Score it!... Nigel Benn vs Chris Eubank II

It's time for another edition of The Boxing Bulletin's feature series, Score it!

This time we're going back to October 9, 1993 to score the controversial rematch between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank.

The first bout had been a major upset with the underdog Eubank winning via 9th round TKO to take Benn's WBO middleweight crown. Almost 3 years later, on a cold night at Manchester's Old Trafford Stadium, with over 42,000 fans in attendance, the two heated rivals finally squared off again in one of the most anticipated rematches ever in British boxing.

The Boxing Bulletin judges for this one are: Lee Payton, Matt Chudley, Dave Oakes, Michael Nelson and Brian McCarraher. Benn started and finished the round the stronger fighter but Eubank landed some cleaner shots in the middle of the round. Even round. -MC Feeling out round. Neither fighter got anything done. Eubank tried to potshot from the outside but it wasn't effective. -BM Not a whole lot of clean blows landed by either man. Benn lands a few solid shots to the body and is the more active man inside. Benn's round. -ML Benn starts quickly but Eubank lands the cleaner punches to just edge the round. -DO Both men testing out their reflexes early. Very tense work. I thought Eubank landed a few of the sharper blows. -LP Benn's round based on some very solid left hooks out of the bob and weave. He made Chris miss most of the time, and landed the harder punches while being the aggressor. -LP Aggressor Benn starts to settle into the fight and pick his punches a little better. -MC Eubank comes out fast while Nigel controls the middle part of the round. Eubank had a good final minute to earn a tough one. -MN Eubank scored from the outside with some sharpshooting. He used his jab and also scored to the body. Nigel slow to pull the trigger. -BM Both fighters struggling to find the target, Benn pressing and landing the few decent shots. Fighters exchange low blows with Eubank retaliating to Benn's earlier effort. Benn. -MC A scrappy round with both fighters being warned about low blows. Benn’s higher work-rate wins him the round. -DO Eubank lands a hard right hand and a nice uppercut. Benn starts doing a decent job at slipping the right hand and countering to the body. Some of them are straying low. Not a whole lot is separating the two fighters. Even round. -MN A counter left hook wobbles Benn momentarily, and Eubank continues to shoot some well-timed jabs. Nigel turned it on in the last minute, landing a heavy right to the side of the head, but I gave it to Chris because of his effective early work. -LP Benn's starting to find the range with his right hand and rocks Eubank a couple of times. He's also continuing to do solid body work. Clear Benn round. -MN Benn was more aggressive this round and really got his offense going. His body punches looked like they were having some effect, and he landed some crisp right hands and shook Eubank. - BM Benn begins the round on the attack but doesn't land much. Eubank responds in kind and gets in some nice left hooks. For the remainder of the round, Chris counters well with uppercuts and right hands. Eubank's round. -MN Round 5 starts off with both men swinging wildly. Eubank has Benn on his heels a little with some crisp combination punching. A right-left combo on the chin might have hurt Benn. I think Eubank controlled the last part of the round and landed a few clean ones along the way. -LP Some vicious exchanges that got sloppy at times. Benn landed the solid shots and was effective at slipping Eubank`s flurries. Eubank`s punches getting wider and slower. - BM What a difficult round to score. Ignoring the point deduction for the low blow for a second, I'm not even sure who won that round. Eubank seemed to have won it, and then Benn came on like a storm with a handful of big power shots to end the round. Perhaps the most just thing to do is make the round 10-10. Then take the point, making it 10-9 for Eubank. -LP Eubank starting to utilize his size and strength advantages, Benn receives point deduction on 3rd warning for low blows. Strong finish to the round by Benn to even it up. -MC Benn has a point deducted for low blows, although his head was being pushed down when he threw this particular one. A Eubank left hook gets Benn's attention, then Benn gets pushed through the ropes. Benn rallies near the end but it's a 10-8 Eubank round. -MN Eubank regains his form and gets back control with his quicker hands and sharp combos. Benn loses a point that may be costly. -BM Eubank tries to build on round five but Benn gets the better of him after landing more shots than Eubank. Benn’s deducted a point for a low blow. Benn’s round but point deduction makes it even. -DO With Benn starting to conserve energy Eubank seems uncertain in pursuit and out of ideas. -MC Eubank’s looking more and more uncomfortable trying to be the aggressor. Benn lands more punches and the cleaner punches. -DO Benn is far more active than Eubank in the 7th. He lands a few solid rights and continues to chip away at Eubank's rib cage. Benn round. -MN Benn's ripping the body with hard uppercuts and mixing in right hands to the head. Eubank is missing a lot. He's also been constantly holding on the inside. Benn round. -MN Benn working the entire 3 minutes coming forward throwing leather. Short right hand staggers Eubank. Chris missing more and more each round and looks like the pressure is bothering him. -BM A big round for Benn. Eubank doesn’t really land anything of note whilst Benn catches him clean with some well timed shots. -DO Benn's body work and activity inside is what's separating the two men at this point. Little "crafty" moment by Eubank when he tried to touch gloves and catch Benn with a right hand. He missed and ended up getting nailed with a left hook. A Eubank right hand might have stunned Nigel near the end of the round, but Benn's doing the more consistent work. -MN Another round for Benn, who landed the only hard punches in the round. Eubank can't find the mark because of some slippery head and upper body movement. -LP A left hook hurts Eubank and a follow-up barrage has him stumbling a little. He comes back with a short uppercut on the inside, but no damage done. Every time he gets something done, he's getting hit right back with something heavier. Benn's round for sure. -LP A huge Benn left hook hurt Eubank. Eubank got his legs back under him quickly, but was still being outworked. He also received a body shot late that he didn't like too much. - MN Benn visibly tiring, less sturdy on his feet and much less force behind his punches. Eubank not fully taking advantage, but producing more offense. -MC Eubank tightened up his punches in the 11th and started to use his jab again. His best round in awhile. -BM Both fighters tiring but it’s Benn who lands the more telling blows. Eubank tries to up the pace but lands very little. -DO Eubank is doing most of the work, but missing an awful lot. A short right inside may have been the best punch of the first half and it was Benn's. Very hard round to score. Eubank fought like he wanted it, but was hit with some hard punches that were easier to see. I'm going to be careful not to give him a sympathy round. I'm giving it to Benn on harder punches. -LP Eubank is wobbled by a storm of shots on the ropes, but survives. Chris will not be denied. He's fighting his ass off and has landed a few sweet ones, perhaps taking the round back. You have to give it to Eubank for working as hard as he did, especially late. -LP Benn starts the round the better but a desperate looking Eubank finishes strongly to just edge the round. -DO Benn started strong and almost floored Eubank. Then Chris came back and took the round with sharp combination punching. He had been hurt on the ropes but couldn't put him away. -BM Benn comes out and lands two hard punches, then takes advantage of Eubank slipping to land another hard shot. Eubank comes back, throwing far more punches than Nigel but Benn's shots are cleaner. Eubank has a good moment late where he threw a flurry with Benn on the ropes. Benn's earlier work was more definitive so I gave him the final round. -MN Final Scores The Official Judges Scores Harry Gibbs: 115-113 Eubank Chuck Hassett: 114-114 Draw Carol Castellano: 115-113 Benn The Boxing Bulletin Judges Scores Matt Chudley: 116-113 Benn Dave Oakes: *116-111 Benn Michael Nelson: 115-113 Benn Lee Payton: 115-113 Benn Brian McCarraher: 114-114 Draw *scored the 6th for Benn making it an even round, 9-9 instead of the 10-10 score indicated on the scorecard graphics The Boxing Bulletin Official Scorecard R1: Eubank R2: Benn R3: Even R4: Benn R5: Benn R6: Eubank R7: Benn R8: Benn R9: Benn R10: Benn R11: Eubank R12: Eubank Total: 7-4-1 Benn Average Score: 115-113 for Nigel Benn Benn swept rounds 4, 7, 8, 9 & 10 on all 5 Bulletin cards. Eubank didn't take a single round on all 5 Bulletin cards, although he did win rounds 5, 6 and 12 on 4 of our scorecards. The Independant (October 12, 1993): “The cards illustrate the subjective nature of the judging with the three officials agreeing on only four of the 12 rounds, the first (Eubank), the fourth (Benn), the 10th (Benn) and the final round, which many observers felt had gone to Eubank but the judges awarded to Benn. Castellano was alone in deciding that Benn had won the final six rounds. The scoring also shows that on only two occasions did one of the judges score a round even, and the rest were all 10-9.” Closing Thoughts "I was hard done by. I was ripped off. Even accounting for the deducted point, I thought I won by three rounds." - Nigel Benn I had it 115-113 for Benn, but could have easily scored the 11th for Eubank. That would have made it a draw on my card. Michael Nelson also had Benn up by 2 rounds, but was the lone Bulletin judge to score the 12th for Benn. Dave Oakes and Matt Chudley had Benn in front with a little separation. Brian McCarraher was in line with the official judges with his even card, but felt that Benn was the better fighter. How did you score it? Was Nigel robbed of his revenge? Did Eubank close strongly enough to warrant the even verdict?

