...
As I'm sitting here writing this, I am
thinking about the two fighters, and what they will be doing now, in
this, their final countdown hours to their pound for pound battle.
I had skipped breakfast and lunch
today due to a very busy schedule, and
by 3.30 pm, I was hungry and very thirsty. I
kept thinking about the two fighters, and it
made me wonder how they were feeling
before they jumped up on the scales.
Through the years, I had seen some
terrible signs of boxers who had starved
themselves and who had lived and trained
on crackers and tiny sips of water,
just so they could reach their chosen
weight limit. I had seen their faces,
their eyes, their gaunt look.
Today, when I looked into the eyes of both
champions, I saw two different pictures. One
of clear, and vibrant health , and the other of a
weak, and glassy, and almost phantom looking
face.
I SMELL AN UPSET... by Francisco Guzman
I smell an upset. Manny Pacquiao's destruction of Oscar de la
Hoya in December of 08 has made him like a modern day Henry
Armstrong.
Coming into the new year, the pound 4 pound king has become
larger than life. When the fight was first made against the
"Hitman" Ricky Hatton, I thought Manny would hand him the
second loss of his career. As time went on, though, some
factors came into play.
HATTON THE PICK...
IF THEY LET HIM FIGHT... by George Elsasser
I'll pass on the hype that arrived long before the big Vegas
shootout - right or wrong the choice is Ricky Hatton -
supporting my pick is his recovering from the Mayweather
TKO12 loss, with wins over Malignaggi and Lazcano. Hints of
smoldering flames still in the Manchester hit-man body.
PUBLIC INVITED TO
ATTEND THE RED CARPET GRAND ARRIVALS OF PACQUIAO AND HATTON
THIS TUESDAY, APRIL 28TH...
Boxing’s No. 1
attraction and pound-for-pound fighter, MANNY “Pacman”
PACQUIAO, and his opponent, World Junior Welterweight
Champion RICKY “Hitman” HATTON, will kick-off Fight
Week
This Tuesday!
April 28,
with their official red carpet Grand Arrivals! Both events
are open to the public and fans are encouraged to come
out and support their favorite fighter!
Pacquiao, the five-division world champion from
the Philippines, along with trainer World-Famous Freddie
Roach will arrive at the front entrance of
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino at
Noon.
Hatton, the defending world champion from England, and his
trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., will arrive at the
front entrance of the MGM Grand at
1:30 p.m.
PACMANHITMAN.COM GIVES FANS ALL ACCESS TO PACQUIAO VS. HATTON
An exclusive web-based event site
www.pacmanhitman.com
has been created as the official online destination for Pacquiao vs. Hatton "The Battle of the East and West" mega-event slated for May 2 at MGM
Grand in Las Vegas and televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View, allowing fans
behind-the-scenes, all-access and up-to-date reports as the fighters prepare to
enter the ring.
The micro-site was created by Top
Rank Inc. and Golden Boy Promotions, the event's promoters, to attract fans
using new media methods that complement traditional avenues normally used to
promote a world championship boxing event. Through exclusive videos, news
updates and photos, including up to the minute reports and breaking news
features that will continue through fight week, the site allows fans to take an
in-depth look at the fighters including their backgrounds, personalities and
preparations for the most important fight of their respective careers. In
addition, online media efforts are in place to further mobilize fans on other
sites they visit by presenting highly-engaging expandable advertisements that
double as a micro version of pacmanhitman.com. This aggressive online campaign
is a first for these top promotional companies as they make a conscious effort
to reach the online consumer.
RICKY HATTON: CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT
"Hello
everyone. Thanks for joining us. I think where I’m at now with
my training camp is the ideal place that I would like to be 10
days out from the fight. I’ve got one last sparring session to
do tomorrow afternoon and then it will be just a case of
basically tapering down my training and easing back. As you
can appreciate this is - come fight night it would have been
12 weeks of training time. We’ve been working so hard for 11
of them I think you need that work to get it all back if you
like and so and then - so just occasionally only one more hard
sparring session on Wednesday and sharpening up my tools and I
couldn’t get them any sharper than where they are at the
minute..."
PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7 EPISODE TWO, THIS
SATURDAY NIGHT AT 10 PM ET/PT
On
the next Pacquaio-Hatton 24/7, the new influence of assistant
trainer and former heavyweight champ Michael Moorer becomes
more apparent in Manny Pacquiao's Los Angeles training camp.
Meanwhile, Ricky Hatton continues to train in Las Vegas and
spends a relaxing night with friends downtown.
Plus: Enter our 24/7 Total Fight Experience Sweepstakes to win
a trip for two to Las Vegas.
Check the site for more details and complete rules.
GIANTS TO
CELEBRATE FILIPINO HERITAGE NIGHT ON APRIL 21 - PACQUIAO TO
THROW OUT CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCH...
