Manny “The Pacman” Pacquaio and Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton will face off on May 2, 2009 on what is regarded as one of the most exciting boxing events of the year. Pacquiao who just won a spectacular 8^th round TKO victory over the Golden Boy Oscar dela Hoya in their non-title welterweight match has taken over the mantle of authority of being the best pound for pound boxer in the planet today. Hatton, on the other hand, whose credential includes the latest 10^th round stoppage of Paulie Malignaggi, is the reigning IBO light welterweight crown. Hatton will be risking his crown to Pacquiao on what is expected to be a mega boxing event that promises to break the pay per view records set by Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather, Jr and Oscar dela Hoya superwelterweight match last May 2008.

As to who will seal the victory and get a chance to face the “Pretty Boy” is still a BIG question. Both fighters are exciting and electrifying inside the ring. Pacquiao who has been to so many great fights in his career is the conqueror of several Mexican boxing legends which include Oscar dela Hoya, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar Larios and other great fighters. Hatton boasts of his wins over Kostya Tszu, Castillo and Paulie Malignaggi.

Here is my brief pre-fight analysis of the Pacquiao-Hatton match on May 2:

I will evaluate the fight in terms of the following criteria: speed, punching power, footwork and fighting experience.

In terms of speed, Pacquiao has the edge. Speed kills, as most critics will say. Pacquiao is among the fighters today with quick hands. He can drop a punch from nowhere and his opponents are usually baffled where punches are coming from. His previous opponents such as Oscar dela Hoya, David Diaz and Juan Manuel Marquez were able to test how Pacquiao can be as dangerous as he could be when inside the ring. In his latest fight with dela Hoya, the Golden Boy was not able to capitalize on his reach and height advantages because Pacquiao cut through the distance and released punches quickly in an unpredictable manner. He has excellent head and lateral movements. Can Hatton match Pacquiao’s speed? This is really a big question. Hatton may be the bigger and huskier of the two but Hatton may not be able to cope up with the Pacman in terms of speed. I give this criterion to Pacquiao.

Let’s get into the next criterion: punching power. The punching power department, as I see it, belongs to both fighters. Hatton’s power is unquestionable. Out of his 48 fights, 35 did not last the distance. He has proven not just once but several times the stings of his punches. Mayweather almost got caught with a solid punch from Hatton in round 2 of their bout. Castillo succumbed from a liver punch from Hatton during the light welterweight match. Malignaggi got brawled with Hatton and ran out of gas forcing his coach to wave a white towel to call a halt on the fight. But as to which of the two is the stronger puncher is yet untested until they face off in the ring. Pacquiao’s power is also remarkable. One cannot imagine that a fighter who started at flyweight will be able carry his power to the welterweight division. Out of the 45 fights of Pacquiao, 35 kissed the canvass. To prove that Pacquiao has a sledgehammer fist, take a look of his previous fights with some of the best boxers that came from Mexico: Erik Morales was knocked out 5 times in their three fights; Barrera, thrice; and Marquez, 4 times. Although dela Hoya did not kiss the canvas, he was badly beaten by Pacquiao. He was never been badly humiliated in a fight in his entire career than he was when he fought Pacquiao. In the 8^th round, dela Hoya quitted and declared “no mas” just like what Duran did when he fought Sugar Ray Leonard. It is to be noted though that the May 2 fight will take place in the light welterweight division, Hatton’s territory. Hatton has never been defeated in this division before. Pacquiao has the possibility of being in terrible danger if he makes the mistake of standing toe to toe with Hatton. But if Pacquaio plays smartly just like what he did in the Dream Match with dela Hoya, he may be able to inflict the second defeat in Hatton’s record and Hatton’s first defeat in this division if he I give an even score on this criterion.

Who has the better footwork? I guess Pacquiao has better footwork than Hatton. Pacquiao used to be a uni-dimensional fighter, with only one direction—aggressive charging. Boxing analysts believe that Pacquiao’s best defense is his offense. That rings true when Pacquiao fought Morales, Barrera and Marquez. However, it is interesting to note that Pacquiao has improved a lot for the last two years. His fight with dela Hoya is a testimony of this. In that fight, boxing fans witnessed an intelligent fighter in Pacquiao. Hatton’s style is similar to Pacquiao. If both fighters bring their charging bull style inside the ring on May 2, boxing fans will witness a thunderbolt collision. But I really doubt it. Pacquiao will not make the mistake of coming forward to get into Hatton. Pacquiao’s speed, head movements and footwork will play crucial roles in the fight. Should Pacquaio follow their fight plans faithfully, it will not be a long night. On the other hand, if Pacquaio makes even a slightest mistake, it would be to his detriment. Hatton’s power will be definitely felt by Pacquiao. Hatton possessed one of the most devastating fists in the boxing world.

As to fighting experience, both fighters have been in the boxing ring for several fights facing quality opponents. Hatton’s opponents in the past include Kostya Tzsu, Floyd Mayweather, Castillo, and Paulie Malignaggi. Pacquiao’s resume is marked with great fights with Morales, Barrera, Marquez, Diaz and dela Hoya.

It is to be mentioned here that while these tangibles speak of what the fighter can bring to the fight, there are other equally important barometer which will probably influence the outcome of the fight. Intangibles such as the fighter’s heart, mental preparation and the will to win will definitely come into play. It is really hard how the fight will progress come the fight night. What the fight can assure you is that both fighters will bring with them their huge followings from their respective countries. Both Hatton and Pacquiao are celebrities in their home countries. Pacquiao enjoys the status of a Michael Jordan. Hatton, on the other hand, almost have the same stature as Paris Hilton. Media follow him wherever he goes asking him about his latest bout.

This is gonna be the best boxing match of the decade!