The room was split in two. Pacquiao’s wife, Jinkee, was on one side of the partition packing for the long trip home to the Philippines. On the other side, about 15 other people were gathered near the couch and chairs and the big TV. Pacquiao, of course, had the best seat as the DVD began playing. In front of Pacquiao on the table was a plate with a large steak he was working on, a big bowl of rice and a side of assorted fruit.

Ensign and his kids met Pacquiao, talked for a few minutes and had their photo taken. Pacquiao couldn’t have been more gracious. Then the Ensigns and the Arums left, leaving the rest of us to watch the fight.

One of the people in the room was Father Marlon Beof, Pacquiao’s spiritual adviser, who, as it turns out, is a regular reader of mine and a huge fan of the ESPN.com boxing page. I thanked him for that. Who knew my blog and weekly notebook appealed to the Catholic priest demographic?

Ricky Hatton has accomplished so much in the sport of boxing. He’s had a career that most young fighters would only dare dream of. For all that has been said of his last few fights, all in all he’s had a great career to this point. Hatton only recently fell to two of the best in the world. We could ask why he lost, some would say his style doesn’t match up well with someone that can throw straight punches and defend against a fighter that comes straight ahead. The problem is that Hatton’s “style” was taught to him by someone at some point. So he did the best he could with what he was taught and he did well with it, until he ran into the wall that was Mayweather Jr.

“I told Manny from the first day of training camp that I would be disappointed in him if he let this fight go past the third round. And if it’s one thing I know about Manny it’s that he hates to disappoint me,” said Roach “The scary thing is we still have not seen the best of Manny Pacquiao. I have never trained an athlete like Manny who after more than 50 fights is still willing to learn new techniques and is able to apply them. One of the reasons Manny is so hard to fight is because you never see the same Manny two times in a row. He always has a new style making him totally unpredictable and impossible to anticipate. Plus his conditioning is supreme to anyone in the sport. He is an athletic phenomenon. I get a lot of credit for his success, but it’s Manny who does the work in the gym and does the fighting in the ring. He’s incredible. His last four fights have been at four different weight divisions. He goes up in weight. He goes down in weight. He fights the best in each division. He’s a Manny for all seasons!”

Pacman spent his time boxing on the outside and deflected Hatton’s bull rushes. He would also tie Ricky up to limit his effectiveness. He began potshotting Hatton with jab/left hand combinations. His jab was effective and his left hand was very effective. About 2 minutes into the round Pacquiao began pouring on his offensive repertoire again. Instead of Manny being backed up to the ropes he backed Ricky to the ropes and began pouring on punishment. Manny’s speed was too much for Ricky and he was left trying to duck and slip as many punches as he could. After a barrage of punches against the ropes the fight was brought back into the center of the ring. Manny landed two jabs and then a devastating left hook that knocked Hatton out cold with one second left in the round. It was one of the most devastating knockouts I’ve ever seen. It was surreal to see Hatton unconsciously fall flat in the center of the ring flat on his back. His arms fell back and then forward and the fight was immediately waved off. Ringside physicians attended to Ricky and after several minutes Hatton was able to come back to his senses.

Manny followed his trainer’s game plan flawlessly. He did not stay on the ropes for extended periods of time and kept the fight in the center of the ring. He was also very smart to simply duck his head and tie up whenever Ricky lunged in which forced Kenny Bayless to break the fighters up. This give Manny the space he needed to box and counterpunch. It was a very impressive performance and one that will forever change Hatton’s career.

He was once purely a physical freak, mixing outlandish power and speed while exhibiting mediocre to poor technique. However, by time of his rematch with Erik Morales that fighter was dying. He officially died in his one-sided beatdown of David Diaz last summer. Now he maintains balance when he punches, throws every punch in the book with power and in combinations, and his creativity is superb. Leading with right hooks instead of opening with the jab, going to the body with a hook followed by an uppercut, slipping punches with deft head movement then countering, and staying patient as he continues to batter his opponent Pacquiao is now a true ring technician, something I never though I’d say. All of this can be traced with his relationship with Freddie Roach.