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The Boxing Bulletin Pound For Pound Top 15

It's time again for The Boxing Bulletin to update our pound for pound list.

There have been some significant changes to the our top 15 since last time, although as expected, Manny Pacquaio remains #1. The new junior-welterweight champion solidified his lofty status with his brutal demolition of our previous #14 ranked fighter, Ricky Hatton.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

Have a look...

Since the publication of our previous list on March 2nd, we've added two new members to The Boxing Bulletin P4P panel - our new British Scene writers, Dave Oakes and Matt Chudley. With two new lists being submitted, there was a little more volatility to our rankings than would normally be expected over a two month period.

1. Manny Pacquiao (KO 2 over Ricky Hatton - May 2) The Pac-Man continues to amaze. His recent blowout of Ricky Hatton not only keeps his place on the top of this list, but it makes you realize just how special he really is. The scary part is, the new Jr. Welterweight Champion still in his prime. 2. Juan Manuel Marquez (vs Floyd Mayweather - July 18) Every time Pacquiao does something out of this world, Marquez looks even more brilliant. Though he doesn't hold an official victory over Manny, there was little to choose between the two over 2 fights. Next is the former #1 P4P fighter, Floyd Mayweather. 3. Bernard Hopkins Bernard Hopkins just refuses to go away. The wily predator isn't what he was in his prime, but he's still got enough fight in him to spoil anyone's plans. Rumors of a showdown with Carl Froch have been floating round, and with a win, Hopkins could add a Super Middleweight belt to his collection. 4. Shane Mosley (up 2) This might be blasphemous to some, but Sugar Shane looked like the older Middleweight version of Sugar Ray Robinson against Antonio Margarito in January. While the win raised him to #4 on our list, it probably made it a little harder to find an opponent. 5. Paul Williams (up 2, UD 12 over Winky Wright - April 11) Everyone is talking about Williams as the next big thing after his shutout win over Winky Wright. He seems to have it all. Speed, effortless combinations, high work-rate, some slick moves, solid chin, and most importantly, a real fighter's mentality, make Williams a formidable opponent for anyone from 147-168. 6. Ivan Calderon (up 2, vs Rodel Mayol - June 13) "Iron Boy" is classic "hit and don't get hit". The diminutive defensive genius from Puerto Rico beats opponents with smart feet as much as with quick, accurate hands. 7. Vic Darchinyan (up 4, vs Joseph Agbeko - July 11) Darchinyan is a unique offensive machine. His sledgehammer left hand comes from his ankles and when it lands flush, the results are devastating. He is scheduled to make his Bantamweight debut against a very tough assignment in "King Kong" Agbeko in July. 8. Chad Dawson (up 2, vs Antonio Tarver - May 9) "Bad Chad" has all the athleticism a top fighter needs to go with an impressive maturity and patience that makes him a very difficult guy to keep up with. The rematch with Tarver will do nothing for his standing, but it's the first time an HBO audience will get a chance to see the man who many feel is the future of P4P. 9. Miguel Cotto (vs Joshua Clottey - June 13) Cotto's life has been in disarray since he was beaten by Antonio Margarito last year. He recently split with his uncle and trainer, and it seems like he would like to be the man calling the shots in his career. We'll see how that works out against Joshua Clottey in June. 10. Nonito Donaire (up 3, TKO 4 over Raul Martinez - April 9) It's almost like Donaire came out of nowhere to shut Darchinyan's mouth with a nasty one punch KO in 2007. Since then he has knocked out 3 credible fighters, but Vic was able to leap ahead on this list with his knockout of highly rated Christian Mijares. Unfortunately, a rematch seems unlikely at this point, but if Nonito keeps winning, he won't need it. 11. Fernando Montiel (up 1, vs Eric Morel - June 27) Montiel is here based mostly on his promise and a shocking stoppage of respected Martin Castillo last year. He's recently move up to Bantamweight in search of another big fight. 12. Juan Manuel Lopez (NEW, TKO 10 over Gerry Penalosa - April 25) Lopez has been on a tear. Before stopping Gerry Penalosa, many had questions about the dynamic youngster from Puerto Rico. Not because he was struggling, he just wasn't giving us much to look at while blowing opponents away. Now we know he can really put his foot on the gas when he needs to. This is no front-runner. 13. Mikkel Kessler (up 2) Kessler is still seen as the top Super Middleweight in the world, but hasn't had an opportunity to show it lately. His career is currently completely stalled because of some managerial disputes. A true shame because 168 is completely loaded with good fighters. 14. Glen Johnson (NEW) "The Road Warrior" still can't find a fight. We're giving the former Light Heavyweight Champion a little P4P credit for pushing Dawson to the limit. Many feel he won that fight, but he's used to that. A deal with Cruiserweight King, Tomasz Adamek was in the works, but has since fallen apart because of the TV networks. It's infuriating as a fan. 15. Celestino Caballero (NEW, SD over Jeffrey Mhatabula - April 30) Caballero is one of those physical freaks of nature who enjoys a significant height and reach advantage over all of his opponents at 122 lbs. He's also a bit of an enigma in that he can sparkle one moment and look very average the next. A move up to Featherweight is likely, as he recently expressed his difficulty making weight. At his best, he's something of a nightmare. Just missing the cut... David Haye, Kelly Pavlik, Hosumi Hasagawa, Arthur Abraham & Lucian Bute Also receiving votes... Ricky Hatton (previously #14), Joan Guzman, Juan Diaz, Chris John & Carl Froch Dropped out due to inactivity... Israel Vasquez (previously #4) & Rafael Marquez (previously #5) To make our top 15, a fighter must have had at least 1 bout during the previous 12 months.

