Your opponent just changed, you're now set to face Efren Hinojosa. What do you know about him?

RG: Um, I have NO clue the style he has or anything. The one good thing I did out in Los Angeles getting ready for this fight is we prepared for a lot of different things. I didn't know too much about (previously scheduled opponent) Johnny Edwards either, so we prepared for a bunch of different styles.

You're just a few days out, what have your final preparations been like?

RG: Final preparations are just maintaining and staying hard, just getting zoned in and focused, making sure everything's sharp. Working pads and letting my whole body heal up.

In the last 15 months you've only been in the ring for a total of 2 rounds.  Do you feel like there's any rust at this point or do you have any other concerns with your body right now?

RG: I don't feel like there's any rust at all. Having good sparring, always staying active in the gym and not getting out of shape keeps you on top of it. And we're going to be ready and I don't feel no regrets or anything.

You mentioned you've been getting good sparring...who have you been sparring with during this training camp?

RG: I've been sparring with a guy, Art Hovhannesyan, he's an Armenian guy and a real tough guy. He was one of the sparring partners for Manny Pacquiao and he was sharp on the left handed stance already so it helped me out a lot, him doing rounds with Manny. He brought a lot of game to the table for sparring. And then also,another prospect that's on the undercard of the fight, Eloy Perez, helped me out a lot.

You get the opportunity to fight once again out of San Jose, are there added expectations this time out?

RG: I'm excited to come back and fight in San Jose again in front of the hometown crowd. You know... last time out it was unfortunate... the fight only went two rounds and they didn't get the show they deserved. I'm coming ready to fight and put on a show for them and I'm excited about it.

I'm sure you're sick of talking about that last fight (a No Contest due to a cut over his eye in the 1^st round), but maybe you could describe the injury and how frustrating that was for you...

RG: It was real frustrating... it was a bad cut, bad location. It was frustrating that I didn't get a chance to work. I didn't really get to go to work and put in the rounds and put up a good fight for the crowd. It was just unfortunate and you just gotta bounce back and be ready for the next one.

How long did the cut prevent you from seriously training?

RG: It was 23 stitches... I had to take a good month off and let it heal up and put no stress on it. It's all good now...I'm excited and I'm ready to go.

Are you viewing this fight as just another fight or are you viewing it as a major chance to really vault yourself back into the picture and maybe even shut people up a bit?

RG: Oh yea, there's a lot to prove and a lot of doubters to prove wrong. I'm going to come out and do what I've been doing for my whole career and since I've been a kid. Just come out and fight and do what I do best.

What's next after this fight?

RG: Right now I'm just concerned about this fight and getting this taken care of first.

So what do you think about Juan Manuel Marquez, a guy who until recently was at your weight class, taking on Floyd Mayweather?

RG: I think it's going to be a good fight, you know Marquez is on his game right now and his last two performances have been incredible with Juan Diaz and Joel Casamayor. He's on top of it right now, he brings a lot to the table. He's a physical fighter and a technical boxer. He picks guys apart and I think he's going to put up a good fight with Floyd Mayweather and it all depends on how Floyd comes out of retirement and how he's looking. But the one thing about him is he's always in shape and always on top of it.

Any prediction?

RG: Just going to be a fan on that and just watch and see how the outcome comes out. It's going to be a good fight.

Thanks for the time and good luck on Friday.

Nothing can be taken away from Pacquiao's performance this time. There was no old legend that had to cut more weight than he was accustomed to. What stood in Pacquiao's way was the reigning junior welterweight champion. A fighter renowned for his strength and his power. And he was completely outmatched against the pound for pound king.

Both men were oozing confidence prior to the match. As Hatton strutted out to the ring, the look of pure concentration and focus, Pacquiao followed as happily and cheerfully as one could be. That demeanor quickly changed when the opening bell sounded.

While Pacquiao was supposed to have a hand and foot speed advantage, it was much more overwhelming than anyone could have imagined. Hatton got a hold of the quick Pacquiao a few times to try to rough him up on the inside. But Pacquiao was by and large able to dart in and out and launch his own combinations.

