06.12.07 – By Frank Gonzalez Jr: This Saturday, WBC Welterweight Champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and IBO Champion, Ricky Hatton will do battle at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. This fight may be a couple of years too late but…better late than never.
The style match up is exciting. The smaller man, Ricky Hatton is best known for his aggressive style of boxing, hitting and holding, non-stop punching with the stamina of a Soccer player. He’s versatile and crafty but easy to classify as a slugger.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is arguably the best boxer in the sport. Floyd’s style is counter punching, defense orientated and always effective if not always exciting. Floyd can make you miss all day and land at will. He may not knock many guys out these days but he can score points, round after round and win decisions.. The most exciting thing about him is his speed. He can throw a triple left hook like I’ve never seen that needs little power to turn out the lights of opponents. His unorthodox style causes confusion and like a ballet, can be beautiful to watch. And like being at a ballet, you won’t need to stand up and scream.
I caught a couple of the “24/7” episodes on HBO, a series designed to hype this fight and draw fans to their check books and order this PPV event. If anyone watched the series, “The Contender,” “24/7” is similar, minus the abbreviated fight scenes at the end of the show. But you see Mayweather and Hatton in their respective camps, working out, giving pieces of their mind as they interact with the people around them. “24/7” works in this case because the contrast of the characters is sharp and telling.
Mayweather is shown working out late at night, driving his fancy cars, sporting some really ugly jewelry that’s supposed to be cool because it’s all so expensive. Who cares? Floyd is all about material things. You can’t help but to wonder if he has any quality relationships with anyone besides his things? It’s kind of sad actually. He must be a very lonely person on the inside. I almost feel sorry for him. Well, maybe a little less than almost.
Floyd’s camp is full of professional trainers with specific duties. They laugh at his jokes and always nod in agreement whenever he talks. His kids are shown running around the boxing gym, the camera always looking for a reason to imply that they too, have the fight game in their blood. Maybe they do. Floyd is so happy that they’re going to grow up rich. His wife must’ve left him or chose not to be on the show because I seen the kiddies but no Mommy.
Floyd says ugly things about his own father, Floyd Mayweather Sr. who has an ongoing rift with Floyd’s mother, who shot him in the leg when he was in the prime of fighting days and that ended his career. Too much information anyone? Other than his mother and his uncle Roger, Floyd don’t appear to be close to anyone, at least not as close as he appears to be with his fancy cars and that funny looking gold chain with the medallion that says, “Filthy Rich.” I guess Floyd is an enigma. Maybe he’s really a great guy who just pretends to be unlikable? Who knows? He’s a fantastic boxer who embodies the phrase, “hit without being hit.”
Over on the Hatton side of the show, Ricky’s surrounded by regular folk, who joke with him, make fun of him and appear to sincerely enjoy his company. His trainer is committed to him by a bond that looks more about loyalty and family than about money. Ricky’s family life appears absent of hatred and resentment. His trainer injected something to alleviate the pain he suffers from being Ricky’s punching bag during training sessions. That was kind of spooky.
When he’s not laughing, teasing his mother, wearing a t-shirt that says Ricky Fatton or hanging round his local pub, there’s a rage starting to brew inside, you can see it. Maybe it’s just for the cameras and the show or maybe it’s the result of Floyd running his mouth. It’s starting to piss him off. Ricky looks mighty anxious to land his first punch on Floyd’s mouth. Ricky best be careful, Floyd’s mouth is so big, he could lose his hand.
Hatton translates Floyd’s trash talking to indicate a lack of confidence. Maybe Floyd is nervous. This will be the first time he fights anyone like Ricky Hatton, who comes right at you, full steam ahead for all of twelve rounds. Will Floyd’s hands get injured? Will he lack the power to hurt Hatton? Will he be able to keep Ricky off of him? Surely he saw the Tszyu fight. How humiliating will it be for a man with no humility to be humiliated? Those thoughts definitely exist in Floyd’s head.
But Floyd has speed. He will hit Hatton. Maybe cause blood to flow down his face and impede his ability. But who knows? Maybe Hatton cuts off the ring, lands a few good body shots that slows Floyd down—the truth is that anything can happen. The thing I do expect is that this is going to be a great fight.
I think Hatton will win this fight. I think it will be by TKO, late in the fight. It’s going to be bloody and brutal and we’re going to see Floyd lose his first fight. This fight is like good vs. evil. And knowing how evil usually wins, there’s this other notion that Floyd, the bigger man in this one, dominates Hatton with his jab and combinations that see him beat Hatton to the punch all night.
I can’t wait till Saturday night!
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