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British Scene Weekend Recap

Along with giving his thoughts on Ricky Hatton's devastating loss at the hands of Manny Pacquaio, Dave Oakes recaps this past Saturday night's Sunderland show that featured world title aspirants, Jamie Moore and Rendall Munroe.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

Saturday May 2 Hatton Overview and British Undercard By Dave Oakes Many people may feel that Saturday night was a bad day for British boxing, but there were some positive signs shown on the Sunderland card that made up the PPV on British television. Two of Britain’s potential world champions came through title fights with ease and will be hoping to be in the next wave of champs now that the Calzaghe, Hatton and Woods era seems over. And yes, the Hatton era is most certainly over. Whilst taking nothing away from the breathtaking performance by Manny Pacquiao, Hatton doesn’t look like the same fighter he was years ago. Don’t misunderstand me, Pacquiao is and always will be a greater fighter than Hatton, that’s beyond question, but I believe Hatton’s career has been in decline ever since the Tszyu fight and maybe even before it. It may seem easy for me to say that after the fight, but I believe the Hatton that fought Kostya Tszyu would’ve been able to take the punches that knocked him down in the first round. The punch that levelled him in the second would still have done so, but that monstrous left hand was good enough to knock out any light-welterweight in the world. I believe the many years of Hatton not living the life of a boxer have finally caught up with him. You can’t put 50lbs on between fights and not expect it to come back to haunt you. His punch resistance has gone, and with a defence as poor as Hatton’s, that can be a dangerous thing. It must be said that Hatton wasn’t helped one bit by Floyd Mayweather Snr, whose petulance and unprofessional approach in the build up and on fight night itself was nothing less than disgraceful. It’s been well reported that Mayweather Snr was late numerous times for training sessions but I don’t think many people would’ve expected him to do that on Saturday night. He did, and then barely said a word to anyone in Hatton’s team all night. It was Mayweather’s assistant, Lee Beard, that prepared Hatton in the dressing room. Mayweather turned up just before the ring walk and kept his distance during the introductions. When he did speak, it was less than ten words in between the first and second rounds. He seemed to be more intent on proving some childish point to Hatton rather than helping him or at least acting in the professional manner that nearly every other trainer in boxing would have. The most disgusting aspect of the whole night was when Hatton was laying on his back having been poleaxed by Pacquiao; Mayweather didn’t seem at all bothered and completely ignored Hatton. It’s the responsibility of the trainer, as well as the referee, to help the boxer when he’s in need of medical attention. You get in the ring as fast as possible and get the boxer on his side to stop him swallowing his tongue. You don’t hang around at the edge of the ring posing for the cameras and trying to do as many interviews as possible. Mayweather should have his licence revoked for such a scandalous and dangerous display of incompetence. He seems to enjoy dismissing Freddie Roach’s credentials as a trainer but there was only one winner between the pair on Saturday night, even if Hatton had won, Roach would still be the better trainer and the better man. Mayweather’s earned a lot of money in his career but he just goes to show that the old saying is right – money can’t buy you class. If Hatton does continue, Mayweather will undoubtedly be sacked. Personally, I think Hatton should call it a day; he’s got nothing left to prove, has a lot of money in bank and has a great family to enjoy. He would still be competitive against all of the light-welterweight’s bar Pacquiao, but the way he responded to the knockout on Saturday was worrying and was a sharp reminder as to how dangerous boxing can be. Most people in the trade believe it’s time for Hatton to retire, including Freddie Roach, who spoke honestly about his own decision to fight on longer than he should’ve done and the effects he believes it has had on him. That’s called class, something Hatton, Pacquiao and Roach will always have no matter where their futures takes them, Mayweather Snr on the other hand, will always be viewed as the lowest form of humankind in many peoples eyes. Whilst Hatton’s career looks to be near the end, Manny Pacquiao’s just keeps getting better and better. I think all boxing fans should enjoy watching him whilst they can, you don’t get to see many fighters like Manny Pacquiao in your lifetime. He’s done everything needed to be classed as a legendary fighter; he’s gone through the weight divisions, he’s fought the best opponents he could face, he’s entertaining, has improved his technique ten fold since he started, and above all else, done it in a respectful and professional manner that makes him a great role model for young kids and a great ambassador for boxing. Hatton Undercard – The British Leg Jamie Moore made a successful defence of his European light-middleweight title by blowing away Roman Dzuman in two one-sided rounds. Moore started aggressively, pounding Dzuman with hard hooks to the body. His work on the inside was very intelligently done; he was switching from his usual southpaw stance to orthodox at times and was repeatedly catching Dzuman with the left hook thrown from that stance. The end came in the second round when Moore caught Dzuman with two crisp straight lefts followed by a vicious left hook under the ribcage. Dzuman went down heavily and did well to get back on his feet. It was only delaying the inevitable though and he was over from the same shot again seconds later and was counted out whilst he was on his knees trying desperately to catch his breath. Moore moves to 32-3 and is looking far too good for European level. His promoter, Frank Maloney, said he expects to make a major announcement within six months about a world title opportunity. I think Moore would stand a very good chance of beating any of the current champions and should be aiming for the ageing Vernon Forrest as soon as possible. In the joint headline slot, Rendall Munroe added the Commonwealth belt to his European belt after he was taken the distance by the strong and determined Isaac Nettey. Munroe made a slow start to the fight but was controlling Nettey with his jab. Nettey was trying to stand and trade with Munroe throughout the first six rounds and occasionally landed a heavy looking overhand right; Munroe still remained in control though and was beginning wear Nettey down with some neat body work. In the seventh it looked as though Munroe might me able to stop a tiring Nettey late on, but the brave Ghanaian battled his way through the last six rounds and even found the energy for a late burst of aggression in the eleventh. There were no doubts who had won, with the judges scoring the bout 120-109 and 119-110 twice in favour of Munroe. Munroe has been very busy in the past twelve months and should take a short break from boxing to help recharge his batteries before making another defence of his European belt in September. On the undercard… Danny Williams retained his British heavyweight title after a split decision victory over John McDermott in a predictably tedious affair. Williams won the first six rounds behind a sloppy jab with McDermott barely throwing a punch., McDermott put more effort into the fight in the last few rounds but it was too little too late. Both fighters were deducted a point during the fight, McDermott for use of the elbow in the third, whilst Williams was harshly deducted a point in the sixth for holding, I agree with the referee that he was holding but having just sat through six rounds of McDermott doing the exact same thing, it seemed to me that the referee was rather too keen on evening things up. Two of the judges scored the fight 116-111 in favour of Williams, whilst the third judge had McDermott winning 115-113. I was in agreement with the score of 116-111 to Williams. Olympic hero Tony Jeffries made his hometown debut a night to remember by demolishing hapless Roy Meissner inside two rounds. Jeffries received a massive ovation during his ring walk and looks like becoming a major ticket seller on the British scene. He came out all guns blazing and had Meissner badly hurt from a clubbing left hook within twenty seconds. He kept blazing away until a big right hook to the side of the head sent Meissner sprawling across the canvass barely a minute in, which the referee bizarrely ruled as a slip. Meissner got to his feet but was put back on the seat of his pants seconds later when he was caught with another overhand right. He dragged himself up yet again but was dropped heavily with a hurtful right hook to the body moments after. He managed to make it to the bell but should’ve been pulled out by his corner, they didn’t seem to think that way though and deemed him fit enough to come out for the second round. The end came seconds into the round when the referee waved it off with Jeffries using Meissner as a walking punch bag. In a crossroads fight, Sam Webb edged out Thomas McDonagh 96-95 to record the win of his career. Webb was the busier fighter and took advantage of McDonagh’s lackadaisical approach to boxing to outpoint the more experienced man. Webb will now be looking towards a British title fight sometime in the future. e-mail Dave Oakes

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Manny Pacquiao Has Reached Rarefied Air

Michael Nelson reflects on last night's spectacular performance by Manny Pacquaio.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

One of the best indicators of how great a fighter is pertains to how often he exceeds everyone's expectations.

There's no longer any doubt that Manny Pacquaio is an all-time great.

Nobody expected the Filipino sensation to dominate and knock out Marco Antonio Barrera in November of 2003. Not many expected him to knock out Erik Morales in their rematch in January 2006. Few people expected a knock out of Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008. And virtually no one expected him to blast out Ricky Hatton within two rounds Saturday night.

