The Fasted KO by Pacman since 2002, Pacman now line up to world's greatest boxer
LAS VEGAS – It took just 359 seconds to add the latest devastating chapter to a legacy that will last for decades.
Manny
Pacquiao’s flurried fists made short work of Ricky Hatton on Saturday
night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and delivered the most emphatic
proof yet that boxing has a superstar for the ages operating at his
peak.
Pacquiao sent the Englishman crashing to the canvas twice
in a frenetic first round, then sealed the contest with a brutal left
hook that had Hatton out cold on his back with one tick remaining in
the second round.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. may have announced his
comeback from a brief and scarcely-believable retirement on Saturday
morning. But there can be no doubt that Pacquiao is boxing’s undisputed
king as he continues to ride a remarkable wave of momentum.
“Our strategy was the one punch,” Pacquiao said. “Left hook. Right hook. That was going to be the key to this fight.”
The
Filipino fighter is a quiet and reserved man out of the ring, but
between the ropes he morphs into an electrifying machine – and Hatton
felt his full force.
The Hatton camp had hoped their man’s power
would be telling, yet he simply had no response to Pacquiao’s pace and
precision. A right hook put Hatton down with 54 seconds remaining in
round one and proved to be the beginning of the end.
“I knew it
was over,” said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer. “Ricky fights the
same way over and over. He doesn’t have the ability to adjust.”
As
Pacquiao moved in for the finish in the second round, Hatton tried to
cling on only to be sent down again with a fierce straight left.
Doctors immediately rushed to the aid of Hatton, who eventually and
thankfully was able to walk from the ring under his own steam.
“I
am surprised this fight was so easy,” said Pacquiao. “I did work hard
in my training camp and it paid off. This is as big a victory for me as
when I beat Oscar De La Hoya.”
That December triumph over De La
Hoya did not convince the entire boxing fraternity of Pacquiao’s
ability, primarily as the Golden Boy’s powers had so clearly dimmed
from his prime. Now there is no speculation. Pacquiao is the top dog,
until someone proves otherwise in the ring.
Floyd Mayweather Sr.
was a no-show at the postfight news conference, leaving Hatton’s
co-trainer, Lee Beard, to explain the mauling by Pacquiao.
“We
knew about Manny’s speed and that it could play a factor in the fight,”
Beard said. “What you saw was two rounds of action and Ricky got
caught.”
Roach’s status as a trainer grows in line with each
victory his top fighter posts and it became clear his game plan was
perfect. Hatton could not avoid Pacquiao, who landed with 73 of his 127
punches. The Brit could only land 18 of 78.
“This is no shock at
all,“ Roach said. “Hatton pumps his hands before he throws a punch, and
it makes him a sucker for the right hook.
“Manny is a monster. He is the best fighter ever. There is no surprise here.”
Defeat
was a bitter blow to the thousands of Hatton fans among the 16,262 in
attendance who had journeyed across the Atlantic but saw their dreams
dashed within a few brutal minutes.
The typical symphony of
chanting carried on even after their man had been sparked out, but it
may not strike up again. Hatton, who was alert in his locker room
before being taken to the hospital, is one of the most popular boxers
ever with an incredible fan base, but his fighting future is now in
serious doubt.
For Pacquiao, the future is brighter than ever, and his legend continues to grow.
Said Pacquiao: “I can fight anybody.”
Roach lines up Pacquiao’s next fight in ‘09MANILA, Philippines – From Miguel Coto, Sugar Shane Mosley to Floyd Mayweather Jr., the sky's the limit now for Manny Pacquiao.
Freddie
Roach mentioned the name of the three boxing stars as the possible next
opponent for Pacquiao, whom he wants to be back on the ring either by
November or December.
That easily gives the world
pound-for-pound king at least six months to rest and prepare following
his spectacular second round demolition of Ricky Hatton in their junior
light-welterweight slugfest.
For Roach, nobody can beat Pacquiao at this time of his career.
“He’s
in his prime right now. He’s on top of his game. He’s getting better
all the time. Anyone in the world he can beat them all," said the
three-time Trainer of the Year.
Top Rank Promotion’s Bob Arum is
already priming up a Coto-Pacquiao fight late this year, saying Roach
and the boxing icon will be at ringside of the Madison Square Garden in
New York in June to personally watch the Puerto Rican champion fight
Joshua Clottey for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight
title.
“If Cotto wants to come down a few pounds, then we could
make that happen. If Mosley wants to come down a few pounds, we can
make that happen," said Roach of the two welterweight champions.
The American trainer is vocal enough in admitting that Pacquiao is perfectly suited at the light-welterweight class.
As for Mayweather Jr?
“I
think he’s scared of Pacquiao," he said of the former pound-for-pound
king who came out of retirement Saturday and booked a July 18 date with
world lightweight champion and former Pacquiao nemesis Juan Manuel
Marquez.
“He could fight Manny Pacquiao. He just have to wait one day. He chose to pick Marquez," said Roach.
The former boxer turned trainer added that they won’t tow the line and wait for any available opponent.
“We’ll not gonna wait around for anybody. We’ll keep Manny busy," he said.
source:
yahoo!news,gmanewsi just watch it here >>
http://teampilipinas.info/2009/05/pacqu…tream.html 
Subject: * Pacman Stuns Hitman in Rd. 2 Floyd Mayweather Jr Manny's nxt opponent? 
Mon May 04, 2009 10:35 pm