The trouble started for Hatton when Pacquiao launched a lead right hook. The punch met a completely unguarded and open Hatton, who spun around to the canvas. Hatton composed himself and got up to continue the fight.

However, he was now facing the whirlwind storm of a full force Manny Pacquiao attack. This time it was his signature punch, a straight left hand, that sent him down. The lighting quick straight left burst through Hatton's guard and landed on his forehead, sending him down for the second time in the round.

In between the first and second rounds, Hatton sat in his corner with a look of complete astonishment. Who could blame him? He was just hit by a truck and didn't even see it coming, and he had to go back out there to get hit by the truck again.

Hatton only lasted until the end of that second stanza. Pacquiao leveled him this time with a left hook that left Hatton straightened and belly up on the canvas. There would be no count necessary, the semi conscious Hatton would lay there on the canvas for several minutes.

It was a fantastic performance for Pacquiao. And now boxing fans can await an even larger event. Floyd Mayweather has made his return to the ring official, and his stated purpose is to prove that he's still the pound for pound best.

In July he will face off against Juan Manuel Marquez, the fighter who has given Pacquiao so much trouble in the past. It is no coincidence that Mayweather chose Marquez, he's looking to gauge his skills in preparation for a massive fight against the Filipino icon.

Pacquiao did his part by besting Hatton, and doing it in a fashion to belittle the accomplishment of Mayweather, who needed ten rounds to do the same job. Now Mayweather must take care of Marquez so that boxing fans can have the match of their dreams, the last two pound for pound kings, as different in the ring and out of the ring as they can be, putting it all on the line to finally settle the question of who's better.

The beautiful thing about a fight, however, is that come fight night all of the hype can be put aside. There's no more time for life stories and goals. No more time for big mouthed trainers. It's just two men staring each other down in that ring. The better man will almost always emerge.

Meet the Combatants

Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao

Height: 5'7" Reach: 67"

48 (36) - 3 - 2

Recognized Number 1 Pound for Pound

Best Wins: KO3 & TKO10 Erik Morales; TKO11 & UD Marco Antonio Barrera), SD Juan Manuel Marquez, TKO8 Oscar De La Hoya

Last 5 fights: 5-0, 3 knockouts, spanning 3 weight classes

Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton

Height: 5'7" Reach: 65"

45 (32) - 1

Recognized Junior Welterweight Champion

Best Wins: TKO11 Kostya Tszyu; KO4 Jose Luis Castillo; TKO11 Paulie Malignaggi

Last 5 fights: 4 -1, 2 knockouts, spanning 2 weight classes

Pacquiao vs. Hatton Preview

Manny Pacquiao is the dynamo. He has been storming up through the weight classes and toppling every foe he faces. Ricky Hatton is the rebounding champion looking for redemption. He has fought one pound for pound champion before and he got knocked out. He has a chance to fix that stain on his record. How will this fight between respected champions play out?

Going into his fight with Oscar De La Hoya, many people were counting Manny Pacquiao out. He had only had one fight above 130 pounds in his career, and that was a stoppage win over the dreadfully overmatched titleholder David Diaz. Meanwhile, De La Hoya had been taking on middleweights and junior middleweights for a decade.

Ultimately, that would his downfall as he drained himself cutting weight and was but a shadow of himself on fight night. Regardless, Pacquiao put on an overwhelming show, beating Oscar to the punch and beating him up, out of the fight and out of the boxing world for good.

It's easy to forget after that performance that it was but a year ago when the majority of people who saw the fight felt that fellow 130 pound fighter, Juan Manuel Marquez, out-boxed Pacquiao to an easy decision win only to have the decision be handed to the thrilling, action brawler.

Could it be possible that a win over an aged and weight drained De La Hoya has left the world overestimating the abilities and capabilities of Manny Pacquiao? Surely he can't keep on moving up in weight and taking out champions indefinitely.

