HATTON CAN PULL THE TRIGGER, BUT CAN HE HIT THE TARGET?
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 05 Feb 2009
No less than Manny Pacquiao?s ?boxing father? coach and trainer Freddie Roach proclaimed that Ricky Hatton ?can pull the trigger.? Unlike the last Pacman foe, the Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya, whom Roach precisely predicted as the boxer who ?can?t pull the trigger anymore.?
Pulling the trigger means that the boxer can still throw those stinging punches that could wane the opponent and those accurate blows that could antagonize the adversary. In shooting though, it?s not only pulling the trigger, but hitting the bull?s eye on the target which matters most.
In boxing, hitting the foe with a rock-hard punch that could send him to dreamland or connecting series of jabs and fists that could weaken his foe?s defenses are the fighter?s main goal. Target his face and body and if he hit his aims perfectly then it brings great hazard and eventually downfall to the opponent.
Roach admitted Hatton is a good body puncher and is a very dangerous fighter. He said the Briton likes to go to the body and Manny could compensate this through his footwork. Manny should stay away from the ropes, Roach hinted.
When the deal was consummated, de La Hoya said "We are very excited that this fight has been made, as it is the fight fans wanted and the one I look forward to seeing myself. This fight has all the makings of a fight of the year candidate and I think Hatton will dethrone Pacquiao and become boxing's pound-for-pound king."
The Hitman is called such a nickname for his fine KO billing. He has a knockout rate of 69.57% compared to Manny?s 67.92%, a slight difference though. Both boxers are 30 years of age. Hatton boxed 274 rounds while Pacquiao 291 rounds in their respective pro career.
Can The Hitman hit his target The Pacman? Pacquiao has two KO losses in his 3 career defeats. Manny was KO?d by Rustico Torrecampo in 1996 and by Medgoen Singsurat in1999, when Manny was stripped of his WBC flyweight title because of weight problems. Those KO losses were long before Manny was honed by Roach to perfection.
Hatton has one knockout loss in his only defeat and it was dealt by Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on December 8, 2007. But in that bout, Hatton?s invincibility was questioned. Before coming out of retirement to face the Briton, Mayweather declared
"Ricky Hatton cannot fight. He throws one punch at a time and then holds. Hatton is the most overrated fighter of the last 25 years."
When the fight night came, Mayweather was in complete control of the fight and knocked down Hatton in the 10th round with a left hook. When he got up, Mayweather rained Hatton with punches, and another left hook sent Hatton down to the canvas. The fight was stopped at 1:35 without a count and simultaneously, a white towel was thrown from Hatton's corner.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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