Popular boxing trainer and future hall of famer Freddie Roach said that he wants Ricky Hatton to be the next opponent of Manny Pacquiao. He said that it will not be a boring fight as in the case of the last de la Hoya- Mayweather match up.
At this point it appears that a Pacquiao-Hatton match up is almost a done deal. Top Rank, Manny Pacquiao’s promoter, has no objection to the proposed match up.
In the case of Hatton, he was seen at the MGM Grand watching the just concluded Pacquiao-de la Hoya match. It was obvious that he was there to be noticed and to show his desire to challenge Pacquiao to fight him in his native England.
Pacquiao on the other hand, has shown interest in the proposed match up and said that he is willing to travel to England for a change in venue and to give way to the wishes of Hatton.
The Pacquiao- Hatton fight is indeed a good match up. It is definitely not a boring fight as Freddie Roach said. Ricky Hatton is a brawler and an offensive fighter just like Pacquiao who is noted for his speed and power punches.
There is a lesser discrepancy in physical statistics between the two boxers compared to the Pacquiao-de la Hoya figures. Although Hatton is still superior in terms reach, the difference is not as big as those of de la Hoya. In the case of Hatton, his reach is recorded officially at 65 inches while Pacquiao has a reach of 67 inches, differences of 2 inches in favor of Pacquiao. In terms of height Hatton stands at 5’6’’ while Pacquiao stands at 5’6.5”. Both boxers will be 31 years old next year.
Professional fight statistics reveal that Hatton has fought 46 times winning 45, losing only once with 32 wins via knock out, while Pacquiao’s record shows that he fought 53 times lost 3 and winning 36 via knock out.
As in any other business, boxing promoters are concerned about the size of revenues that the fight will generate both in gate receipts and pay-per-view income. In this particular case, the projected income could be much bigger than Pacquiao-de la Hoya match because of the wider market in England and EU. Gate receipts could be maximized because of the very large venue that Wembley Stadium can accommodate if it is chosen as the venue of the fight.
The Pacquiao-de la Hoya match made a 1.25 million pay-per-view buys that generated approximately $70 Million Dollars in revenues. According to HBO, it is the highest and most successful pay-per-view event in 2008 with gate attendance of about 15,000
The Pacquiao-Hatton match up is definitely the most exciting boxing event that will take place early next year. Both fighters are the most popular boxers in their respective countries and equally popular among boxing fans all over the world.