That's what makes him special.

The pundits that tabbed him to win expected him to control the fight with his left hand. But it was his blindingly quick right hook that befuddled Hatton in the early going. Showing exceptional timing, it seemed that Pacquiao knew what Hatton was going to do before Hatton made his move. He made it clear that he was of a different class when he dropped Hatton to all fours with a right hook in the first stanza, and dropped him again with his patented straight left at the end of the round. The message was definitive. Despite the hype, this fight would not be competitive.

Corralling Ricky with his hand speed and footwork in the second round, Pacquiao threw a devastating overhand left within the final ten seconds that rendered Hatton completely unconscious. Referee Kenny Bayless didn't bother with a full count, and Manny once again proved himself to be the number one pound for pound fighter in the world.

To some, he has reached a stratosphere where it's hard to imagine anyone around his weight class beating him, even Floyd Mayweather or Juan Manuel Marquez. Others believe that Pacquiao is the same boxer he's been for years and that Ricky Hatton was simply an overrated fighter who benefited greatly from a few good wins and a rabid fan base.

I think the answer is somewhere in the middle. While Hatton's foot speed, stamina, and determined combination punching makes him an explosive offensive fighter, he was never elite defensively. Fighters like Mayweather and Marquez possess the ring IQ, pinpoint counter punching skills, and defensive abilities to present a far more difficult level of problems for Manny. They're simply cut from a different cloth than someone as predictable as Ricky.

But Pacquiao - even entering his 13th year as a professional boxer, even elevating into different weight classes seemingly every year- continues to improve. His ceiling is unclear, and his potential extends beyond the foreseeable horizon.

We're witnessing a special talent that comes around every few decades. Undoubtedly, within the next months, boxing fans will deconstruct and reconstruct what lies in Manny Pacquiao's future. For now, let's just enjoy history.

e-mail Michael Nelson
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Live Ricky Hatton vs Manny Pacquiao Blog

Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of the much anticipated mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton.

If you joined us last week for our live blog of the Froch/Taylor & Lopez/Penalosa fights, we appreciate you coming back. If this is your first time with us (it's only our second time doing this) then thanks for checking us out, and we hope you enjoy our coverage.

Coverage will start at 9 PM EST. Please refresh this page often, as I'll be doing regular updates throughout the undercard fights and will update the main event after each round. If you're here early, please check out some of our preview stories on tonight's fight, along with analysis from last weekend's big fights, and if you're a British fan, please click the image to the right to check out our weekly previews and recaps of all the action from UK rings. Ricky Hatton's Second Chance by Dave Crellin Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton Preview by Jeff Pryor Carl Froch and the Fun at 168 by Lee Payton JuanMa Keeps Getting Better by Michael Nelson