Meanwhile, Ricky Hatton is the underdog in a fight despite being the recognized number one man in the division. His move up to welterweight was a failed venture. He had a scare against Luis Collazo and then was knocked out by then pound for pound kingpin Floyd Mayweather Jr. Since, he looked less than stellar in beating Juan Lazcano before regaining some form en route to stopping Paulie Malignaggi last November.

The two men share a common weakness: slick, counterpunching boxers. Pacquiao met his in Juan Manuel Marquez and Hatton his in Floyd Mayweather. Neither faces such a problem in one another. So how will their styles clash?

Both fleet of foot and both packing power, their styles are still contrasting. Pacquiao, the southpaw, focuses on throwing his right jab followed by his thunderous straight left. Hatton throws quick half-jabs before jumping inside to throw hooks to the body. Hatton, also a dedicated clincher and mauler on the inside, holds after he throws punches to stymie his opponents' counterpunching.

That brings us to the first major question of the fight, will Hatton able to catch Pacquiao and hold onto him, throwing him off his game? Or will Pacquiao be able to dart in and out as he did against De La Hoya?

The second major question in the fight is how each man will cope with the other's power. Pacquiao will be facing a legitimately hard punching junior welterweight, something he has never seen before. While Pacquiao's power may not be as daunting as Kostya Tszyu's, it combines with his speed to make his punches an altogether different and more dangerous weapon set for Hatton to face as well.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton Prediction

Expect the early rounds to see Pacquiao jumping in and landing a few good 1-2 combinations. He will attempt some flurries but will miss a good deal of the shots, although the crowd will think otherwise. Hatton will have some success, missing most of his powerful body punches but getting a hold of Pacquiao enough to make the rounds close.

As Pacquiao picks up his pace after three or four rounds, he will begin opening up his repertoire of punches beyond his standard jab-left combo. Incorporating his uppercut will prove to be a decisive factor, as Hatton's leaps inside will leave him vulnerable to Pacquiao's powerful and quick shots.

Hatton's hopes rest on his ability to land a game changer. Either a thudding left hook to the body or head could leave Pacquiao reeling. Unfortunately for Hatton, Pacquiao fights hardest when in trouble, and Hatton would not want to see a wounded, fire breathing, 20-punch-at-a-time throwing Manny Pacquiao.

By round 5 or 6, Hatton will begin to cut and bruise. The round by round accumulation of punishment will start to slow him down. Powered on by his rowdy, chanting group of traveling supporters he will still prove to be dangerous, never giving up. However, the damage will eventually build up to an insurmountable degree.

After soldiering on through rounds of punishment, landing only minimal punches, the ref, or the corner, will step in to save Hatton in round 10.

Pacquiao TKO10 Hatton

Next up for Manny Pacquiao should hopefully be a monster of a fight against Floyd Mayweather. The fight would be a dream contest of opposing styles featuring the last two pound for pound champions. Be sure to catch the Pacquiao Hatton fight on May 2nd to see what happens.

The Reasons for Floyd Mayweather's Retirement

Mayweather's retirement drew much skepticism, not just for whether or not it would last but for the true reasons behind it. Some felt that Mayweather was merely biding his time, in Sugar Ray Leonard-esque fashion, to keep the rest of us guessing and anticipating his return. Others felt that Mayweather, a boxer since he could stand up on his own two feet, was tired of the sport and was completely secure with his legacy and accomplishments within it.

Still, many boxing fans felt that Mayweather was avoiding showdowns with some of the larger fighters in the welterweight division, fighters he would have had to have faced eventually if he was active. Fighters like Antonio Margarito and Paul Williams. Mayweather was also accused of avoiding Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley, despite the fact that at one point or another, Mayweather made offers to fight both of these men.

Who Would Floyd Mayweather Come out of Retirement to Fight?

If Floyd Mayweather were to return from his retirement to compete once again he would come back to an altered boxing landscape. The man seen as his career defining opponent, Miguel Cotto, lost his undefeated record in painful fashion to Antonio Margarito. Meanwhile, a new pound for pound champion emerged, dominating fighters in crowd pleasing fashion.

