HATTON REMAINS UNDEFEATED!

By Moncayo Blackbull Photo: DeLorenzo

(IB-December 4, 2007) - Can this title become reality? According to the experts, it’ll be a cold day in hell and Pigs will start flying before Hatton can defeat Mayweather but I beg to differ. I won’t fall for the hype, I’m not a bandwagon rider, rather a bandwagon driver, I may be alone but what the heck, I’m driving.

Mayweather, the baddest man in boxing? I don’t think so, maybe the best defensive fighter in the business but certainly not the baddest. After all to be the baddest would you not have to fight a little? I can name many fighters ahead of Mayweather in a baddest fighter list starting with Hatton.

Manny  Pacquiao, Joe Calzaghe, Manuel Marquez, Vernon Forest, and Miguel Cotto are just a few fighters that would fair better than Mayweather in the baddest boxer category. But being the best does not necessarily mean being the baddest and Mayweather certainly is an elite fighter and one of the best.

The key to beating Mayweather is patients and combinations, Mayweather doesn’t fight a lot, he scores and moves, and he’s quick so trying to counter is out of the question.  However, Mayweather can be forced to fight and when he tries to fight he’s not so good.

So how do you take Mayweather out of his game? Just take a look at the first encounter between him and Jose Luis Castillo, in that fight Castillo took the mobility away from Mayweather and forced Mayweather to fight. Now take a look at the second encounter and you will see Mayweather  was not willing to fight but rather use his strengths in quickness and movement to cruise to an easy victory.

The question is will Hatton be able to make Mayweather fight or will he simply follow Mayweather around the ring and get tagged while trying to land a knock out punch?

The key for Hatton will be effective aggressiveness not just lunging with punches and following Mayweather. Body/shoulder Feints followed with punches will catch the attention of Mayweather and provoke him to fight. If Hatton gets Mayweather to start countering body movement, then he’ll have to fight and guess what, the tide will shift in Hatton’s favor. Anything Hatton can do to stop Mayweather’s movement will change the fight in his favor.

Mayweather is not only fast and quick in the ring but smart, brute force will not come close to beating Mayweather. Hatton will have to out-smart Mayweather, to beat the master you must become the master and sometimes a little trickery will work wonders.

Do I give Hatton a shot at dealing Mayweather his first loss? Hell, I’m driving the wagon, want a lift?

Mayweather and Hatton throw down this Saturday, December 8^th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, live on HBO Pay Per View.

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