MANILA, Phillippines - Naniniwala si legendary trainer Angelo Dundee na si Briton Ricky Hatton ang maaaring tumalo sa kasalukuyang ‘pound-for-pound king’ na si Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.
“If ever there is a fighter that could beat Manny Pacquiao it is Ricky Hatton,” sambit ni Dundee, naging chief trainer ni boxing greats Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman, Jose Napoles, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio at Luis Rodriguez, sa panayam kahapon ng Sweet Science.com.
Ayon sa 88-anyos na si Dundee, ang pagi-ging agresibo ng tubong Manchester, England na si Hatton ang siya nitong magiging pangunahing sandata laban sa pambato ng General Santos City na si Pacquiao.
Hindi pa kasama sa ‘arsenal’ ng 30-anyos na International Boxing Organiztion (IBO) light welterweight champion ang matulis na left hook na panlaban sa mga kaliweteng kagaya ni Pacquiao.
“Aggressiveness, Hatton will take it to him,” ani Dundee. “It takes the awkwardness out of the southpaw if you take it to him. And Hatton has the best punch to beat a southpaw, the left hook.”
Si Dundee ang kinuha ni world six-division titlist Oscar Dela Hoya bilang special consultant sa paghahanda ni ‘Golden Boy’ sa kanilang non-title welterweight fight ng 30-anyos na si Pacquiao noong Disyembre 6 ng 2008.
Kung mabilis si Pacquiao, mas malaki at mas malakas naman si Hatton, obserbasyon ni Dundee.
“Hatton said it himself, he is bigger, and stronger. Pacquiao is quicker. But I give Hatton a great shot to win. It is because of the style,” wika ni Dundee.
Sa kanyang makulay na buhay bilang trainer, ilang bigating kaliweteng boksingero na ang nahawakan ni Dundee, kabilang na ang pamosong si Michael Nunn.
“You take it to the southpaw. I handled six southpaws, that is how I know. I handled the best southpaw in the world, Michael Nunn. But he got hit with that left hook from James Toney,” sabi ni Dundee. “You see, that is the punch. So they will make it a great fight. And I give Ricky a great shot to win.” (Russell Cadayona)