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.

Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero

I got the chance to speak with Robert Guerrero, two-time IBF featherweight champion about his upcoming fight against Daud Cino Yordan (23-0, 17 KOs) of Indonesia, fighting on HBO in his home town of San Jose and how it feels to be back in action.

How was the Sharks game the other night? (Robert was a guest at HP Pavilion for the Sharks-Kings game on February 19)

RG: It was nice. It was a good game, we had a good time out there.

It must be great to be in front of the fans and obviously you are going to be fighting in San Jose coming up. What does that mean to you to be fighting in front of your hometown fans?

RG: It means a lot, I've been wanting to fight in San Jose for a long time, and the fans want me to fight out here. The event is going to be huge. It's going to be an HBO fight, first time ever that HBO has been to San Jose. It's going to be awesome and I can't wait. I know everybody's excited. It's what the Bay Area needs, big fights.

I know you also have your own blog, you have a MySpace page. How is it getting to interact with the fans directly like that?

RG: The fans are always there for me, with support... they support me a lot. Not just in boxing, but with the situation with my wife and everything. So you have to take the time for the fans.

Do you read any other athlete's blogs or do you have any websites you try to stay up to date with?

RG: Yea I visit Fightnews and Maxboxing a lot, and just try to keep up on what's going on with boxing.

So anyway, getting to the fight, it was great to see you back in the ring last month. I know you must be excited with it getting close to fight time, so how are you feeling and how is training going?

RG: I'm feeling great, my body is feeling great. The nice thing is after the last fight I came out of there in 43 seconds and didn't get injured, no soreness or anything. So I was able to take a couple of days off and jump right back in, and not have to worry about getting into shape and just working on what I need to do for this fight.

A lack of rounds has to be somewhat of a concern for you though, you've only gotten 1 round of action in the last year. Have you been doing anything different in camp to help with that or have you been sparring more or anything?

RG: Just keeping the sparring at a certain amount and making sure I'm in great shape. The one thing is you don't want to overwork for a fight, and having the lack of rounds you don't want to think you need to train harder, because then you'll burn yourself out. So it's touchy, it's a touchy situation. That's where your experience comes in.

What do you know about your opponent, have you seen any tapes of him?

RG: Yea I've seen some tapes of him, I saw his last fight which was actually here in the United States (Note: Yordan has fought once more since then). He's a good, sharp fighter. Good counter puncher, moves good. So we're working up a game plan to take advantage of his style. He's a solid fighter.

You're also up at super featherweight now, how does your body feel at 130 lbs?

RG: Oh, it feels great! Real strong, real strong! It's a huge difference. I feel stronger, faster. I'm happy and I'm happy making this move to 130 lbs.

After this fight do you think you'll be ready for some of the big names at 130 lbs and a possible title shot? Or do you think you'll need a few more step up fights?

RG: I'm hoping to get a title fight after this fight, but if not then by the end of the year. I'm excited about that and with Golden Boy I'll be able to take advantage of that.

Obviously your promotional situation was a big hassle for you and it kept you out of the ring (a dispute with his former promoter kept him out of the ring for almost a year). How does it feel to be with Golden Boy right now and to have that whole situation squared away?

RG: I'm happy, happy to be with Golden Boy. It's a big weight off my shoulders. When you're working with Golden Boy they make you feel like family, it's like a big happy family, and I couldn't be happier right now.

Do you have anybody in particular your eyeing? Rocky Juarez is at 130 and you've had a fight cancelled with him in the past. There are other guys like Jorge Linares or Humberto Soto... Yuriorkis Gamboa is around that weight. Anybody you'd really like to step in there with?

RG: With the best! All of those names are top fighters in this division and that's who I want to be in with. I'm not picky about who I'm going to fight, it's just about getting those fights. I'm excited that I'm going to have the opportunity to get those fights, and they'll be there. I just can't wait. Whoever it is... whether it's Soto or Gamboa or somebody up there that's ready to go, I'm excited and I'll be ready.

