear to favor Hatton—a devastating body puncher who routinely knocks out opponents with a well-placed shot to the kidney.
However, most of Hatton’s knockouts have come at the 140-pound weight class.
With this fight taking place at 147 pounds, Mayweather should enjoy a major advantage.
He doesn’t knock as many opponents out as he used to, since he started suffering hand problems over the past couple years. But every opponent who has ever faced Mayweather comes away surprised with how much power he packs in those punches.
In his last bout, Mayweather had no trouble absorbing Oscar de la Hoya’s body attack at 154 pounds, so that could prove to be prophetic in tomorrow night’s bout.
Edge: Even.
Signature fight: Hatton made a name for himself on June 4, 2005, when he battled 140-pound kingpin Kosta Tszyu—a fighter who had held a world title for more than a decade.
Many boxing experts expected Hatton to suffer his first loss to Tszyu, but Hatton put on a clinic, forcing the champ to quit on his stool prior to round 12 and sending him into retirement.
Mayweather’s best moment came on Jan. 20, 2001, when he dominated an overmatched Corrales for 10 lopsided rounds.
Corrales, a two-time world champion, came into the bout undefeated. Many picked the bigger, stronger Corrales to give the cocky Mayweather his first professional loss.
They couldn’t have been more wrong.
Mayweather pitched the boxing equivalent of a perfect game, knocking Corrales down five times. In no round did Corrales land more than nine punches.
Edge: Mayweather.
Nickname: Hatton’s fans call him “Hitman,” while Mayweather goes by “Pretty Boy” or “Money May.”
Even though Thomas Hearns had the nickname first, Hatton carries the tradition proudly, having grown into the moniker.
Meanwhile, Mayweather’s nicknames are kind of uninspired.
Big edge: Hatton.
Final call: I’d love nothing more to see Hatton pull off the upset. He represents everything good about boxing and a win over Mayweather would be one of the sport’s biggest moments.
If Mayweather’s money and fame start going to his head and he takes Hatton lightly, Hatton will make him pay for it.
However, I can’t really see any way Mayweather loses this bout.
He’s too quick, too skilled, too much.
Unless Hatton lands a perfect punch, expect to see Mayweather walk away with a unanimous decision.
nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747
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