That man is Manny Pacquiao, and he bested Oscar De La Hoya in a far more destructive and enjoyable manner than Mayweather did with his ho-hum unanimous decision. A fight with Manny Pacquiao would be the logical choice for Mayweather, not only for financial reasons, but based on the match-up itself. The two most recent pound for pound champions squaring off, one a tremendously skilled defensive tactician and boxer, the other an offensive, come forward and brawl dynamo.

The match certainly sells it itself, and Mayweather's chances of success in the bout would be high. Manny Pacquiao has been out-boxed and contained by smaller and less skilled men than Floyd Mayweather. However, Pacquiao has both muscled up and improved his tactics since his last official loss (most observers felt Juan Manuel Marquez deserved the decision in their second match) and would have a speed advantage.

Also in Manny Pacquiao's favor would be the ring rust that Mayweather could possibly have after being out of the ring for such an extended time. Pacquiao would certainly be able to keep Mayweather out of his comfort zone in the early going. The question would be whether or not he would be able to maintain that, or if Mayweather would calmly figure him out and begin dissecting him, as he has done in the past against the likes of Zab Judah, Ricky Hatton and many others.

So will Floyd Mayweather stay Retired?

Mayweather has remained firm in his stance that he is indeed retired and the retirement is permanent. However, there have been rumors in a variety of outlets that Mayweather is already back into training and is simply biding his time to pick his return opponenet. Besides Manny Pacquiao, there would be the winner of the Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto rematch, or Shane Mosley if he were to beat the odds in his upcoming match against Margarito.

For our sakes, let's hope that Mayweather does return from his retirement. A Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao battle would make for a great night of boxing, and there is still unfinished business in the welterweight division that could turn Mayweather from a generational great to an all-time great.

This article by Jake Emen was also published on Associated Content.

Manny Pacquiao moved up to welterweight and dominated Oscar De La Hoya, Joe Calzaghe bested a faded Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins routed Kelly Pavlik in an upset and more. With all of those big names fighting, I'm sure there are some changes brewing in the pound for pound top 10 boxers list!

Let me also add that it is a great sign for boxing and the health of the boxing game, that the best in the business are staying active and for the most part are participating in meaningful matches. As boxing fans we know that isn't always the case.

Top 10 Pound for Pound Boxers December 2008

1. Manny Pacquiao - 48 (36) - 3 - 2

What can one say about the marvel that is Manny Pacquiao? Everyone, including myself, wrote him off against Oscar De La Hoya. Was De La Hoya way past his prime? Yes. Was he most likely drained from cutting down to welterweight for the first time in a decade? Yes. But nobody cited those things as reason for a loss beforehand, so they can't be taken for excuses after the fact.

Manny Pacquiao has stormed through the weight divisions, fighting just once at lightweight in capturing a title against overmatched David Diaz and then conquering and dismantling Oscar De La Hoya at welterweight in a way nobody else has before him. And that's what being the pound for pound best fighter in the world is all about, Manny Pacquiao bests men larger than he is through his unbridled energy and his unmatched heart and passion. While the rumors are that a Ricky Hatton match is in the works, there are two fights that we all should want to see more: Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao and Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III.

Find Manny Pacquiao memorabilia and merchandise here.

2. Joe Calzaghe - 46 (32) - 0

If you're an undefeated champion for a decade, coming off another victory where some in the boxing public doubted your chances, how do you fall down from the number one pound for pound spot to number 2? Well, Manny Pacquiao has been doing more than just winning; he has been invigorating the entire sport through his explosive fighting and his dynamic performances. Calzaghe may be set to call it quits, but if he really wants to establish himself as an all time great, the only fight for him is with undefeated young American Chad Dawson. Beating Dawson would propel Calzaghe back to the top of the pound for pound list, and he could retire in peace, legacy bolstered and secured. That fight, however, is unlikely to happen.