Would you consider moving up to 135 lbs for a big fight with somebody like Juan Manuel Marquez or Juan Diaz or anybody like that?

RG: Oh yea, in a heart beat. I'd love to get up to 135 and challenge one of the top fighters there.

So from 130 to 135 you're taking all comers.

RG: Oh yea!

Lastly and most importantly, you've announced that your wife's cancer is in remission, which is great news. How is she feeling and how is the family?

RG: She's feeling good, the family is doing great. It's always rough and tough when you have a family member that's sick. Especially with boxing and all of the focus needed and all the time you have to put in the gym. It's really a balancing act and everything has to be balanced perfectly. It's been tough, but we've been doing it.

I appreciate the time and wish you and your family the best, and good luck in your upcoming bout.

RG: Thank you.

The Guerrero-Yordan fight will be televised on HBO Boxing After Dark on Saturday, March 7th from San Jose, California.

With a win, Guerrero can set himself up for a title shot against one of the big names in the division, and could emerge as a pound for pound top 10 candidate.

Interview by Jake Emen

Collazo lost his two biggest fights, against Ricky Hatton and Shane Mosley. Against Ricky Hatton he suffered an early flash knockdown which ultimately helped to cost him a close decision. He almost had Hatton knocked out in the later rounds but was unable to finish him off. Losing to Shane Mosley is no shame, but the two fights combine to show that Collazo, despite his slick boxing skills, is not an elite fighter. If he wants to return to the limelight he'll need if not a win, a very solid showing.

He does have the potential to ruin Berto's coming out party though and he will be a good litmus test to see how Berto will hold up against some of the upper echelon names in the division, such as Antonio Margarito.

The welterweight division is stacked with talent, and several members of the division are amongst the best fighters in the world. Check out the pound for pound list to see where the current welterweight elite are ranked.

Meet Andre Berto

Andre Berto is undefeated in his professional career, with 23 wins, 19 by knockout and no losses or draws. He's currently the WBC welterweight champion and his biggest wins have been a decision against Steve Forbes and a TKO in the 11th round against David Estrada. His strengths are his blazing speed and his dynamic offensive capabilities. Berto's weakness is his defense and a possibly weak chin.

Meet Luis Collazo

Luis Collazo is a former WBA welterweight champion with a record of 29 wins, 14 by knockout, and 3 losses. His biggest win came against Jose Rivera and his notable losses include dropping a decision to Shane Mosley and dropping a decision to Ricky Hatton. His biggest strength is his slick boxing skill and a weakness is a lack of power and ability to get outworked.

Berto Collazo Prediction

Collazo is a tricky southpaw boxer with a good reach and solid defensive skills. Like most "tricky southpaw boxers" he lacks a big punch. That is one of the reasons that he got the shot to face Berto, a fighter whose chin is still questioned by many. To win the fight, he will need to be able to control the distance that the fight takes place at. That means using his quick jab and doubling up on it to halt the smaller Berto's advances.

Luis Collazo will also need to take advantage of Berto's aggressiveness by making him miss and then launching his own counter shots. Berto has improved his defense but is still not a strong defensive fighter and tends to get caught up into working on his own attack rather than also paying attention to his opponents'.

While Collazo is a quick fighter, when he faces Berto he will be at a clear disadvantage in hand speed. Expect the first few rounds of this fight to begin slowly, as both men attempt to read the other and establish their own jab. Collazo with his longer reach should be able to win several rounds by winning the jabbing contest and circling the ring.

Once Berto feels comfortable, he will begin firing his rapid, multi-punch combinations. Andre Berto can throw every punch in the book from all angles, and this diversity may confuse and overwhelm Collazo. Berto will begin connecting flush with some of his shots and may even put Collazo down. While I think Berto might knock Collazo down, I don't think he will be able to knock him out.

After splitting the first four-six rounds, Andre Berto will dominate the rest of the fight and win a handy decision that will never be in doubt by the time the scorecards are read. Hopefully after this fight, Andre Berto will step into the ring with more top challengers and fellow titleholders, including the likes of Kermit Cintron, Joshua Clottey and Miguel Cotto.