It is fair to say that these two men have now joined the likes of Dundee-Ali and Thomas Hearns-Emmanuel Steward (and it must be said that Steward was calling Pacquiao a top ten pound-for-pounder as early as his fight with Emmanuel Lucero in 2003) among the pre-eminent boxer and trainer tag-teams. Freddie’s contribution to Pacquiao’s success should not be understated. We often give too little credit to a coach when a fighter wins or becomes successful, often claiming that they didn’t need them to be great when many times it is far from the truth. While it is ultimately the boxer’s job to go out and win the fight it is also their duty to be a student and for the trainer to be a teacher. It would be foolish for any of us reading this article to assume that Pacquiao’s complete turnaround in technical proficiency is a mere solo act and not the result of listening to Roach. As I said in my year end awards that in time Roach might join his mentor Eddie Futch at the seat at the table for the all-time great trainers, and while I’m not comfortable enough to make that case just yet, he is definitely in the room now. Without him we probably would not be calling Manny a true living legend.

In a boxing world where fighters are continually lambasted for their money first, risk second attitude towards the fights they take, I believe Hatton and indeed for that matter Pacquiao, should be celebrated for continually testing themselves against the best. Right from his breakthrough win against Kostya Tszyu in 2005 on that momentous night in Manchester, Ricky has taken his 140 pound championship on the road, immediately stating his intention to travel to America and fight the best.. Not for him the safe cocoon of home territory which has proved such a security blanket for other fighters both European and American. In the same breath, Pacquiao’s resume reads like a who’s who of modern day greats, and his nickname the Mexicutioner is an old-style nickname, one actually earned from the deeds of the fighter, not a promoter hyping up a fighter to sell tickets.

Not even the die-hard Pacquiao fans, including me, could have seen that the end will be as short and brutal as what we had expected to be an even match up between the two warriors. There was no doubt that Pacquiao will win in my mind but it surprised me on how he did it.

It was an anti-climactic ending to a build-up that started from the negotiating table as early as January 2009 up to the fight night.. You could have built a library with the countless articles written, or a lengthy documentary of all the videos of training and interviews from both camps, and the opinions of so-called boxing experts. After all the talks, it was finished in 6 minutes of boxing. And nobody saw it coming, except maybe Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach.
I have been reading everything written about Pacquiao since he had beaten Dela Hoya in December 2008. While he has been the most popular figure in the Philippines since becoming a world champion 8 years ago, I was amazed to find out that Manny has been adored by the boxing writers and fans outside our country.

Australian Michael Katsidis hopes a mouth-watering matchup against Ricky Hatton will still go ahead despite the British boxer’s crushing loss to Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas last weekend.

The Englishman has yet to decide whether he will continue his career after being knocked out in two rounds by the man regarded as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.

Katsidis’s trainer and manager Brendon Smith revealed he had already been talking with the Hatton camp prior to last weekend’s bout.

By Collins_and_Dutton
In an emotional interview, the boxer Ricky Hatton has described the turmoil and abuse that he has faced since returning to his family home in Manchester after losing the fight to Manny Pacquiao.
“Ever since I developed this glass jaw in Vegas, I’ve had a bit of …

Then Pacquiao, a southpaw, landed a right. Then another. Then another. Then another. Then a final right hook slammed into Hatton’s chin and down he went to all fours. At that moment, eyes grew wide and you could hear a collective “Ohhhhhhhhh!” before the crowd erupted.

Hatton, wobbly but game, got up and took more punishment. With seconds to go in the round, he collapsed under a barrage of punches, the final one being a left. Suddenly, he was prey, not an opponent.

Pacquiao took his time in the second round, outworking a still-shaken Hatton but giving no indication of what was to come. Then, with seconds to go in the round, an overhand left for the ages crashed into Hatton’s chin and he was knocked out cold instantly, sending him to his back and prompting deafening cheers from the thousands of Filipino fans in the arena.

“He has the opportunity to become the best I’ve ever promoted,” said Arum, who promoted Muhammad Ali and Marvelous Marvin Hagler among others. “Other fights reach a certain level and they think they know everything and never get better. Not Manny. He’s always learning.”

Pacquiao brought his mother over from the Philippines for her first trip to the United States, but she couldn’t bear to watch her son fight. Instead, she stayed in a hotel suite praying for his success and health.

Hatton’s reign as light-welterweight world champion came to a bitter end at the MGM Grand Garden Arena as Pacquiao floored his opponent twice in the first round before ending the contest with left hook late in the second.