9:04...The show is underway. The first fight fight of the night is Erislandy Lara vs Chris Gray. Both fighters have rehydrated to 162 pounds. Michael Buffer is doing the intros. 9:07... Larry Merchant just mentioned that Lara got married yesterday. The HBO crew is singing Lara's praises. Steward says he has a very good professional style. 9:08... Steward says that Lara is always in a position to execute, and never over-extends himself and leaves openings when he punches. 9:11... Lara had things mostly his way in the first round. Gray backed up, while Lara followed. The Cuban managed to get several punches through Gray's guard, but Gray managed to escape the round mostly unscathed. 9:12... Steward praises Gray for making an attempt to fight considering how overmatched he is. Lara's stalking and mixing up his punches nicely. "Gray does not know what to expect," says Steward. 9:13... Steward just said that some of the top middleweights in the world including Kelly Pavlik would have problems with Lara. 9:14... Another round in the books. Pretty much all Lara. 9:15... Lampley asks Steward about his remark that Lara could give any middleweight in the world problems, "Even Paul Williams?" "Yes." 9:16... I should mention that Steward is talking about a "short fight". 9:17... With a chuckle, Larry pokes a bit of fun at Steward's excessive praise of Lara, "Are you sure you didn't get him to defect?" 9:18... Round 3 in the books. All Lara. 9:22... Round 4... More of the same. Harold has it 40-36. Not a big surprise. "4 very decisive 10-9 rounds." 9:24... All 3 judges have it a shut-out, and Lampley is now rattling off compubox numbers. 9:26... Hatton is chatting away with Oscar while he warms up in his dressing room. 9:27... According to Larry, yesterday's weigh-in was so packed that 5,000 people were turned away. 9:28... Next up is Matvey Korobov vs Anthony Bartinelli. Korobov has rehydrated to 170, while Bartinelli is 166 tonight. 9:29... Fight is about to get started. Buffer has finished with the intros. 9:30... Steward and Lampley comment on the pro-style we're now seeing from countries that used to focus mainly on the amateur game. 9:31... I should mention that Korobov is a southpaw. 1 minute into the round, and he's having things all his own way. 9:34... Not surprisingly, Korobov is tagging Bartinelli at will. Bartinelli's mouthguard just went flying after getting caught on the button with a right hook. It happened with about 15 seconds left in the round. I have a feeling this isn't going the full 4 rounds. 9:34... Steward estimates the mouth-guard flew about 30 feet. 9:35... Korobov's corner told him to work the body this round. 9:37.... Referee Robert Byrd stops this one with about a minute left in the second round. Bartinelli was just getting tagged at will. He was put down early in the round with a straight left on the button, but got up for more punishment. Korobov was very patient about putting the finishing touches on. He mixed in some nice body work, before forcing Bartinelli into the corner, where after a barrage of power shots, Byrd jumped in. 9:39... Official time is 2:15 of round 2. Matt Korobov moves to 5-0, all 5 coming by stoppage. 9:42... As impressive as Lara and Korobov are, I got to say that I would rather see some well matched action fighters on the undercard. These opening two bouts were about as exiting as casual sparring sesssions. There are a lot of second tier fighters that could provide good entertainment for a reasonable price, and I think giving them some airtime on a night like this would be better entertainment. 9:45... Lampley is interviewing Ann Wolfe regarding the James Kirkland situation. Ann's disappointed in Kirkland, but she's sticking by her fighter and says she hopes he gets the opportunity to keep going with the work they've been doing. 9:46... Next up is Daniel Jacobs vs Michael Walker. Both fighters have rehydrated to 169 pounds. 9:50... Jacobs-Walker is underway, and Lampley informs us that Jacobs is a budding chef. 9:51... Lampley informs us that Jacobs sometimes switches to southpaw and has power in both hands. Larry just asked Steward how Korobov would do against Lara, and Steward says he likes Korobov a little bit better. 9:53... Jacobs came on strong at the end of the first round, and had Walker covering up along the ropes. 9:56... Steward comments the most effective punch for Jacobs has been the left hook to the body. Steward comments that while Walker's skill level isn't that high, he's very determined. He's standing in and trading with Jacobs and trying to make the most of his chance tonight. 10:00... Walker just threw Jacobs to the canvas, dislodging Jacobs' protective cup, and we've got a time-out while Jacobs is getting fixed up. 10:02... Walker is giving a spirited effort here and really making Jacobs work hard. Early in the round, he managed to force Jacobs into the corner and landed a looping right hand, although Jacobs turned the tables by spinning out of trouble and tagging Walker with several shots in the same corner. 10:02... Harold has it 3-0 for Jacobs... "Beautiful ring generalship." - Harold 10:03... Steward comments that Walker is starting to walk through some of Jacobs shots and is becoming more effective. 10:06... Walker is bulling forward, backing Jacobs up. A nice combo from Walker seem to make Jacobs rethink his approach, as he became more patient, looking to pick his spots the rest of the round. Jacobs has been landing some very nice body shots. He's also had a lot of success finishing up to the body after flurrying upstairs. 10:10... Steward comments on the differntial in size here. Jacobs is about 6 inches taller. There was just an accidental clash of heads, but thankfully no damage done, although Walker got the worst of it. Jacobs is doing a good job firing off combos and moving. Walker is undeterred and keeps pushing forward and Lampley comments that Walker has really earned Jacobs respect, although Jacobs is winning all the round. 10:11... Harold has it 5-0. 10:13... 6 rounds now in the book. I think Jacobs is looking a bit tired, but he's got this well in control. He's jabbing and moving, and then throwing in the occasional flurry, but not with much on it. He seems content to be just scoring points here. 10:16... Not much happening here. Larry and Steward are debating whether or not Jacobs is a puncher. 10:17... Steward is enthusiastic with his praise of Jacobs, although not quite to the level that he raved about Lara and Korobov. 10:20... "Jacobs trains in Coney Island and looks like he's not going to be a day about the beach for anyone for some time." - Larry (not that you had to ask). 10:22... That's it. Harold has it 8-0. That's what all 3 judges will have it too. Walker never stopped coming forward and gave a good effort, but he was just outclassed. Jacobs boxed nicely, and picked his spots well. Steward comments on how well he switches from jabbing to stopping and letting loose with a power shot. 10:24... Up next will be Humberto Soto vs Benoit Gaudet. 10:30... Soto weighs 141 tonight while Gaudet is only 137. 10:32... This one is underway. 10:35... Soto went right after Gaudet early and caught the Canadian with a left hook as he was moving backward that dropped him. Gaudet was up quickly and Larry and Steward say it was more of a balance knockdown. Larry says that Gaudet's plan is try and outbox Soto the way Guzman was able to. Gaudet is using the whole ring, jabbing and moving and changing directions. Steward had a feeling Gaudet won't be strong enough physically and mentally to cope with Soto down the stretch. 10:37... Soto is patiently stalking, while Gaudet is doing his best to stay on the move. 10:38... Steward comments that Gaudet has fast hands and is very swift on his feet and Soto is going to have to really step it up and put more pressure. 10:39... Two rounds in the books. Steward feels that Soto will step things up as he realizes that Gaudet can't hurt him. 10:40... Soto's corner is telling him that he's got to chase Gaudet down. 10:40... 2-0, 20-17 on Harold's card for Soto. 10:41... Gaudet is moving left, then moving right. He's doing a good job of not letting Soto load up, but he's not offering too much offense. 10:43... Round 3 in the books. Soto stepped up the pressure and managed to close the gap on several occasions. He landed some decent right hands in the process. Gaudet had a few moments as well, catching Soto with a couple right hands. 10:45... "Benoit Gaudet has some good skills, there's no doubt about it, but he doesn't pack a punch." - Harold 10:46... Gaudet is hanging in there. He's always fighting in reverse, but he's stopped and landed his right hand a few times. 10:47... 4 rounds complete. Soto constantly moving forward, Guadet going side to side, jabbing and throwing the occasional right hand while trying to slip shots and tie Soto up. Not thrilling to watch. 10:48... Harold gave round 4 to Gaudet. 10:49... Lampley comments that Soto has been unable to land his left hook to the body so far. 10:50... "I don't know what happened, but something happened to Soto in the early part of this round. I don't know if it was an injury, but he looks uncomfortable." - Steward 10:51... Soto closed the round strong, although it wasn't a great round for him until the last 40 or so seconds. 10:52... Harold has it 49-45 after 5. 10:53... Steward comments that Gaudet is looking comfortable. No word on whether or not anything's wrong with Soto. Steward might have been reaching with that one. 10:55... This is not tremendously entertaining, but it's competitive. 10:56... Harold gave round 6 to Gaudet. He's got it 4-2, but a 3 pound gap in total because of the early knockdown. 10:57... Accidental clash of heads to start round 7, but no damage done. 10:58... Gaudet is keeping out of range, and picking his spots effectively early in the round. Soto is following, but he's just not doing too much. Yikes. Gaudet just caught Soto VERY low and down goes Humberto, and we'll have a bit of break here. 10:59... Jay Nady won't be taking a point. Soto takes about a minute, and we're underway again. 11:00... Soto with a burst of aggression with about 40 seconds left in the round, but Gaudet takes it nicely and slips out of trouble. 11:00... Soto's corner is telling him to finish to the body and work the uppercuts inside. "You're not going to rip off his head, work the body, work the sides!" 11:01... Harold gave the 7th to Soto. 11:03... Lampley comments on how Gaudet has made a bigger commitment to the body than Soto, and Steward comments on how well Gaudet has taken Soto's power shots when they've landed. 11:04... Soto landed a very nice right hand with about 7 or 8 seconds left in the round, but Gaudet took it very well. Over the last minute or so of the round, Soto wasn't fighting with much fire at all and there are moments now, where he's backing away. 11:05... Harold gave the 8th to Soto. He's got it 78-73. 11:06... Soto's sitting back again here to start the round. Looks like he wants Gaudet to open up and come to him a bit, which he's doing a bit, but there's not really a whole lot happening. Just as I said that, Soto catches Gaudet with a big uppercut and sends him down. He's up, and trying to hold on. 45 seconds left in the round. 11:07... Soto lands a hard right hand, and another clean shots sends Gaudet down and Nady stops it immediately. Gaudet opens his arms up in protest, but that's it. 11:08... The uppercut that hurt Gaudet was a nice clean right hand. Landed flush and sent Gaudet toppling backwards. 11:10... Soto finished matters with a right hand that sent Gaudet into the ropes and to the canvas. The official time 2:25 of round 9. 11:13... The main-event is next. HBO is showing some gym highlights to hype it. 11:15... For those watching on TV that are following along with the live blog, feel free to throw out your scores for the main-event in the comments down below. 11:18... I'll use this downtime to complain for a moment at HBO not picking up the Glen Johnson - Tomasz Adamek fight. WHY!? Guaranteed classic! Yeah, yeah, budget reasons. Screw that. This would have been epic, and now we're not going to see it! 11:20... The anthems have just started, so I think we're still at least another 10-15 minutes from seeing the fighters enter the arena. 11:25... Hatton is 152 tonight, while Pacquiao is 148. 11:27... Hatton is about to enter. He's elected to come out first because according to what he told Larry Merchant, he's the challenger tonight fighting for the P4P title. Not sure I agree with Ricky there, but that's his reason. 11:28... Hatton is now in the ring. By the way, in case you're wondering, he's not wearing the "Fatton" suit that he entered the ring for last time against Malignaggi. 11:29... Pacquiao is about to make his way in. 11:32... Pacquiao is now in the ring. Michael Buffer with the intros. 11:33... Kenny Bayliss is the man in charge. 11:34... From Manchester England, the 3 time world champion, etc, etc... Ricky Hitman Hatton. 11:35... From the Philippines, the 5 time world champion, currently recognized as the P4P #1 fighter in the world, Manny Pacman Pacquiao. 11:36... They are face to face in the middle of the ring receiving their final instructions. 11:37... "They are warrior kings with armies of fans that follow them to the battle, but now they will be alone in the battle." - Larry 11:37... Hatton immediately comes forward and tries to get inside. Manny with the first good punch, a right hook that lands clean, and now they clinch. 11:38... Pac manages to tie Hatton up and Ricky roughs him up in the clinch. Manny with a couple nice right hooks. Hatton comes forward and Manny slips under a hook. "Hatton's face is already red." - Larry. "Pacquiao's landed 3 significant right hooks already." - Lampley. Pac lands a nice straight right hand! 11:39... Down goes Hatton! 45 seconds left. He was caught with a clean conter. Pac with another hard right hand, and Hatton manages to tie him up along the ropes. Pac on the attack here. Another right hand. Hatton is in big trouble. Pac pouring it on. Down goes Hatton! He's up at the count of 8 as the first round ends!!!! 11:40... Here's[ the replay of the first knockdown. A right hook on the button as Hatton was coming forward. 11:41... Lampley is rattling off "utterly devastating" compubox numbers. 11:41... Hatton just landed a hard left hand and forced Pac backwards. They clinch. Hatton has his legs back here in the second round. 11:43... Pac with a hard left hand. Steward says that Hatton needs to smother Pac. Pac lands a nice clean right, and Hatton digs a low blow to Pac's hip and is warned for hitting and holding. Hatton is just walking into a lot of shots, but he manages to catch Manny with a left, but immediately Manny comes roaring back and backs Hatton off. 11:43... Lampley comments that Pac's got a little wild. Steward comments that Ricky needs to move his head, and as soon as he finishes saying that, Pacquiao catches Hatton with a HUGE shot and puts him down and out. This one is over. Hatton is completely out. 11:45... Hatton is being attended to by medical personal. He's now moving his head and is starting to come around. 11:45... The knockout blow was a huge left hand that landed flush. Hatton looked like he was out before he hit the canvas, and landed very hard. 11:46... That was absolutely devastating. 11:47... Hatton is sitting down on a stool. He's alert. 11:48... The official time 2:59 of round 2. 11:52... Larry is asking Pacquiao about Floyd. "If he beats Marquez, is that a fight you want?" "I can fight anybody." - Pac 11:53... Freddie Roach tells Larry that based on watching tapes of Hatton, he doesn't have the ability to adjust. 11:54... I'm not sure if we'll get a chance to hear from Hatton as that was a very rough finish. 11:56... Lampley just said that Hatton will not be interviewed. The camera is following Ricky as he walks from the arena to his dressing room. At least he's walking about okay so that's good news. 11:59... Thank you to everyone for stopping by and thanks to those that commented. Glad you enjoyed our coverage tonight and please tune in next time.