Does Andre Berto Have what it Takes?

Andre Berto certainly has the physical tools to make him a great boxer and a great champion. What he is lacking is physical size. At less than 5'9", Berto is at a serious disadvantage against the likes of Antonio Margarito or Paul Williams. He will really need to hone in his game more if he wants to tackle those behemoths.

The Berto Collazo fight will be a good test for Berto but regardless of the outcome he'll need to keep on improving if he's to hold up against the biggest and best of the welterweight division.

What Manny Pacquiao lacks in size he makes up for with speed, aggression and power. However, the other looming question (besides the size difference) is whether or not Manny Pacquiao's power will carry over to the higher weight. And will he be as fast as he is accustomed to being while carrying the extra pounds on his frame?

Manny Pacquiao has been troubled in his encounters with Juan Manuel Marquez and has sidestepped his way around some of the slicker fighters in the divisions he has fought in. This is due in no small part to the fact that Pacquiao does best with aggressive, come forward brawlers, who are susceptible to being hit by his bombs and don't have the tactical skills to defend against them. Oscar De La Hoya, however, has a great jab and solid defensive skills. He is also known for having a great chin, with only Bernard Hopkins ever knocking him out, and that was via a body shot.

Oscar De La Hoya was intending to prepare for a rematch against Floyd Mayweather when he fought Steve Forbes. But in fact it served as a de facto preparation for Pacquiao. Forbes is a smaller and quicker fighter, the difference being that he is a defensive minded boxer while Pacquiao is an aggressive puncher. In this case, I think Pacquiao's aggressiveness will be detrimental to his chances of success in this match.

In the opening rounds, De La Hoya may be caught off guard by the pure, unbridled aggression and speed of Filipino sensation Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao may even land a few hard, flush shots that serve to jolt De La Hoya awake a bit. As the fight progresses, De La Hoya will begin consistently getting his jab involved. By doing so, he will be able to use his height and reach advantages to keep Manny Pacquiao at a distance. This will help to disrupt the offensive effectiveness that Pacquiao is accustomed to.

By the middle rounds of the fight I expect De La Hoya to be in complete control. De La Hoya was able to knock out brawler Ricardo Mayorga, who's a larger fighter than Pacquiao is. However, Pacquiao is at the prime of his game while Mayorga had just been knocked out by Felix Trinidad. In the upcoming PPV showdown De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao, I doubt that Pacquiao will be knocked out. A monster left hook may put him on the canvas, but he has too much heart to stay there. At the same time, I doubt that De La Hoya still has what it takes to really pour it on a fighter and finish him the way he jumped all over an injured Fernando Vargas.

My official prediction is that while Pacquiao makes a good fight out of it, surprising some and letting down some others, he loses a wide decision to the much larger and much more tactical boxer in Oscar De La Hoya. Oscar may hurt Pacquiao, but as I mentioned, won't be able to finish him. Conversely, Pacquiao will struggle to hurt De La Hoya who has been hit by much more powerful punchers and who keeps the fight at long range with his jab.

The scorecards may even be a bit funny (as they tend to be in De La Hoya fights); I wouldn't be surprised to see a split decision rather than a unanimous decision, with Pacquiao fans being upset that he got robbed. However, I do expect the fight to be rather handily won by De La Hoya, and for Pacquiao to go back down and continue his career at a lower weight where his unique blend of talents have proven to be so successful.

The Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao fight is this weekend in Las Vegas, being shown on HBO PPV. If you want to bet on the fight, the Bodog Sportbook lets you bet not only on the outcome of the fight, but also on the length of the fight, the scorecards and many other fun elements as well. Currently, the Bodog Sportsbook has the odds:

• Oscar De La Hoya -180
• Manny Pacquiao +140

Over/Under 9.5 rounds

• Over -185
• Under +145

There you go! Check back right here to see how the fight turns out and to see whether or not my official prediction for the De La Hoya and Pacquiao pay-per-view showdown was correct.

