Can Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton beat Floyd Mayweather? A look at Hatton's skills and how he needs to use them to win.
All signs point to Floyd Mayweather Jr. dominating Ricky Hatton on Saturday, December 8. Mayweather has advantages in speed, technique, ring generalship, power, conditioning, versatility, mobility, reflexes and pedigree. If there are any doubts about Floyd, it is whether he can gut out a win when the pressure gets high and he's tried plans A, B, and C to no avail. If Hatton can win, he will do it with pressure.
Slick Boxers Hate Pressure Fighters
Slick boxers despise pressure fighters. It's the guys that make up for a lack of talent or skill by sheer punch volume that make the crafty fighters crumble. It's how Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali in their first fight. It's how Roberto Duran beat Sugar Ray Leonard in their first fight.. And many observers are convinced that Jose Luis Castillo actually beat Mayweather in their first match-up by applying constant pressure.
Hatton's Fans Love Him
While pressure works for the man from Manchester, U.K. when he's in the ring, he seems the antithesis of it when he's out and about. His fans love him to the extent that some 9,000 of them made the trip from Great Britain to Las Vegas for his fight with Castillo last June--a KO victory via bodyshot in the fourth round.
Hatton Needs to be Focused
While victories over Castillo and Australian boxing icon, Kostya Tszyu showcased Hatton at his high volume best, certain performances--like his last foray into the welterweight woods, a lackluster decision over Luis Collazo--show that if he isn't honed to a fine edge, physically, and perfectly focused mentally, he appears quite beatable.
It's unlikely that Hatton will have such issues when he faces Mayweather. Boxing fans can expect Hatton to be in better physical and mental condition than he has ever achieved.
He has good handspeed and solid, though not overwhelming power. Mayweather is naturally closer to being a super-lightweight than he is a welterweight, so any size difference should be negligible.
Mayweather Has Few Weaknesses
Since Mayweather has so few weaknesses, it would serve Hatton to exploit Floyd's perfection, or rather, perfectionism, in order to give himself the best chance of victory. The Pretty Boy is so good at what he does, and so aware of his reputation, that he sometimes misses opportunities to land because he waits for the perfect opening. To a fighter of Floyd's skill level, missing is almost as bad as getting hit.
Hatton needs to catch Mayweather thinking about his next move. The only way to do that is to virtually disregard technique and throw punches with abandon. Trying to outbox Mayweather is pointless unless you are Pernell Whitaker, and he's retired and comfortably enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