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Ricky Hatton vs Manny Pacquiao Predictions

Ricky Hatton. Manny Pacquaio. Tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Who's going to take it? The Boxing Bulletin writers make their picks.

Hatton should have his way inside, but he is going to have to fins his way past nukes to get there, and Manny isn't the type to just sit back and allow himself to be manhandled. Ricky will be faster and stronger than anyone Pacquiao has faced, but he has also beaten better. I've really tussled with my initial feelings on this one. I'm going with my gut. Ricky's ability to get inside quickly takes Pac by surprise and he builds an early lead. Manny fights back and the middle rounds are on even terms. Manny pours it on late and Hatton survives some major trouble in one of the final rounds to eek out a split decision. - Mark Lyons

I have the feeling Ricky will look better than ever and his speed, especially early, will be eye opening. As the fight goes on I believe that Pacquiao will do a better job of adjusting to Hatton, than Hatton will to Pacquiao. Over the course of the fight I think the newly honed boxing skills the Manchester grappler has been working on will begin to fall away as he finds it difficult to corral Manny. To me there are a lot of variables, and it's a toss up fight that either guy can win with a special performance, but that said I think Pacquiao's speed, movement and motor allows him to pull away and win a comfortable, but impressive and entertaining fight reminiscent of what Morales did to him in their first fight. - Jeff Pryor

The recent trend with Hatton against top-tier opposition is that he comes out guns blazing in the first three or four rounds, throwing vicious combinations to the body. As some point, his opponent starts making adjustments and begins touching him up. Hatton then becomes a guy who throws one or two punches and grabs, which works fine against someone who doesn't utilize fast feet. Pac's gotten very good in the last few years at taking a half-step back and countering a charging opponent with a right hook or short left hand. Diving in with single shots and grabbing won't work against him. I think Hatton has his moments in the first third of the fight, but it becomes a countdown to a stoppage win for Pac after that. I look for Pac to stop him in rounds 7-9. - Michael Nelson

I think this is a real 50-50 fight and a hard fight to pick. I’ve got a hunch that Hatton might be too strong on the inside for Pacquiao to cope with; Hatton is definitely the physically strongest fighter Pacquiao has fought. I envisage both fighters starting at a frantic pace and exchanging heavy shots early on. At some point during one these exchanges I think Hatton will hurt Pacquiao to the body and put him down. If Pacquiao gets up and starts fighting more intelligently then I think the fight will be mightily close come the final bell, but I believe that Pacquiao will try to fight his way out of trouble and will get caught again. I’ll go against all conventional wisdom and say Hatton wins inside six rounds. - Dave Oakes

First off, let me point out that I think Manny Pacquiao is the superior fighter. Stylistically, I think he creates a lot of issues for Hatton. The overall speed of the Pac-Man gives everyone hell. And Ricky is used to having the faster feet in there, but I think he's in against an athlete who can match him in that department. The southpaw stance seems to be another advantage for the Filipino star, given that Hatton seems to have trouble with them. Most left hookers tend to have a hard time finding the target upstairs. I think Hatton would be better served to jump in with his right hand lead and then work from the clinch. He does throw some very hard punches when he lets go, and he could land a hook to the liver that would change things around. If I'm going with what I think is the most likely scenario, I'll take Pac by hard-fought, but clear unanimous decision. He should be able to tag Hatton coming in here and there, but also, I don't see what the Brit can do if Manny decides to shoot forward with his speed. Manny Pacquiao should win, but when the stakes are this high, and when it comes down to ONE night, anything can happen. I am glad Kenny Bayless is handling things. Just hope that a clash of heads doesn't go a long way in deciding this one. Here's to a fair fight. Manny 9-3, 8-4, 8-4 with both men being stunned along the way. - Lee Payton

If Pacquaio can withstand Hatton's early assault, especially those hooks to the body, and still be fresh by the 6th or 7th round - which is no guarantee but I'm leaning 70/30 that he can - I think he'll win going away. - Andrew Fruman

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British Scene Weekend Preview

While American boxing fans will have to make do with a less than impressive undercard as they await this Saturday night's main event between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquaio, British fans will have a little more to look forward to.

Dave Oakes previews the full slate of bouts airing from Sunderland before Sky Box Office shifts its attention to the big show in Las Vegas.

