Magiging madugo, maikli at kapana-panabik ang Pacquiao-Hatton fight

LAS VEGAS -- Nagsalita na ang ‘3 Wise man’ ng boxing. Tatlong araw bago ang laban, nagpahayag na ang mga pangunahing boxing commentator ng HBO na sina Larry Merchant, Emmanuel Steward at Jim Lampley sa kanilang nasa isip tungo sa Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight na tinaguriang ‘Battle of the East and West.”

Sinabi ni Merchant, na nakapagkober na ng maraming title fight, na malakas man na fighter si Hatton, ang panlaban naman ni Pacquiao ay ang kanyang kaliwa na tiyak na magbibigay ng malaking diperensiya sa kanilang laban sa 140 lbs.

‘Muscles don’t win fights. Pacquiao has the single most devastating punch in boxing -- a short, quick and powerful left hand the likes of which no fighter has ever faced before. It’s shocking to them. How will Hatton deal with it when he comes in on Pacquiao?” wika ni Merchant sa HBO Boxing.

Sinabi rin ni Merchant na si Pacquiao, ang bagong mukha sa boxing ay kai-langan lamang gawin ang ginawa niya kay Oscar Dela Hoya na kanyang binugbog at napuwersang umayaw sa ika-9th round noong Dis-yembre.

“Hit and not be hit. In this fight, I think Hatton will be more aggressive than Oscar, so Pac (Pacman/Pacquiao) has to put some doubt in Hatton by making him pay for his aggression,” ani Merchant.

Kinokonsidera niyang paborito si Pacquiao ng marami at kapag natalo, ito ay malaking upset kaya naging maingat ito sa kanyang prediksiyon.

At kapag ito ay knockout, tiyak na si Pacquiao ang nakatayo.

“I don’t think it will go the distance mainly because of Pacquiao’s power. I don’t know if Hatton can knock Pacquiao out. If there is a knockout, it is certainly more likely it will be Pacquiao who does it.”

Sa panig naman ni Steward mas kampi ito kay Hatton, ang hari ng 140lbs division.

“Ricky is a fast, strong fighter. Size does make a difference. That’s why we have all these different weight divisions. Ricky is naturally strong at 140, and Pacquiao is a good 135-pound fighter,” wika ng dating trainer ng maraming champion. 

“I see the fight as a close one, nip and tuck all the way. If I was a betting man, I’d have to give a slight edge to Ricky. Ricky is just a bigger guy. Manny is a tremendous puncher, but we don’t know what effect his punch will have against a 140 pound boxer,” nakasaad sa artikulo sa HBO.

“People talk about Pacquiao’s speed, but Ricky’s speed is going to surprise you.”

At para naman kay Lampley?

Nakikita nito ang isang madugong laban.

“By the fifth or sixth round Hatton will be bleeding, and it will become an all-out war. I think the fight will be stopped on cuts. The hook and uppercut are what makes Pacquiao so difficult to fight. The left hand you expect and can see coming. The left hand is what made him extremely good. The right hand has made him great.

“With the development of the right hand, and his compact boxing style, Pacquiao needs to take fewer risks than before and is harder to hurt. I don’t expect the fight to go the distance. Both guys’ best formula would be to win by TKO,” wika niya kay Nat Gottlieb.