In the coming weeks I'll be talking more about this fight, and I'll give everyone a full, in-depth analysis and prediction on the match. There's a lot of anticipation for the fight, and it's becoming a huge event. If you have a chance to see this live, than you have to attend. Two huge stars like this, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, all of the intrigue with former trainers, size and boxing vs speed and aggression, there are a lot of awesome elements to this boxing match!

Like I said, you can't miss your chance to see this kind of epic boxing contest, the Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao fight is less than a month away! You can find great tickets to the De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquaio fight right here. Act fast before you can't find any more tickets!

The early betting odds are also in for the De La Hoya vs Pacquiao contest. Here's what the Bodog Sportsbook is telling us:

• Oscar De La Hoya -210
• Manny Pacquiao +170

Over/Under 9.5 rounds

• Over -180
• Under +140

As you can see, Manny Pacquiao's fans have lots of faith in him, as he's not that big of an underdog against the much larger Oscar De La Hoya. Place your own bet on the De La Hoya Pacquiao fight here.

And if you wan't to see the fight live, (and who doesn't!) buy great seats for the Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya fight here!

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.

It should come as no surprise that Joe Calzaghe is favored to beat Roy Jones Jr. The official betting odds for the Calazaghe-Jones bout are:

• Joe Calzaghe -270
• Roy Jones Jr +210

The over/under on rounds is:

• over 9 1/2 rounds -330
• under 9 1/2 rounds +265

The odds for the Calzaghe vs Jones battle are provided by Bodog. If you want to bet on the Joe Calzaghe versus Roy Jones Jr. match you can use the Bodog Sportsbook. Also they are featuring a 10% sign up bonus right now which is a great deal. You get an extra 10% of your initial deposit free, so if you want to bet on the fight you don't want to miss that opportunity.

It's tempting to take Roy Jones Jr. in the underdog role, it really is. He has more speed and power than Joe Calzaghe is used to seeing. And if those bout took place 5 years ago, well, it would be no question as to who would win the showdown. It would have been a blow out for Jones. But this isn't 5 years ago, and the two fighters are very different now.

I think that Joe Calzaghe will win another clear, but uninspiring decision over an old American great. He has too much movement and throws too many punches for Jones to take care of business. And beating an overweight, old Felix Trinidad won't make me change my mind on that either!

Enjoy the fight this weekend. Also, it's not to late to try to catch it in person! I've heard there are some really cheap tickets to the Calzaghe-Jones fight at MSG still available. Could be a once in a lifetime experience. Either a shocking upset by a former great and true legend in Roy Jones Jr., or a continued cementing of Calzaghe's legacy.

After plowing his way through some fellow "contenders" in the sad state of the 2008 heavyweight division of boxing, Povetkin was lined up for his title shot against Wladimir Klitschko. Klitschko, I am not a fan of. He has shown many traits that are the opposite of what Povetkin shows us. He has all of the physical blessings one could dream of. But instead of going for the kill too often he stands tall behind an easy jab. He sometimes seems scared in the ring, despite being the guy with more KO power and more skill. I don't like seeing that in a professional fighter, neverless a heavyweight that is supposed to be the best heavyweight in the world.

All of that being said, he has a huge size advantage against Povetkin. He has that long reach and when he gets that jab working well, it's not lazy or well intentioned, but rather it's a devastating, piston like weapon. He has power in both hands and big fight experience. Oh, and that size. I think that for Povetkin, the Klitschko fight was going to be just a bit too soon for the promising fighter.

I think the Povetkin injury is a blessing in disguise. The more this guy can train, the better chance he will have. He needs more time in the gym, honing his craft. He needs to learn a little bit more of avoiding punches rather than catching them with his face. He needs to learn how to move in and out a la Joe Frazier rather than straight ahead behind a storm of sloppy punches. That won't work against Klitschko, Povetkin would simply never get in range to do any damage.

So to Povetkin I say cheer up. You'll get your day against Wladimir. And when you do, you'll have more experience and a higher skill level that should help you in the biggest fight of your career.