Oscar predicts Hatton victory

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

INTERNATIONAL Boxing Organization light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton believes he can beat Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao in their showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2.

During the official announcement of the Battle of East and West, Hatton, who is handled in the US by Golden Boy Promotions, was given a boost by Oscar de la Hoya no less.

“I think Hatton will dethrone Pacquiao and become boxing’s pound-for-pound king,” said De la Hoya.

It was the same De la Hoya, who was pulverized by Pacquiao and quit at the end of eight rounds last Dec. 6 in a shockingly one-sided bout in Las Vegas.

But despite picking Hatton to win, De la Hoya was full of praise for Pacquiao in a fight he believes will be a candidate for Fight of the Year.

“When Manny Pacquiao goes into the ring, he fights for his country, the Philippines and the tens of thousands of Filipinos worldwide,” De la Hoya was quoted by the Andover Advertiser as saying.

The Golden Boy described Pacquiao as a tremendous athlete. “He is unlike any other champion we have ever promoted. When Manny walks into the ring, he carries the weight of his country on his shoulders and he fights with all of his heart, every second of every round.”

At the press conference in Britain, BBC Sport reported that Hatton said: “It will be an honor to meet Manny, the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. I’m brimming full of confidence, it doesn’t get better than this”

Hatton claimed: “I’m the biggest attraction in boxing.”

The Briton’s only defeat was at the hands of then pound-for-pound no. 1 Floyd Mayweather Jr. in December 2007, but Hatton said that this time around, he will be better prepared especially since he will be fighting at the comfortable weight of 140 pounds instead at 147 when he battled Mayweather Jr.

He insisted there was nobody better in the world at light welterweight. “With perseverance and hard work, I believe I can become the best boxer in the world.”

Hatton told the media: “I’ve challenged the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world once and came second. Now I’ve got another chance and I’m not going to let you down.”

Source:http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=sports1_jan31_2009