But Hatton has so far refused to confirm whether the loss, the second of his career following defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jnr in 2007, will spell the end of his time in the ring.

“I apologise for letting my heart rule my head and I apologise to the fans who feel that I may have let them down.”

Hatton, 30, who was comforted by his fiancée Jennifer Dooley, will have a family holiday later this month and, after the ‘dust has settled’, make up his mind about whether to end his fabulous career.

Acknowledging the views of controversial coach Floyd Mayweather Snr, and worried fans that Hatton should now quit the fight game, the fallen champ’s father and manager Ray said: “Fans need not be worried. It is normal procedure and state law for anyone knocked out to go the hospital for a brain scan, spinal checks and other tests.

“I left on top, I came back on top,” said an excited Mayweather, who is slated to fight against Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18 at the MGM Grand.

“Nobody has taken my throne, so how am I not the king if nobody has taken my throne? You’ve got all these fighters out here who are claiming that they’re the best. I’m coming back to fight and reclaim what’s mine.”

Speculation has surrounded Mayweather’s ranks recently, as the 32-year-old has been uncharacteristically private in the months leading up to his comeback announcement.

Among the rumors were that Mayweather (39-0, 25 KO) had been in talks with promoter Don King, had trouble in negotiations with Marquez about what weight the fight would take place at and had gone broke after not paying taxes.

Khan enhanced his glowing credentials by beating veteran Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera in March and will have his first crack at a world title when he takes on Andreas Kotelnik of Ukraine for the WBA world light-welterweight belt in June.

“I think I have improved by a big 20 percent probably over the last 12 months,” Khan, 22, told Reuters.

“I have especially improved my defence and my patience. Now I am staying nice and cool in fights, watching everything that is going on and following the right shots at the right time.”

He chooses Number 8, which I should have counselled against. It appeared to be three crisp taco shells filled with something pretending to be meat, lots of that gloop that makes cheap Mexican food the bowel-opening crime against humanity that it is, with a cheese-style substance melted on top of the whole disaster. Not only did the trainer make this ill-advised choice – filled taco shells remain Mexico’s most toxic export despite anything you might read elsewhere in this newspaper – but he spent rather too long discussing what exactly might be in his meal.

“Has it got, like, tomatoes in it?” Mayweather mumbled into that voice-distorting microphone these places always have, wasting valuable time that might have been better spent explaining to Ricky that Pacquiao was a southpaw. I mean, any man who can live 57 years in the United States and still has to ask what is about to go into his crisp taco shells has clearly not been paying attention.

Manny Pacquiao’s powerful left hook has ended any sensible prospect of Ricky Hatton fighting again
Mayweather’s punch did not have the concussive finality of Pacquiao’s wicked left, but the two blows will forever be linked. Pacquiao’s arrived in the final second of round two, the third knockdown blow the Filipino had to throw to claim Hatton’s IBO and Ring Magazine light-welterweight titles, and if Hatton heeds the wishes of family and friends the last one he will ever take.

Pacquiao put Hatton down in the first round with a right hook he admitted to his corner he never saw, and again with a short left before the bell. From that point on, it was clear we were in for a short night. Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, told later how they had worked on that right hook for weeks. “Ricky cocks his punches before he throws ‘em. Every time he left an opening, Pacquiao’s so quick, I knew the inside hook would work every time.”

This was an echo of the strategic naivety Hatton showed against Mayweather, when he was out-thought and knocked down by a punch devised by the American’s uncle and trainer, Roger.

“At the moment I find it hard to make a decision about my future because my head’s in my backside,” Hatton told Sky Sports News. “I don’t know at the moment because I never thought it was going to happen. People are still going to see plenty of me [whatever the decision]. I’m going into promoting now. They’re going to be fulfilling my dreams from now on … As far as physically boxing myself I don’t know what I will decide.”

There are suggestions that he will opt for a farewell fight in his home city of Manchester but he said he felt it was important to take his time before making a final decision. He is due to return to England on Thursday before going on holiday with his fiancée, Jennifer Dooley, and his young son, Campbell. He may confirm whether he will fight on in just under a fortnight, when his new boxing gym and health club opens in Manchester.