3. Juan Manuel Marquez - 49 (36) - 4 - 1

For most of his career, Juan Manuel Marquez has been the man left out of the picture. His fellow countrymen, in the same weight classes - Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera - rose to great fame, due in large part to their fights with each other and their avoidance of Marquez. It was not until his first fight, a draw, with Manny Pacquiao that Juan Manuel Marquez became a somewhat brighter name on the marquee. But here he is again, left out of the spotlight as Manny Pacquiao, the man most people feel that he beat in their second encounter, is breaching the threshold of superstardom.

What else can Marquez do? He chased Manny Pacquiao to lightweight, and won a decisive victory over a respected titleholder. Now that the Golden Egg (Oscar De La Hoya) is out of the way for Pacquiao, one would hope that the trilogy between these two great fighters can be completed. Until then, Marquez can further improve his standing by cleaning out the lightweight division.

4. Bernard Hopkins - 49 (32) - 5 - 1

The ageless wonder has just toppled then undefeated middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik over a lopsided 12 rounds in Atlantic City. The one question left in my mind is: Why, Bernard? Why do you try so hard and fight so effectively when you feel the world is against you, but disappoint and fail to show up at other times? After losing an ugly decision to Joe Calzaghe, in which he embarrassed himself by faking low blows in order to buy extra time to rest, Hopkins relished and thrived in the underdog role he acquired against the Youngstown native, as he took on the task of chopping him down a bit.

That he did, and while the fight was above Pavlik's best weight, the performance was one for the ages - the middle ages, the close to pension eligible ages, the rising health insurance premium ages - and yes, the boxing ages. But what's next? A rematch with Roy Jones, the only man Hopkins will admit to losing to (he has lost to three men since he lost his first professional fight), may satisfy his ego, but will do little to inspire mainstream interest, or my own.

5. Israel Vazquez - 43 (31) - 4

Vazquez has been taking some much deserved time off following his legendary and triumphant trilogy with Rafael Marquez. The looming question is how much did those amazing fights take out of the proud warrior? No fighter is immune to the effects of battle in the squared circle, and Vazquez has had more than his share of battles. A fourth match against Marquez is likely in the future, although the two men would be better off veering off in separate directions, at least for a bit.

6. Rafael Marquez - 37 (33) - 5

Marquez has also taken most of 2008 to recover from that memorable trilogy. Although Marquez came up short in the trilogy, he is the smaller man of the two and could have won every single bout with just a slight change of luck or tactics, or if not for a gutsy, all-century 12th round by Vazquez in their third meeting. But so it goes, and Marquez has nothing to be ashamed of. The super bantamweight division is extremely packed with talent, with not just these two great fighters, but rising star Juan Manuel Lopez (see below) and accomplished titleholder Celestino Caballero. So both Marquez and Vazquez have options on the table they could and should pursue. A fourth match between them will never go away, and so it can wait.

7. Paul Williams - 36 (27) - 1

Paul Williams is truly making a case for himself on the pound for pound list, in a similar fashion as Manny Pacquiao. Not being able to secure a large fight at welterweight, with Antonio Margarito seeking ways around a rematch with the man that previously beat him and Miguel Cotto needing to rebuild himself, Williams has been jumping around several weight classes. He moved up to middleweight and scored a knockout over a modest opponent and then went to junior middleweight and won a title from cagey veteran Verno Phillips.

Since his defeat to Carlos Quintana, Paul Williams seems to have found his stride, sitting down on his punches more and hurting opponents rather than merely outworking them. Can the guy please get a major fight in which he can further prove himself? He has shown he's willing to take on all comers, and in the process he's scared off any potential suitors, all of whom have taken a collective "I'll pass" on that dangerous option.

8. Antonio Margarito - 37 (27) - 5

Antonio Margarito destroyed Miguel Cotto this summer, but since has fallen under much of the same criticisms that he liked to lay on the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya and other top names in and around his division. Now a larger name himself, Margarito has avoided several tougher and more clamored for fights in favor of taking on Shane Mosley. Mosley is no slouch, but is very much on the downside of his career, without a big win in some time and having been beaten by Miguel Cotto, the man Margarito broke down so perfectly in their clash. If Margarito really wants the recognition of being the best welterweight fighter in the world, he cannot continue to avoid a rematch with Paul Williams, a fighter in his division, who beat him and has only continued to improve since.