San Francisco Giants Fans have embraced Manny Pacquiao. The
first boxer to be honored by a Major League Baseball team with
a bobble head doll, he's already working on his Juan Marichal
high leg kick delivery for his Ceremonial First Pitch!
The San Francisco Giants will hold their annual
Filipino American Heritage celebration to highlight the
Filipino culture and community on Tuesday, April 21, when the
Giants face the San Diego Padres at 7:15 p.m. Five-division
boxing world champion and boxing's No. 1 attraction and pound
for pound fighter, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, will throw
out the ceremonial first pitch.
Fans who purchase a
special Filipino Heritage game ticket will receive a limited
edition Manny Pacquiao bobble head and a seat in the Filipino
Heritage section at AT&T Park.
“FAILURE IS THE ONLY OPTION FOR THE MANCUNIAN CANDIDATE!” says world
famous trainer Freddie Roach...
With just seven day left before the beginning of Fight Week, three-time BWAA
Trainer of the Year World-Famous Freddie Roach is extremely confident
that boxing’s No. 1 attraction and pound for pound fighter MANNY “Pac
Man” PACQUIAO will exit the ring at the MGM Grand Garden on May 2 with a
victory over RICKY “Hitman” HATTON and a record-tying sixth world
title in as many weight divisions.
“Ricky Hatton is like the Manchurian Candidate, but since he is
from Manchester, England I’ll call him the Mancunian Candidate,” said Roach
after watching Pacquiao go through another marathon training session at the
Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif. “I know Floyd is trying to
deprogram Ricky from being a one-dimensional puncher, but it’s too late to
try and brainwash a fighter who has close to 50 fights during a 12-year
professional career. The fact is Floyd couldn’t program a VCR much less a
fighter with so many bad habits ingrained into him. “Hitman” is an accurate
ring name for Hatton because on May 2, Hatton is going to get hit, man, and
a lot! I told Manny I would be disappointed if the fight lasts longer than
three rounds.”
"3 ROUNDS!" - ROACH PREDICTS PACQUIAO WILL PLAY CHIN MUSIC CONCERTO ON HATTON...
Three-time BWAA Trainer of the Year World Famous Freddie
Roach is playing maestro in training camp as he prepares
five-division world champion, two-time BWAA Fighter of the
Year and boxing's No. 1 Pound for Pound Fighter MANNY PACQUIAO for his rumble with junior
welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton.
"I told Manny I would be very
disappointed in him if he didn't have Hatton stopped by the
end of the third round," said Roach. "A lot of people ask
me if I'm worried about Manny fighting Hatton since Hatton
has never lost a fight at 140 pounds. As long as Floyd
Mayweather is in Hatton's corner I have absolutely no
concerns. It's not like his brother Roger is training him.
Floyd training Hatton for this fight is our biggest
advantage..."
PACQUIAO vs HATTON: UNSTOPPABLE MEETS UNMOVABLE... by Kenny Perrault
Many fights have promise of being great but few deliver. I have a feeling we
will not be disappointed with this one. Both Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao
always roll deep with fans making the crowd for this showdown worth the price
of admission in itself. The MGM arena can unbolt the seats and throw them away
for this fight because they won't be used once the bell rings. Every super
fight of the past decade has been billed -either on paper or on people's minds-
as the fight that saves boxing. A few years back Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd
Mayweather, Jr. brought that burden into the ring with them. it was laid upon
them to save boxing. Truth is boxing doesn't need saving, it needs more fights
like Hatton vs Pacquaio.
TRAINER
MAYWEATHER WARNS FREDDIE ROACH....
Renowned trainer FLOYD
MAYWEATHER SR. who is training junior welterweight champion RICKY
HATTON for his bout against pound-for-pound king MANNY
PACQUIAO, had some choice words for Pacquiao's trainer
FREDDIE ROACH in response to claims that Pacquiao will part
Hatton from his world title on May 2 in "The
Battle of East and West," which will be broadcast
live on HBO Pay-Per-View from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to
determine the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
"Ricky is going to crack Manny
like an egg," Mayweather, Sr. said. "Freddie the joke coach Roach
is counting his chickens before they hatch by thinking that Manny
is going to succeed in his hunt for Ricky's titles, but there
will be no resurrection in the ring for him that night.
"The evening of May 2 will be
Manny's last supper as number one pound-for-pound fighter,"
continued Mayweather Sr. "Ricky's victory will be as sweet as
Easter candy as he defends his world title and there'sn o doubt in
my mind that Ricky will hippity, hoppity all the way home."
PACQUIAO WINS BOXING WRITERS AWARD...
