Boxing Betting / Richard Douglas / 26 April 2009 /

Richard Douglas looks back at each fighter's last six bouts for what could happen when the two get it on next Saturday...

On Saturday, Ricky Hatton ([3.15]) boxes Manny Pacquiao ([1.49]) for the unofficial pound-for-pound world title. It is a mega-bout, a legend-making fight, but perhaps the prize is not as big as the one at stake the last time the Hitman entered the ring.

The clash with Pauli Malignaggi in November was his first with new trainer Floyd Mayweather Senior. A change was essential, the Hitman's career appeared to be waning in his previous half-dozen bouts. His whole future was on the line.

Hatton had been beaten up by Mayweather junior in his first mega-fight. He was picked apart with precision, then overwhelmed and stopped - exactly what he would later do to Malignaggi.

There had been a hometown return with a points win over Juan Lazcano in between but there was definitely a sense that Hatton version 2.0 had emerged against the mouthy Malignaggi.

More mobile, more defensive, less gung-ho.

His one-punch finish against Jose Luis Castillo in June 2007 proved the body-snatcher of old was still present. Before that, Hatton had beaten two southpaws - Juan Urango at light-welterweight and Luis Collazo at welterweight. He decisioned the former with some ease and dropped the latter early on before being forced to cling on, literally, for a points victory at the end.

Pacquiao is another 'leftie' but a smaller, more mobile one. Collazo had the bulk to outmuscle Hatton and, after Mayweather, the Mancunian probably won't fight at 147lbs again.

Pacquaio's last half-dozen fights started with wins over four Mexicans - three of them legends. He destroyed Erik Morales in three and Jorge Solis in eight. The Filipino then took a mile-wide points win over Marco Antonio Barrera and squeezed home with a split decision against new lightweight king Juan Manuel Marquez.

He then looked superb dominating David Diaz before moving up 10lbs to retire a weight-drained Oscar de la Hoya.

Recent history is everything in boxing but these last two bouts perhaps belie Pacquiao's instincts. Against Marquez and Morales, he was actually pretty hittable. In comparison, Diaz and de la Hoya were one-dimensional and easily avoided.

The Filipino is a fighter at heart so if the 140lb, slicker, cuter Hatton can draw him into a war this may be closer than some suggest. It did not make a difference against a boiled-down De la Hoya but size may be more of a factor this time given Hatton is a natural light-welter. Remember Pacquiao started his career weighing just 106lbs.

Boxing cliché dictates that a 'good big'un always beats a good lil'un'. But, then again, that has not rung true the last time two times Pacquiao has fought so why should it this time?

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