9. Chad Dawson - 27 (17) - 0

Chad Dawson completely outclassed Antonio Tarver, but some of us knew that would happen all along. There are lingering concerns over his defense and his chin, but his offensive repertoire is nearly unmatched. Hand speed, power in both hands, flowing combinations, strong body punching, timing, unpredictability... there is nothing you can say is missing from Dawson's attack. After surviving against Glen Johnson and embarrassing Antonio Tarver, the two men against whom he could continue to make his mark are also aging or aged veterans as well, in fellow top 10 pound for pound members, Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins. Neither is likely to take on the huge risk and low reward showdown with Bad Chad though.

10. Juan Manuel Lopez - 24 (22) - 0

Some may feel that Juan Manuel Lopez, or JuanMa is still too unproven to be worthy of a pound for pound entrance. While he is still very young, he captured his title in destructive fashion and has since defended it several times. There has been some clamoring for a fight between him and division ruler Israel Vazquez. Unless Vazquez is officially shopworn following his Marquez wars, a step up that high this quickly could result in a loss for the still improving Lopez. The thing you have to love about JuanMa is not only the power of his punches, but the technical skill and relative ease with which he dishes them out. He could be a mainstay on the pound for pound list for quite sometime.

Fighters I ran out of room for: Arthur Abraham, Ivan Calderon, Miguel Cotto, Vic Darchinyan, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik

Check back in 2009, after the next batch of important contests, for an updated pound for pound list and the latest news on the best boxers in the world, including upcoming plans for Manny Pacquiao, the possible retirement of Oscar De La Hoya and the potential return to the ring for Floyd Mayweather Jr.

My original prediction was that Manny Pacquiao would win the first several rounds as De La Hoya adjusted to the unbridled speed of the smaller fighter. This proved to be true, but besides that, nothing from my prediction had any form of accuracy contained in it. For Manny Pacquiao proved to be a far superior fighter than Oscar De La Hoya, at least the 35 year old Oscar De La Hoya.

De La Hoya simply never had an answer to the speed and aggression of the Filipino sensation Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao would easily wade in, moving side to side, and begin unleashing four and five punch combinations that pounded De La Hoya to the body and to the head. Oscar eventually ended up in the corners, desperately trying to cover up as Manny Pacquiao unleashed his fury.

This fight was viewed as a mismatch in the boxing community, and it turned out to be just that. However, the mismatch was in the opposite direction of what we predicted! Oscar De La Hoya simply did not seem to have anything left in the tank, and certainly not for such a powerful and effective offensive fighter as Manny Pacquiao.

Shockingly, Manny Pacquiao did not lose any speed or any power in his move up to welterweight from lightweight. This is a man who only fought once above 130 pounds prior to his fight with De La Hoya. He started his career at 106 pounds. Yet he was able to move comfortably up to welterweight and destroy a legend, who fought the likes of Felix Trinidad, Fernando Vargas, Ike Quartey and Bernard Hopkins. What does this mean for the current boxing landscape?

Among other things, this adds a stain to the resume of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mayweather, recognized as the pound for pound best fighter before his retirement, won a hard fought and relatively close decision over De La Hoya. Mayweather buckled De La Hoya once with a hard counter shot, but outside of that it was a relatively calm fight that was disputed only because of the lack of action. The fact that Manny Pacquiao could come up, only once having fought over 130 lbs, and destroy De La Hoya, lends serious doubts to the status and credibility of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Sure, styles make fights, and triangle theories never work in boxing. If you're new to the sport what that boils down to is that if Fighter A beats Fighter B and Fighter C beats Fighter A, it doesn't guarantee Fighter C will beat Fighter B. Different styles have more effectiveness over different opponents, and you can say at this stage of Oscar De La Hoya's career that Manny Pacquiao's speed was purely too much for De La Hoya too handle. But the complete and shocking ease with which he disposed of the icon has to stand for something.