Friday April 17 Hatton Undercard - The British Leg (SKY Box Office) By Dave Oakes Before the big fight starts in Vegas, there’ll be an opportunity for two of Britain’s most popular fighters to keep busy and increase their fan base on a jam-packed card from the Crowntree Leisure Centre, Sunderland, England. Jamie Moore makes the second defence of his European title against perennial letdown Roman Dzuman. Moore starts as the hot favourite against a fighter who hasn’t won in his last four fights and always seems to find a way of losing in the big fights. Dzuman, a natural welterweight, is looking more vulnerable these days up at light-middleweight having been stopped in his past two fights, including last time out when he was destroyed by Alexander Abraham in six one-sided rounds. Moore will be hoping for a similar outcome on Saturday night. He’ll be looking to put on a classy show of intelligent pressure boxing to impress the huge PPV numbers expected. I can see Dzuman trying his best in the first couple of rounds before accepting his fate and being stopped sometime between rounds four and six. Sharing top billing is European champion Rendall Munroe, who makes his PPV debut when he challenges for the Commonwealth super-bantamweight title against tough Ghanaian Isaac Nettey. Nettey is officially 3-2-1 (although it's safe to say he's had more bouts than that) in his career but can fight a bit and is as tough as old boots. Munroe is a fast improving boxer. He’s come back well from his only career defeat against Andy Morris three years ago, when he lost on points in a British title shot at featherweight. The move down to super-bantamweight proved to be the making of him; he’s massive for the weight, carries reasonable power in both hands and can trade inside as well as box on the outside. He’s closing in on a world title fight and has been calling out Bernard Dunne ever since the Irishman produced the performance of his career to stop Ricardo Cordoba last month. Munroe is unfortunate to be in one of the strongest divisions in boxing, it would have been much easier for him to win a world title if he’d been a natural featherweight. He may still be tempted to try his luck at 126lbs rather than take on the impressive trio of Israel Vasquez, Juan Manuel Lopez and Celestino Caballero. Nettey won’t be a threat to Munroe but he’ll make him work hard early on and will be as brave as a lion when Munroe starts to pick up the pace from the fourth round onwards. I think Munroe will be too big, too fast and far too good for Nettey to cope with for the full twelve rounds and will stop him around the eighth round. On the undercard… Danny Williams and John McDermott meet again in a rematch of their putrid twelve round sleep-inducing fight of last year. Williams prevailed last time by a controversial majority points decision and McDermott has been crying about it ever since. He will finally get the chance to avenge that decision, although I’m not too sure whether he will. It all depends on which Danny Williams turns up. If he turns up weighing less than 260lbs, then he has to be considered the favourite. If he wobbles in above 260lbs, then anything could happen. The only thing guaranteed is another tedious fight between two overweight boxers that will test the resolve of every fan watching. Olympic Bronze medallist Tony Jeffries makes his second outing in the paid ranks against a yet to be named opponent. Jeffries will be hoping for an impressive performance in front of his hometown fans. There are also two crossroads fights on the bill, with Thomas McDonagh taking on Sam Webb and Gary Woolcombe fighting Andrew Facey. The losers of those fights will have nowhere to go in their career, whilst the winners will be looking to take a step towards a British title fight. e-mail Dave Oakes

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Mark's Top 40 at 40: (12-10)

Mark Lyons is back with the latest installment of his top 40 list. For those not up to speed with Mark's list, he's turning 40 this year and is counting down his 40 favorite fighters in honor of that milestone.

Today, Mark's counting down numbers 12,11 and 10.

12. Earnie Shavers Career Record: 74-14-1 (68) Three Favorite Fights: Ken Norton KO1, Muhammad Ali LUD15, Larry Holmes LTKO11 Kill or be killed, show me a boring Shavers fight, I double dog dare you! The Roy Williams fight is the epitome of that. Completely out of gas and taking a pounding, Earnie was nearly dead in the corner, took a standing eight and roared back to stop Williams when he was so spent he could barely hold up his arms. That was Earnie in a nutshell, vulnerable and violently destructive all at once. He came along at the wrong time to wear the heavyweight crown. If only he was around today to drop a right hand missile on Wlad's chin. Want to know how that would turn out? Shavers KO1 The right hands he landed on Ali in the second round and on Holmes in the seventh round of the rematch are two of the hardest punches I have ever seen in my life. It's a testament to the toughness and brilliance of those fighters, that Shavers doesn't hold KO victories over two of the greatest fighters who ever lived. My first live fight was an aging Earnie against George Chaplin. As much as I love George, I was pulling for the Black Destroyer. Another first for me, was the quarter I won from my father on Shavers/Norton, my first bet. I'll also never forget Earnie's absolute wars with Mercado and Cobb when he was a shell of himself. You could count on two things in any Earnie Shavers fight - pain and excitement. Today's heavyweight division lacks the second and the only pain is enduring the man love on your television screen. Everyone wants another Ali, Tyson or Foreman to save the division. Give me another Shavers to knock these clowns out in brutal fashion and bring his shield into the ring, win or lose.

11. Michael Spinks Career Record: 31-1 (21) Three Favorite Fights: Larry Holmes II SD15, Yacqui Lopez TKO7, Marvin Johnson KO4 The 76 Olympics was my introduction into the addictive world of Boxing. And this was arguably the best fighter that games produced. Very few fighters in history accomplished as much in so few fights. The Spinks Jinx was always cocked behind his brilliant jab and it didn't take many of them to turn out your lights. Michael had every conceivable punch you could want. The left uppercut that starched Marvin johnson is something you wont see anytime soon. He came along at a time when the light heavyweight division was loaded with established bad asses and Michael handled them all. Qawi and Mustapha Muhammad were beaten easily as Spinks put his versatility on full display by completely out boxing both of them. Only Eddie Davis was able to run Michael as a light heavyweight and he honestly was deprived of one of histories biggest upsets by poor judging. When Michael moved up to heavyweight, he totally switched gears and started bouncing in and out from absurd angles. There was always a bit of awkwardness to his game, but he was pretty straight up at 175. While the initial and much deserved victory over Holmes was his crowning ring achievement, I prefer the rematch. Yes, the decision was controversial, but it was an excellent and overlooked fight. Holmes came out blazing and easily won the first 6 rounds, I gave him the next two closer and then Spinks grit his teeth, slapped his nuts on the ring floor and went to war with Larry Holmes. In my eyes, Michael won the last seven rounds and the fourteenth was sheer brilliance. This game is about more than winning and losing, and while Larry shaded that fight on my card, Spinks showed the guts and heart of an all time great. From there it was all pretty much icing on one hell of a boxing cake. I must mention the 85 out of 93 power shots he landed in less than 3 minutes while he completely dismantled Gerry Cooney. Compubox sucks and they talk about records, but smashing a man at near 100% connect rate over nearly 100 punches is nasty shit. At the end, his knees gave out and he got smoked by Tyson. It's a shame most people remember that Michael Spinks, because he would be hell on any light heavyweight in history. Moore, Foster, Charles, etc... the Spinks jinx is right there with all of them and he was a better fighter than Mike Tyson could ever dream of being.

10. Howard Davis, Jr. Career Record: 36-6-1 (14) Three favorite Fights: Vilomar Fernandez UD12, Meldrick Taylor D10 & Edwin Rosario LSD12 Howard was far from the most exciting fighter on my list, nor was he the most accomplished, but he was the guy a 7yr old boy was emulating when he made his dad throw on gloves and box with him during the 76 Olympics. I had the pleasure of meeting Howard a few years ago and he was as nice a guy as you could ever meet. He seemed genuinely touched and proud to talk to someone that loved him that much. He was the fastest fighter I have ever seen. People talk about blown potential and I think it was more of a fighter with the perfect amateur style who was rushed a bit in the pro's to obtain what seemed like inevitable stardom. Jim Watt was a tough guy. Not spectacular, but nobody was going to have an easy night with him. It's a lot to ask of a guy in his 14th fight to invade Scotland and take the belt from a grizzled veteran like Watt. Howard had the tools, but he just wasn't ready yet, and I think that result could have been different a few years later. Four years later, almost to the day, he was ready when he went to San Juan to face budding superstar Edwin Rosario. That was Howard's time and his finest moments in a professional ring. He was brilliant throughout, save for an early knockdown and a heart breaking last second knockdown that cost him his long awaited championship glory. To this day, that is one of my most depressing boxing memories. Everything was right there in his hands. I honestly think he deserved the decision anyway, but that knockdown made it closer than it needed to be. Rosario never hurt him and was befuddled for most of the night. Davis didn't have a punch or a particularly sturdy chin. But he had tremendous skills and talent. Enough to draw with Meldrick Taylor late in his career. In a pure boxing match, he could go with the best of them. He is this high from my childhood and from how important amateur boxing used to be. He never achieved professional glory, but he was the greatest fighter on one of the greatest Olympic teams in history. That has to be worth something.

If you haven't done so already, make sure to check out Mark's previous entries: Intro, 40-36, 35-31, 30-26, 25-21, 20-16, 15-13.

e-mail Mark Lyons
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Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton Preview

Jeff Pryor takes a look at this Saturday night's mega-fight between Filipino Manny Pacquaio and Britain's Ricky Hatton.

