Hatton camp: Pacquiao out in six rounds

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao will be in for the shock of his life when he meets Ricky Hatton on May 2 in Las Vegas.

This warning, stern as it may sound, was issued by one of Hatton’s trainers, Lee Beard, who went to the extent of saying that Pacquiao will get knocked out inside six rounds.

Beard, who visited Pacquiao in his Mandalay Bay suite the day after the Pinoy champion defeated Juan Manuel Marquez in March last year, said Hatton has all it takes to win.

“When Ricky hits Manny he is going to be shocked at the power, when Manny fought Oscar, Oscar was dead at the weight and never landed anything,” Beard was quoted on Hatton’s website.

“If Ricky had fought Oscar that night I think he would have stopped him earlier than Manny and I think that (David) Diaz would have also been taken out earlier,” he added.

Beard said Pacquiao just makes errors that are often repeated. He added that he’s been to the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles to watch Pacquiao train for one of his previous fights.

“I think that Ricky will stop Manny within six rounds, I think the first time Ricky gets hold of him and unloads Manny won’t know what’s hit him,” he said, adding that Hatton is just big as a light-welterweight.

Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, jumped the gun on the Hatton people when he said as early as last month that the fight should be over in nine rounds.

And here comes Beard saying Pacquiao will be out inside six.

He added that Floyd Mayweather Sr, who will man Hatton’s corner, is now looking at possible sparring partners, although Beard said no one could be better than Edwin Valero.

“I think the only one that’s near to Pacquiao in terms of style is Edwin Valero and that’s who I’d like to see us get in. I think that if you can adjust to him then it’s the closet thing you can get to Pacquiao and his record would suggest he hits as hard if not harder than Manny,” he said.

The Venezuelan was part of the Dela Hoya training camp, but only managed to spar with the Golden Boy for eight rounds, saying he was sent home because he was hurting the 1992 Olympic champion.

A member of Team Dela Hoya said sending Valero home was a big mistake, because “solving Valero (also a southpaw) would have helped Dela Hoya solve Pacquiao.”