MANILA, Philippines — Former British boxing champion Ricky Hatton is torn between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. – two fighters whom he fought and lost to several years ago.
Hatton said Pacquiao could find himself “in serious trouble” with Mayweather on May 2 given that the Filipino had a hard time against his counter-punching Mexican nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez.
“Manny is a great fighter but when you look at the trouble he had with the counter-punching style of Juan Manuel Marquez, he could be in serious trouble with Floyd Mayweather,” Hatton, now a boxing promoter, told Tom Gray of The Ring.
Marquez and Pacquiao fought for 42 rounds in a span of four fights that resulted in a split draw, two controversial decisions in favor of Pacquiao and the last one – a knockout win by Marquez in 2012.
But that doesn’t mean Pacquiao has no chance of getting his arms raised after the final bell.
Hatton said Pacquiao’s hand and foot speed are “very hard to read” and sudden movements make him “extremely dangerous” when he finds his range.
Hatton also said that Mayweather has shown signs of slowing down in his two bouts with Argentinian Marcos Maidana last year.
Pacquiao knocks down Hatton in the second round of their fight. File Photo
“Manny will take a lot of heart from how Marcos Maidana was able to test Floyd and compete with him. For that reason, I give Manny a great shot in the fight because Mayweather has slowed down a touch,” Hatton, who tasted Pacquiao’s punching power in a second-round knockout in 2009, said during the interview.
“Floyd will have his work cut out for him – that’s for sure,” Hatton added.
While Pacquiao has had a problem against an effective counter-puncher like Marquez, Mayweather took some time before figuring out a quick opponent like Zab Judah who, like Pacquiao, is a southpaw.
Hatton said Mayweather was “forced to come forward” by Judah and he “struggled” at the beginning of the bout.
“Imagine Manny bouncing around, in and out, with Floyd hunting him down using the shoulder roll,” Hatton, who got stopped by Mayweather in the 10th round of their fight in 2008, said. “Manny could make life very difficult for him if he does that.”
The 36-year-old Hatton though, still gives the undefeated pound-for-pound king Mayweather a nod over Pacquiao.
“Floyd always finds a way to win, no matter the style, and that’s the reason that I make him a slight favorite over Manny.”u