.
Manny Pacquiao earned praise as the “greatest fighter that ever lived” after his sensational second round TKO win over Britain’s Ricky Hatton. Video courtesy of Solar Sports.
Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net
What was it like watching Manny Pacquiao battle Ricky Hatton?
I was not in Las Vegas to witness the fight. We watched it via a live feed at the Mag.net Cafe located at the Bonifacio High Street. Thanks to Nike Philippines we saw the bout minus the barrage of advertisements seen on free TV. Watching it via a live feed was like watching it live. Fellow Filipinos cheered with every punch Pacquiao landed on the Briton. As expected, some people booed when Hatton entered the ring. I felt that same tension and anxiety before the fight started.
During the pre-fight, we managed to talk to a British fan. He declared, “If Manny gets close to Hatton, he’ll be dead.” But as it turned out, the fight was too short. Still, Pacquiao was able to unleash 73 punches (Hatton had 18 landed). As witnessed by millions of viewers worldwide, Hatton got knocked out eventually in the last 10 seconds of the second round.
Later, we saw the British fan whom we talked to earlier. His tone was now different. We approached him again to ask for his reaction. He jokingly declared, “He’s the best! Manny for president.”
For a few hours leading to the fight, the country was in a standstill. We almost forgot that just a few days ago, we’ve been hit hard by news of the swine flu, now aptly called A (H1N1).
As we recalled the day that has passed–and the reaction of those who watched the fight via live feed, it was clear that no matter where you are–in Las Vegas or in a roomful of fans watching the fight via satellite or cable–we all reacted the same way when we saw Pacquiao land that strong left hook to the jaw of Hatton. In fact, I almost broke a plate while filming the reaction of the Pacquiao fans at Mag.net cafe.
It was a quick fight that stunned everyone.
The fight ended early as Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao knocks out Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton twice in the first round, and later permanently in the second round. British fans were left stunned, including the parents of the Briton fighter who flew all the way from Manchester to watch the fight, when Hatton kisses the floor.
We saw the fight at the Mag.net cafe in High Street in Fort Bonifacio, courtesy of Nike Philippines. A large screen was set up and everyone were seated in little, comfortable plastic chairs. Iced tea was served and some pasta. But since we were too excited to see the fight, we hurriedly finished our meal and got ready to watch and live blog the event. (Good thing there was wi-fi).
The crowd started trickling in at around 10 a.m. Some people clapped as Pacquiao was introduced. But as the round began, every punch that landed on Hatton came with grunts from the crowd, followed by loud cheers. People stood and cheered, some for Hatton, mostly for Pacquiao.
Then came the right hook that sent Hatton to the floor. He was wobbly. He was obviously stunned. Meanwhile, the crowd at Mag.net was getting louder. Everybody stood as the Briton fighter went down twice in the first round.
Second round came. It was a short battle. Amid the flurry of punches, Pacquiao was able to sneak in a powerful left hook to the jaw of Hatton that floored him permanently. That was the end of the fight. The parents of Hatton were stunned. The Filipino crowd went ecstatic, including those watching from Mag.net in High Street.
DID you know that Brian Viloria has been using Twitter to update fans and friends about his upcoming and concluded fight?
Well, as of this writing, Viloria just sent a short message to all his Twitter followers:
AND THE NEW..!!! I DID IT TWEEPS!!!!
Followed by:
“Need to get showered up and let the celebration begin!”
Viloria is celebrating his victory over Solis whom he floored at the 11th round. Check out the breaking story here.
An excerpt:
(UPDATE) After struggling in the first round, Filipino-Hawaiian boxer Brian Viloria emerged as champ, as he knocked out Ulises Solis in the 11th round in the IBF light flyweight championship here at the Araneta Coliseum.
Viloria who is also known as the “Hawaiian Punch” gave Solis a cut at the 5th round.
Nonito Donaire also won by TKO in the 4th round in his fight with Raul “Cobra” Martinez.
UPDATE: Various reports posted on Pacland, a website dedicated to Manny Pacquiao, indicates that the fight is on.