Ricky Hatton, though, played a huge role in this fight being the success it appears to have been. People may debate his credentials, his record, and his skills, but if you tell me there’s no part of you that just likes Ricky Hatton, I have to wonder how that’s possible. His image was never manufactured; he is who he is. He’s as real as they come, flaws and all.

Hatton, now 30, will likely think retirement, though I still don’t believe he will actually retire straight off. The days of the “Hitman,” the fighting pride of Manchester, England, coming to Las Vegas and headlining mega cards are now over barring some amazing career rejuvenation. But he will remain a star so long as he fights on with his usual level of class, humor and pride.

Ricky Hatton is not among the greatest fighters of his generation. He’s a little bit under that mark. But tell me this: Who takes his place? Who’s going to bring 25,000 fans, most of whom can’t even get a ticket to the fight, from England to Vegas? Whose fans are going to pound drums and sing their guts out, creating the most electric atmosphere I’ve yet seen for any fight (Mayweather-Hatton)?

“>"If we’d have gone a few rounds it could have been different. But he caught me with practically the first punch he threw. I’d rather have been knocked out in two rounds than have somebody that has outclassed me for the full duration. Maybe it could have been different, but that’s boxing. I’ve lost twice and I’ve lost to the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world," Hatton told The Sun.

From the very onset he was simply outclassed. While he tried to charge Pacquiao with his customary aggression, he was met early on by a right hook that visibly shook him. Halfway through the opening stanza, you could see that Hatton’s supposed advantages in strength and size were going to be easily negated by the Filipino’s speed and precision. As his face got reddened from the slicing shots of Pacquiao, you got the sense this was David Diaz all over again. Only Hatton - whose chin showed signs of faltering last year versus Juan Lazcano - wouldn’t be nearly as durable. He was knocked down twice late in the first and what took place in the second was just a mere formality.

“I believe that it’s a hard punch,” said Pacquiao of his finishing kick, “and I believe he could not get up.” He’s obviously as good at understatement as he is at boxing. That punch - which might end up being the Knockout of the Decade - was an exclamation point to a bold statement that Pacquiao has been making since his close shave versus Marquez last March. And the statement is very simple - I’m truly a great prizefighter, one of the best of this past generation, and any other era before it.

Even Hatton’s trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., who demeaned Roach as a “joke” and laughed off Pacquiao as too small to compete, was blown away by the Filipino.

“I don’t know where the hell he gets it from,” he said of Pacquiao, who began his career at 106 pounds. “It seems like some incredible power, though.”

Boxing historian Bert Sugar was equally in awe. “I hesitate to judge people in the middle of a career, but this is one of the most phenomenal stories of recent boxing history,” he said.

Floyd Mayweather Snr, Hatton’s trainer, against whom the whispers of recrimination are beginning to emerge, was adamant that any decision about ending a 45-2 career should be made by the British fighter. “I can’t tell nobody when to retire, and I wouldn’t suggest he retire,” Mayweather said. “He should do that on his own. It is the best way, and it up to him.

“Some people may want to try it again or one more time, and only the individual can make that decision. He tried twice [against Pacquiao and Mayweather Jnr] and he failed twice. It’s his choice at the end of the day.”

Mayweather’s assessment of Hatton’s performance clearly indicated that Hatton had strayed from the game plan. “Ricky made an error and Pacquiao capitalised on it. He should have kept his hands up better, if you want to talk about mistakes.

Round 1: The round started off pretty slowly, but that was rectified about a minute later. PacMan was already proving to be way too quick for Hatton and started landing brutal body shots. He then came over the top and put Hatton down as he caught him square on the chin with a right hook. Hatton managed to get up, but he was already bloody and obviously hurt. He survived for all of 40 seconds before Pacquiao caught him again with a left and put him down for the second time in the round. Hatton once again got to his feet and managed to survive the last few seconds of the round.

Round 2: I’m not sure what was in Hatton’s water in his corner, but he came out on fire in the second round. He landed a shot early that rocked Pacquiao, but PacMan immediately shook it off and then let Hatton know that was the last time that he was going to be hit like that. With about 1:30 left in the round, they stood toe to toe in the middle of the ring and Pacquiao began to land shot after shot. They were obviously taking their toll and it seemed as though it was only a matter of time before Hatton would succumb to the beating that Pacquiao was delivering.