MANILA, Philippines - Hanggang six rounds lang ang itatagal ni Manny Pacquiao kay Ricky Hatton.
Ito ang matapang na prediksyon kahapon ni Lee Beard, ang co-trainer ni Floyd Mayweather, Sr. sa Briton world light welterweight titlist na si Hatton, hinggil sa tsansa ng Filipino world-four division king na si Pacquiao.
“Manny makes some massive errors and he is very repetitive in some of his movements and with certain punches and the way he throws them,” ani Beard kay Pacquiao sa panayam ng Telegraph.-co.uk. “I think that Ricky will stop Manny within 6 rounds, I think the first time Ricky gets hold of him and unloads Manny wont know what’s hit him.”
Bago ito, sinabi rin ni American trainer Freddie Roach na mapapabagsak ni Pacquiao si Hatton sa loob ng six rounds sa kanilang megafight sa Mayo 2 sa MGM Grand Garden Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
Itataya ni Hatton, may 45-1-0 win-loss-draw ring record kasama ang 32 KOs, ang kanyang suot na International Boxing Organization (IBO) light welterweight belt at ang Ring Magazine title laban kay Pacquiao, nagdadala ng 48-3-2 (36 KOs).
Ang tanging kabiguan ng 30-anyos at 5-foot-7 1/2 na si Hatton ay mula sa kanyang tenth-round TKO loss kay Floyd Mayweather, Jr. sa kanilang world welterweight championship noong Disyembre ng 2007.
“Ricky is a big light welter and has been in with some huge punchers, people like Kostya Tszyu and Juan Urango, obviously they haven’t got the speed of Manny but Ricky has seen the speed before in Mayweather,” ani Beard kay Hatton.
Idinagdag ni Beard na ikakagulat ng 30-anyos at 5’6 1/2 na si Pacquiao, umiskor ng isang eight-round TKO kay Oscar Dela Hoya sa kanilang non-title welterweight fight noong Disyembre 6 ng 2008, ang suntok na ibibigay sa kanya ni Hatton.
“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,” sabi ni Beard. “If Ricky had of 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.” (Russell Cadayona)