charlieb wrote:I'm not buying it. Forbes was pretty quick and Oscar lived with him comfortably, he just couldn't live with Pacquiao.
I dont think Oscar got old overnight either, he's been on the slide for years. I'll give you the weight making could have chipped away a little more, but it was Pacquiao who made him look an old man in there.
Manny's power travelled up well, extremely well, with little visible loss of speed. I'd be hard pushed to see Hatton not getting stopped because of his style, old or new.
If you want to talk about a previous opponent flattering a fighter, then the same could be said of Paulie.
It's a little harder to tell how 2 fighters will gel in the ring when they're at the level Pacquiao and Hatton are, but I just dont see Hatton a) being able to avoid getting hit flush, b) having the chin to endure the punches coming at him at a ridiculous speed and c) being able to fight anything remotely close to 'his' fight.
If he tries to bully Pacquiao, he loses early, if he tries to box Pacquiao he'll either be stopped mid-late rounds or lose a wide decision after taking a battering.
Forbes was hardly an elite level fighter. That's like saying that if Enzo Mac beat Audley Harrison, then he has a good chance against Vitali K.
Hatton is going to get hit, no doubt, but so is Manny, and there may be a disparity in physical strength in there. Oscar looked weak as a kitten during his fight with Manny, he had no energy whatsoever. Sure, Manny had the right tools to make him look bad, but 4-5 years ago, Oscar was a different animal, and the fight would have been a lot more competitive, at the very least.
Ricky is pretty quick with his feet, his footwork is often overlooked - he hasn't been using it very effectively recently, though I thought he looked very good against Malignaggi and didn't allow Malinaggi to get his shots off.
I think this is a very intriguing fight. Hatton should still be the stronger as I didn't think Pacquaio looked that solid physically at 147 and Hatton still looks a beast in there.
Pacman slight favourite, based on the fact I think he is a better overall fighter than Hatton, a better technical puncher, quicker, and more versatile (especially these days), but Hatton still has a chance based on workrate, physical strength and his superior inside work.