Will Mayweather come out of retirement to face Manny Pacquiao?

The fight that has to be made now, is not between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton, but rather it is between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. The last two men to beat Oscar De La Hoya, and the last two pound for pound boxers on the planet, these two seem destined to meet in an epic showdown. The only question is if there is enough money on the table to lure Mayweather out of retirement. Knowing the competitive nature of Floyd Mayweather, I think he will feel the need to come out of his undefeated retirement and take on a new challenge, the power punching, dynamite fast, welterweight fighter named Manny Pacquiao.

I am lost for words in the ease that Pacquiao disposed of Oscar De La Hoya. And now I just hope that Pacquiao and Mayweather will meet in the ring and settle their dispute once and for all. The last two pound for pound kings in a battle to determine the best fighter of their generation, now that's a fight I would buy. Let's hope for it. Goodbye Oscar De La Hoya, you served your time in the spotlight, and you've ceded it now to Manny Pacquiao, who has earned it in every possible way.

Preview of Ricky Hatton vs. Paulie Malignaggi

Both Ricky Hatton and Paulie Malignaggi only have one loss on their records. As mentioned, Hatton's one loss came at the hands of Floyd Mayweather, one of the best pure boxers of the last several decades. Paulie Malignaggi has always held Mayweather in the highest of esteems, and has taken strides to emulate him. Malignaggi though is known for a serious deficit in punching power (those 5 knockouts stick out like a sore thumb!), and a tendency to fight the other guy's fight even when it's against his best interests. This happened in his one defeat, against top welterweight Miguel Cotto, when he got pummeled and battered succumbing to Cotto's dictation of the fight, despite showing great heart in the losing effort.

Neither Ricky Hatton nor Paulie Malignaggi has looked to be at their best in their last several performances. So both need the win, and both need to look impressive in doing so. Ricky Hatton's style consists of doing the dirty work inside. He'll throw a hook or a short jab, pounce inside, and begin to maul his opponent. Interestingly enough, Hatton brought on Floyd Mayweather Sr. to be his new trainer. While the big name trainer, and father of his conqueror is an effective tutor, the style he preaches is so far removed from anything Hatton has done for his whole career, it's questionable how well that combination will work out.

Malignaggi on the other hand bases his game around footwork and a quick jab. He'll open up as he begins to gain more control, and if his hands hold up long enough to allow him to do so. He has had a long history of breaking his hands, which has limited his ability to throw strong combinations and sit down on his punches appropriately and forcefully.

Whereas Floyd Mayweather was able to perfectly time Ricky Hatton's movements, and take advantage with powerful counter shots, Malignaggi's punches lack the speed and other-worldly timing of Mayweather's. Hatton should be able to close the distance on Malignaggi, as nothing that Paulie offers in return will be able to keep Hatton at bay. Additionally, Malignaggi may get caught up in the toe-to-toe clinch battle that works to Hatton's advantage. If Paulie is to win the fight, he has to constantly circle Hatton and avoid getting held up on the ropes or in the corner. If he can get his jab working, doubling and tripling it up, he may be able to control Hatton's assault.

This fight seems like it will be a tough one to score. So I wouldn't be surprised to see a split decision or a close decision in either direction. My official prediction however is that Hatton will be able to move inside, past Malignaggi's feather fisted punches, and do enough work to win a majority of the rounds. We'll see a Ricky Hatton victory, by close and sloppy unanimous decision.

Betting Odds for Hatton vs. Malignaggi

Over at the Bodog Sportsbook, the official betting odds on Ricky Hatton vs. Paulie Malignaggi are:

• Ricky Hatton - 240
• Paulie Malignaggi +190

Over/Under 11.5 Rounds 

• Over -325
• Under +250

So if you're a Paulie Malignaggi fan, some good odds for the upset, while Ricky Hatton fans aren't getting awful odds on the favorite. And if you think somebody can pull off the stoppage, great odds on betting the under. If you want to bet on Ricky Hatton vs. Paulie Malignaggi, the Bodog Sportsbook is the place to do it.