The
ballots have all been counted. The 2008 award winners as
determined by the members of the "Boxing Writers
Association of America" are as follows:
For
the second time, Manny Pacquiao has been voted the BWAA's
Edward J. Neil award for "Fighter of the Year." Pacquiao
also won it in 2006.
Joining Pacquiao in the winner's circle is his trainer Freddie
Roach, who took home the Futch-Condon award for "Trainer
of the Year." Roach previously won this award in both 2003
and 2006.
Joe
Calzaghe was runner-up to Pacquiao in "Fighter of the
Year" honors, but did not end up empty-handed. The
Welshman who retired undefeated earlier this year won the
Al Buck award for "Manager of the Year." Calzaghe's
victory is not without precedent. Two other self-managed
world champions have had this honor bestowed upon them:
George Foreman in 1994 and Bernard Hopkins in 2004.
THE PACMAN vs THE HITMAN... POUND FOR POUND GREATNESS... by Gary Todd
I remember talking with Hatton months before the Tszyu fight, and he told me there was talk of him fighting Vivian Harris, but not
only did he want Tszyu's title, he wanted his scalp. He
wanted the best.
I also remember talking with Pacquiao a couple of years ago,
and I asked him, what more did he want out of boxing, and he
told me, "I want everything." I said, "you have done
everything," and he smiled and said it again, "I want
everything."
On the 2nd of
May, at the MGM Grand, one man will have everything.
PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7 A FOUR-EPISODE ALL-ACCESS SERIES
LEADING UP TO THE PAY-PER-VIEW SHOWDOWN BETWEEN TWO
BOXING SUPERSTARS, DEBUTS APRIL 11, EXCLUSIVELY ON
HBO
HBO Sports
groundbreaking reality franchise "24/7,"
which captured
three Sports Emmy Awards for its first season and
produced two acclaimed editions in year two, will return with
PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7, an all-new four-episode, all-access series,
it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports.
Debuting SATURDAY, APRIL 11 (9:30-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), the series
spotlights two of boxing's most intriguing superstars Manny
Pacquiao, the sport's reigning pound-for-pound king, and Ricky
Hatton, his fiery opponent from across the pond as they prepare
for their May 2 junior welterweight pay-per-view showdown in Las
Vegas.
Noted Greenburg,
"This latest edition of "24/7" features two of the most talented
and personable fighters in boxing today, and we look forward to
bringing their compelling storylines and personalities to our
subscribers in what promises to be engaging television. The
trainers Floyd Sr. and Freddie Roach will likely add fireworks to
the series. This fight is sure to generate a lot of excitement
and energy worldwide, and we hope to capture those dramatic
moments."
Episodes two and
three of PACQUIAO/HATTON 24/7 debut on subsequent Saturdays
APRIL 18 (10:00-10:30 p.m.) and 25 (9:35-10:00 p.m.) while the
finale debuts FRIDAY, MAY 1 (9:30-10:00 p.m.), the night before
the fight. All four episodes will have multiple replay dates on
HBO, and the series will also be available on HBO On Demand.
TEAM HATTON: CAMP NOTES... by Gary Todd
Ricky Hatton is leaving no stone unturned, while in preparations for
his up coming super fight with pound for pound champion, Manny
Pacquaio. Today, he went "at it" with former amateur welterweight
world champion, Erislandy Lara, [4-0, 3 KOs].
FLOYD
MAYWEATHER SR. FORECASTS STORMY WEATHER FOR PACQUIAO...
During a national conference call held today for members of
the media, Ricky Hatton's trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr.. all
but ensured a Hatton victory over his next opponent Manny
Pacquiao when the two meet in a world junior welterweight
championship on Saturday, May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las
Vegas and live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Here is what
Mayweather, who is currently training Hatton in Manchester,
England, had to say:
Why he thinks Hatton will beat and most likely knock-out
Manny Pacquiao:
"Because
first of all I've got the best fighter and I am the best
trainer. That's the reason right there. I am the best and
he is the best..
"Everything
is mapped out. Ricky is trying to be nice, but it's a
simple fact that we gonna bust his ass up. Simple as
that. . .. we gonna whup his ass..."
"MANCHESTER IS NOW MANNYCHESTER,"
SAYS PACQUIAO...
During a
blistering two-day U.K. media tour, superstars Manny
"Pacman" Pacquiao and Ricky "Hitman" Hatton set the tone
for their world junior welterweight "The Battle of East and
West" championship set for Saturday, May 2 at the MGM Grand
in Las Vegas and broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View. The
fighters started in Hatton's hometown of Manchester and
finished yesterday in London. They were joined by
their respective trainers Freddie Roach and Floyd
Mayweather, Sr., as well as US-based promoters Top Rank
Chairman Bob Arum and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.
View more photos and read a sampling of quotes from the
tour...
3-27-2009
