Boxing Updates: Latest Boxing Event

Two of boxing’s biggest stars will meet in the ring in what could be the year’s biggest pay-per-view event. Five-division world champion MANNY “Pac Man” PACQUIAO and Ring Magazine and IBO World Junior Welterweight champion RICKY “The Hitman” HATTON will rumble for Hatton’s World Junior Welterweight Championships Saturday, May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. These two boxing artists will have a 20 x 20 foot canvas to paint a black and blue masterpiece that the world has been waiting to see. Pacquiao and Hatton boast a combined record of 93-4-2 (68 KOs), a winning percentage of 94% and a victory by knockout ratio of 73%.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton, a 12-round bout for Hatton’s Ring Magazine and IBO World Junior Welterweight titles, is promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions.

Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) secured his claim as the 2008 Fighter of the Year, a year reminiscent of what Hall of Fame fighter Henry Armstrong did in 1937-1938, winning three fights in three different weight divisions, two of which were world titles. Armstrong is the only man to hold three world championships simultaneously, capturing world titles at featherweight, welterweight and lightweight (in that order) during a nine-month span between November 1937 and August 1938. Pacquiao, officially proclaimed a National Treasure by the Philippines, captured the WBC World Super Featherweight title last March by defeating Juan Manuel Marquez and the WBC World Lightweight title in June by knocking out defending champion David Diaz. He completed his personal trifecta by stopping Oscar de la Hoya in a welterweight battle on December 6. Pacquiao’s last two victories were in his debut fight in each weight division with the latter fight being two full divisions above his previous fight. Pacquiao, 30, has won 24 of his last 25 bouts, blitzing through boxing’s best fighters since 2003 including Erik Morales (TKO 10, KO 3,), Marco Antonio Barrera (TKO 11, W 12), Marquez (D 12, W 12,), Diaz (TKO 9) and De La Hoya (KO 8). Pacquiao was previously named the 2006 Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America andRing Magazine.

The storied career of Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs), an international superstar hailing from Manchester, England, began in 1997 and for the last 12 years he has been thrilling fight fans around the world with his aggressive style in the ring and down to earth attitude outside of the ring. Owner of victories over world champions Kostya Tszyu, Vince Phillips, Paulie Malignaggi, Luis Collazo, Jose Luis Castillo, Juan Urango and Carlos Maussa, Hatton is a two division world champion. He fell short of the pound-for-pound best fighter title and world welterweight championships in his 2007 super-fight against Floyd Mayweather. However, the 30-year-old bounced back impressively at his natural weight of 140 pounds last May when he scored a near shutout 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Lazcano. His most recent fight was a scintillating shutout performance against world champion Malignaggi last November, ending with an 11th round TKO for “The Hitman”. Hatton was honored as the 2005 Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

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STATS

Welterweight
43-1 | 31 KOs

Nickname
The Hitman

Hometown
Manchester, England

Date of Birth
October 6, 1978

Height
5’6″

At the age of 28, Ricky is a nine-year pro. The two-time IBF Jr. Welterweight world champion, and former WBA super lightweight and welterweight world champion, he has beaten defending world champions in four of his last five fights.

In his most recent fight in June, 2007, he defended the IBO Jr. Welterweight World title with a devastating 4-round stoppage against former Lightweight World Champion Jose Luis Castillo.

On January 1, Ricky was recognized by the Queen of England in the annual New Year’s honors list, and received the title MBE (Member of the British Empire). The ceremony took place at Buckingham Palace, and he will now be known as Ricky Hatton, MBE.

Ricky had a breakout year in 2005 – his accomplishments stood heads and shoulders above those of every other fighter in the world, and he was voted “Fighter of the Year’ by The Boxing Writers Association of America, and The Ring.

From TheRing-online.com, December 21, 2005: The Ring is pleased to announce that it has selected Ricky Hatton as 2005′s Fighter of the Year. Hatton is the first-ever British boxer to receive the award since its inception in 1928.

Hatton earned top honors by stopping long-reigning junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu at the end of the 11th round on June 4 in Manchester, England. In his second bout of the year on November 26, Hatton knocked out WBA Junior welterweight titleholder Carlos Maussa in the ninth round in Sheffield, England.

“Not only did Hatton take the title away from one of the greatest 140-pounders of all-time and make his first defense against a highly rated challenger, he did it in the sort of entertaining and definitive manner that attracts fans and fills venues,” said The Ring’s Editor-in-Chief Nigel Collins Hatton joins a long list of famous fighters to win The Ring’s Fighter of the Year award, starting with then- heavyweight champion Gene Tunney, Other past recipients include Muhammad Au (’63, ’72, ’74, ’75, ’78), Joe Louis (’36, ’38, ’39, ’41), Rocky Marciano (’52, ’54, ’55), Ray Robinson (’42, ’51), and Mike Tyson (’86, ’88).

Ricky has been the biggest draw in Great Britain for several years, with a huge, fanatical following in his hometown of Manchester.

Regarding his nickname, Ricky said, “I’ve always been a fan of Tommy Hearns, and everybody associates that that’s where I got it from, but everybody’s a Tommy Hearns fan. I got the nickname the first day I walked in the gym. I was 10 years old and put a pair of gloves on and started walloping the bag, and my amateur coach said, ‘Look at him, look how evil he is. He’s a little Hitman.’”

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STATS

Super Featherweight
47-3-2 | 36 KOs

Nickname
Pac Man

Hometown
General Santos City, Philippines

Date of Birth
December 17, 1978

Height
5’6″

At the age of 26, Manny is a ten-year pro – he made his debut at the age of 16. A former two-time world champion, he won the WBC flyweight world title two weeks before his 20th birthday in December, 1998, and held the title for nearly a year. He held the IBF jr. featherweight world title from June, 2001, until he vacated it on January 15, 2004, to move up to the featherweight division.

An aggressive lefthanded slugger, Manny is recognized as one of the hardest punchers at any weight. He is 14-1-2 in his last 17 fights, with all 14 wins coming by knockout. In his last fight on September 10, he TKO’d Hector Velazquez in the sixth round.

Manny has been fighting at the top levels of competition, and has been in several of the most exciting fights of recent years.

Graham Houston wrote in Boxing Monthly, “Quite simply, Pacquiao is one of the hottest fighters in the business. There is a saying in American boxing: ‘Speed kills.’ When that speed is accompanied by power, it is truly a formidable combination – and Pacquiao has it.”

On March 19, he lost a very close decision in a tremendous battle against Erik Morales. Manny fought to a 12-round draw on May 8, 2004, against Juan Manuel Marquez in a fight many observers considered to be the “Fight of the Year.”

In November, 2003, he scored a devastating TKO win against former three-time world champion Marco Antonio Barrera. After the fight, HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant said, “This is a fight that will shake up the boxing world. Long live the new king.”

Boxing columnist Michael Katz wrote, “He is on the cusp of becoming perhaps the greatest Asian fighter to conquer the West since Genghis Khan.”

Manny is a national hero in the Philippines – when he returns home after his fights, he is greeted by thousands of his cheering countrymen.

Among his fans is Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She said, “The victory of Pacquiao is a victory of the more than 76 million Filipinos, and the entire nation joins him in celebrating.”

Manny’s webpage address is mannypacquiao.ph.

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