+++
By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines — A day after promoters declared the fight has been called off after an impasse over the prize money, Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao has agreed to accept the offer to fight British superstar Ricky Hatton on May 2, a report on philboxing.com said.
The report quoting Pacquiao’s close friend and confidante Rex “Wakee” Salud said the Filipino idol was convinced when told that he would receive a $12 million guarantee and 52 percent of the pay-per-view shares.
By Agence France-Presse
MANILA–A planned May 2 showdown between Britain’s Ricky Hatton and Philippines star Manny Pacquiao has been called off after two of the sport’s top draws failed to agree on how to split the purse.
“Basically, the two camps could not agree on the purse,” Pacquiao aide Jeng Gacal told reporters in Manila on Thursday of the reported 24-million-dollar kitty for what had been billed as one of the biggest fights in years.
Pacquiao, the WBC lightweight champion considered the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, let a Wednesday night Hatton deadline lapse on the Briton’s final offer of a 52-48 split in the Filipino’s favour.
“Manny did not sign it,” Gacal added, confirming earlier reports the mega fight, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, was off.
By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—Manny Pacquiao on Saturday rejected a fresh proposal for a 52-48 revenue sharing with British superstar Ricky Hatton in their 140-lb battle in May.
And the latest twist in the negotiations could open the door for Floyd Mayweather Jr., whose handlers, Pacquiao disclosed, have been communicating with his camp for a possible match that could lure the former pound-for-pound king out of his retirement.
But Pacquiao isn’t about to give up on the Hatton fight just yet.
“Kita mo, nagbago din sila (You see, they changed their minds),” Pacquiao said with a laugh as if to stress that he is still the draw in this planned super fight pitting the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter against the king of the junior welterweight division.
By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
As far as Manny Pacquiao is concerned, there is still no deal to fight British slugger Ricky Hatton.
This was confirmed Friday by Pacquiao adviser Rex “Wakee” Salud, who said that the Filipino superstar isn’t fighting Hatton unless the revenue sharing tilts to his favor.
“Manny’s stand is the same; he is not fighting unless the numbers move to his favor,” Salud told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Pacquiao is demanding 60 percent of fight and pay-per-view purses, a sharing that does not sit well with the Hatton camp, which claimed that a verbal arrangement for a 50-50 split had already been made.
By Izah Morales
IT was not yet Friday but many have gathered at the Black Nazarene Church in Quiapo not to hear mass. They were there to catch a glimpse of the victorious Manny Pacquiao.
At around 8:00 in the morning, the siren went off in Plaza Miranda as Pacquiao and his entourage arrived.
The once solemn atmosphere in the Church was quickly filled with cheers as Pacquiao entered. People who were seated in the Church silently, stood up. Others even forgot they were inside the Church as they climbed on top of pews to have a better view of the boxing champion. The police took about 30 minutes to settle the rowdy crowd inside the Church.
After priest gave his final blessings, Pacquiao was asked to give a message to the people.
During his message, Pacquiao thanked the people and attributed his success to God. He talked about the criticisms he got from some sportswriters before his bout with Oscar de la Hoya. But he said he did not lose hope as he kept his faith in God.
Pacquiao told the crowd, “Don’t tell God that [you] have a big problem. [B]ut tell your problem [that you] have a big God.”
As he went out of the Church, people brought out their phone cameras and took photographs. They followed him until he got into his land cruiser. One man screamed, “Idol kita, Manny!” as if saying that Pacquiao has always been their champion.
(Video courtesy of Solar Sports)
IT was a lopsided fight with Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao dominating every round.
At the end of the eight round, Oscar “The Golden Boy” De La Hoya threw in the towel, and the fight was over. Pacquiao won via technical knockout over De La Hoya.
Pacquiao proved to be the better fighter. His straight left proved an efficient weapon against De La Hoya who was unable to shake off Pacquiao. The Filipino fighter who was landing punches at will was just too fast for De La Hoya.
You can read the round-per-round updates of the fight from here.