Photos © Ray Kasprowicz

The other day I was talking to a young Filipino woman, recently home from a visit to see her mother, who still lives among the islands of the Philippines. Inevitably I asked her if she was a fan of Manny Pacquiao, and inevitably she said she was, though not like her mother and everyone else who lives in the country. She didn't tell me anything you haven't heard before, mentioning how things shutdown when he fights and that no one is out and about. However, I perceived a reservation in her.

What I sensed, talking to this young lady, perhaps in her mid thirties, while she told me, in what would seem to be almost an understatement, that "he is almost like an icon there", was that she didn't entirely understand the phenomena of Pacquiao's massive appeal in her homeland. The reason, I would guess, is that she has been Americanized, for lack of a better term. Living in New York, and all it's diverse accouterments adds to you as a person, just as it strips away some of your personal regional or cultural identification.

To Filipinos, I believe that in addition to his affable personality and talents in the ring, Pacquiao embodies what is considered a model countryman. Religious, humble and hardworking, Pacquiao takes these attributes that most among the islands aspire to, and combines them with a hard luck story that so many there can relate to.

The parallel is that in boxing, Manny Pacquiao embodies what we as fans wish all our pugilistic stars were. Fast and flashy, powerful and explosive, a fighter through and through, but also someone who seems like a genuinely good guy you can root for.

Across the ring from him this Saturday night is a similar man, who like Pacquiao is emblematic of his U.K. compatriots. Blue collar, plain spoken and cheeky (in more ways than one if you caught the first episode of 24/7), you'd have no trouble envisioning Ricky Hatton atop a stool at a pub in Manchester easily chatting with anyone who happened to lighten the load alongside of him.

Inside the ring his toughness and tenacity, will and withering attacks, combined with his good humor make him another nice guy who fans can easily get behind.

The question becomes; if nice guys finish last, which of these two likable lugs will create some ill will in the ring?

Niceties aside, both gentleman do their business with a killer's attributes that bely their rosy personalities. Though he finds it somewhere under that boyish grin and quite spoken demeanor, Pacquiao's intensity and warrior attitude seems to come in the form of focus and slow burn ferocity.

Hatton seems to have genuine angst that he channels for his fights and the wisecracks and jokes die out like a an amateur night stand up routine as he enters the squared circle, grim and determined. Hatton like a caged beast, Pacquiao like a cagey hunter.

Each is a hurting machine.

Which machine is finely tuned and ready to spit out fire from bell to bell?...

As the song says, "There's only one Ricky Hatton", though he may wish there were a few more to help him try and corral the darting whirlwind that is Manny Pacquiao. The foot speed and movement of the Filipino, along with how Hatton adjusts to it, is probably the key to this matchup when all is said and done. Before we get into that I think the bouts that frame this matchup also provide a vital clue to which man is truly at the height of their game.

Last time we saw Ricky Hatton he was on his way to dominating Paulie Malignaggi in a largely uneventful bout which had Malignaggi's corner throwing in the towel after eleven one sided rounds. Hatton performed well and seemed to mix in a little more skill under the tutelage of Floyd Mayweather Sr.

Though the pride of Manchester seemed improved from his uninspiring and almost disasterous performance against Juan Lazacano earlier in the year, he also appeared to only have to deal with a diminished Malignaggi. This Malignaggi was one who threw markedly less punches than in his successful bouts, one who seemed too uptight to fight over the first half and content to survive down the home stretch. In short, a Paulie Malignaggi whose brief rise had already begun to be eclipsed by successive lackluster performances against Herman Ngoudjo, the rematch with Lovemore N'Dou and finally culminating in his listless performance against Ricky N'Hatton... er, Hatton. The question is, how much of the performance was a rejuvenated Ricky Hatton and how much was a dejuvenated Malignaggi (that's right, I just used a morphological pseudoword).

Last time we saw Manny Pacquaio in the ring he was on his way to dominating Oscar De La Hoya in a largely uneventful bout which had De La Hoya's corner throwing in the towel after eight one sided rounds. Pacquiao performed well and seemed to mix in a little more skill under the tutelage of Freddy Roach.

The real story was that thirty eight of Pacquio's then fifty two fights had been fought at a weight of 122lbs or lower and there he was fighting an A-lister at 147lbs. On that evening back in December Oscar had no answers for Pacquiao's withering onslaught, but, was it due to the questions Pacquio was posing or due to the inevitable slide that the Golden Boy has been staving off these last few years. Pacquiao looked every bit as amazing, as De La Hoya looked dead and drawn. So when dolling out credit, one is cautious in heaping it on Pacquiao too liberally. His last win over Marquez was ten pounds lighter and debatable, his victory over Diaz dominating, but assured and his win over De La Hoya was astounding, but augmented, by father time.

When the bell rings it's a fresh start for both. While the signposts of their earlier fights point the direction, neither will win or lose based on what's come before, only on what is in their paths on the night they are face to face, punch for punch.

I would expect Hatton and Pacquiao to provide freewheeling action early, but over the first several rounds, as Hatton realizes that Pacquiao's foot speed is his real barrier to winning, he will fall into the familiar Hitman pattern of jumping in with a punch or two and then clinching and grappling, looking to manhandle the presumed smaller man. As it happens Manny stands 5'6" to Ricky's 5'7", and enjoys a two inch reach advantage over the Brit. Contrary to conventional wisdom on this one, I'm not so sure size matters.

If Pacquiao's elite stretch at 126-147 has proven anything, it's that he is adaptable to master brawlers, master boxers, and everything in between, and I'd imagine that after a round or two of wrestling, Pacquiao will crank up the movement, and begin strafing Hatton as he comes in, elusively darting away after popping his foe in the beer chute.

While I think ultimately Pacquiao makes Hatton fight on his terms, no doubt Hatton will have his moments, and his toughness, grit and determination will offer him opportunities to change the fight, perhaps with a withering body attack.

I suspect there is a small weakness in Pacquiao, that like a fissure in a glacier, is easily bypassed in the grand scheme of things, and is rarely stumbled upon, but exists none the less, there waiting for the right set of circumstances to claim it's victim; it is a cap on his tolerance for pain. Early in his career he succumbed against lesser opponents, he writhed on the stool against Morales as they tended his gashed eye and when Barrera sucker punched him in the 11th round of their rematch, Pacquiao slumped against the ropes stunned and hurt as a point was taken from his opponent, small examples, but an opening nonetheless for the punishing punches of Ricky Hatton.

Each man has strengths and weaknesses that you could argue offset or set them apart. The long and short of it is this; 50-50 sounds about right.

A fog of vague uncertainty lingers over both fighters due to their previous opponents liabilities. The size differential hangs there too, as does the question of speed, both hand and foot. Whether Hatton's new trainer will make the brawler a boxing brutalizer or will Pacquiao's continual refinement raise him to a soaring new level.

In a fight with so many variables, unanswered questions and unknowable circumstances the only thing we can say for sure is that the intrigue for such a bout is enormous.

One of the best moments in any anticipated fight is that fleeting moment just after the opening bell sounds and the two men walk out to meet each other. In the viewer who has envisioned the matchup, speculated on it's outcome and imagined the best possibilities and promise of something to remember, there is a distinct feeling as this moment passes and the initial volleys are thrown; Finally... we shall know what this is, and who the better of the two will be proven to be.

It is in that moment that a fight passes forever more from what might be, to what is. By the end, the tally is rung up, our sports history logs another entry and for now the questions are answered.

Two nice guys, two proud nations and a thousand questions meet in the center of the ring Saturday night.

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