411's Mayweather vs. Hatton Preview

Posted by Matt Knowles on 12.06.2007

The Pretty Boy gets ready for a shoot-out with The Hitman!

THE PREVIEW



Saturday 12/8, MGM Grand, Las Vegas
Floyd Mayweather vs. Ricky Hatton
For Mayweather's WBC welterweight championship


The SuperFight of the Fall season is finally upon us!

We are only a few days away from one of the biggest welterweight title fights in recent years. Floyd Mayweather, the best boxer in the US, and possibly the planet, will look to retain the championship against Europe's best fighter in Ricky Hatton. This is one of those match-ups that seems too good to be true: two undefeated, highly talented, wildly popular fighters, in their physical primes, with a world championship on the line.



After weeks of sensational hype for the bout via HBO's Mayweather-Hatton 24/7, we have been given some great insight into the preparation that each fighter has endured. I think that it's safe to say these are the two hardest-working athletes in the sport of boxing. Each man's work ethic is incredible, and their training methods, although different in structure, have been a key to their success in the ring. I am most impressed with Hatton's combination of plyo-metric routines, along with the intense ring work with his trainer Billy Graham donning the now-infamous "body bag." Floyd Mayweather's late night visits to the local Sin City 24 Hour Fitness have not only been the greatest free advertising gimmick in gymnasium history (they really should put Floyd on the payroll), but have also served as inspiration for all fellow 24-Hour club members, like myself, to get off their collective butts and work off the Thanksgiving indulgences, no matter what time it is.


Let's break down the strengths and weaknesses of each fighter, in order to determine who has the edge in each critical category.


PUNCHING POWER – Neither man has lights-out KO power at 147 pounds. Floyd has just enough pop to keep his opponents at bay and earn their respect. In Hatton's only true test at welterweight, he looked a bit out-muscled by Luis Collazo, who isn't known for his physical strength. Based on recent bouts, I can't accurately say that either man holds a distinct advantage in this category.

Edge: tie


HAND SPEED – Floyd fires lightning-fast punches, albeit only one or two at a time. Ricky may be more fluent with his combination punching, but his hands aren't nearly as swift as Floyd's are. Gotta go with the Pretty Boy, although I suspect that the Hitman may be the fastest opponent of his career.

Edge: Floyd


PHYSICAL STRENGTH – Floyd may be a bit underrated in this area, but there's little question that Hatton is a bigger, stronger dude. This might be his biggest advantage in this bout.

Edge: Hatton


FOOTWORK – Only the 1995 version of Roy Jones Jr. could argue with the notion that Floyd has the best footwork of this generation. Hatton is incredibly fleet-footed and active on his toes, which may produce problems for the Pretty Boy, but the advantage still goes to the champ.

Edge: Floyd


DEFENSE – Floyd's shoulder-roll might be the most effective defensive tactic in the sport. Hatton's offense is his best defense.

Edge: Floyd


JAB – Neither man utilizes their jab nearly as much as they should, so it's tricky to give either of them an advantage in this department. Floyd prefers to throw lead hooks and counter rights, the latter referred to by Team Mayweather as the "pull-counter." Ricky Hatton also likes to lead with the left hook upstairs, followed up by body-blow combinations. Too close to call.

Edge: tie


RIGHT CROSS – This is a critical punch for both fighters, but for different reasons. Mayweather's pull-counter has been his best weapon throughout his career, and it's only getting better as he faces bigger, slower opposition. Ricky Hatton uses the right hand primarily to create openings to the body. We'll go with the champ on this one.

Edge: Floyd


LEFT HOOK - While Hatton throws vicious hooks to both the head and body, Mayweather's lead left hook is so fast that it can score flash-knockdowns for the Pretty Boy at any second (see Mayweather-Corrales)…Ricky's is harder, Floyd's is faster, we'll call it even-steven.

Edge: tie


BODY PUNCHING – Hatton might be the best body puncher in the past 15 years (since Chavez' late-prime). His KO victory over JLC this past June was due to one the most wicked left hooks to the liver that I've ever seen. Although Mayweather will mix in the lead right to the solar plexus here and there, body shots are rarely essential to his overall game plan.

Edge: Hatton


EXPERIENCE – The level of competition that Mayweather has faced over the past decade is incomparable. He has won six titles in five divisions over the past 10 years, with his title victories as the challenger coming against Genaro Hernandez, JL Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Carlos Baldomir, and Oscar De La Hoya. Hatton has won four titles in the past two years, earning straps for his wins over Kostya Tszyu, Carlos Maussa, Luis Collazo, and Juan Urango. Not exactly an even list when you consider that Urango and Maussa will never again hold championship gold, while Floyd has dethroned a number of fighters with hall of fame credentials.

Edge: Floyd


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In summary, Floyd Mayweather has the upper hand in five departments (hand speed, footwork, defense, right cross, experience), while Ricky Hatton holds the advantage in only two of the aforementioned categories (physical strength, body punching), with the jab, left hook, and overall punching power being considered even.

Mayweather has a history of neutralizing his opponent's strengths, especially in the categories where Hatton holds a clear advantage. Floyd is coming off of decision victories over the two strongest opponents of his career in Carlos Baldomir and Oscar De La Hoya. In the bout with the Golden Boy, Floyd blocked or dodged about 70-80% of the body shots that came his way. On the flip-side, Hatton has had a few issues when facing fighters that have solid defense and good hand speed (see Collazo-Hatton).

Being that Floyd's defensive-minded approach should completely neutralize Ricky Hatton's advantages, I've gotta go with the champion in this bout. Ricky may have some moments of brilliance in the early rounds, being that Floyd sometimes gets off to a slow start. Through the mid-to-late rounds, expect the champion to pick up the pace and counter-punch his way to a clear-cut unanimous decision victory.

Prediction: Mayweather by UD 12, 116-111
(point deduction from Hatton for a "frustration foul" late in the fight)



SEE YOU AT THE FIGHTS!!!