Doghouse Decides Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Ricky Hatton
Compiled by Benny Henderson Jr (Dec 8, 2007) Doghouse Boxing 
Tonight from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, live on HBO Pay Per View 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT, two undefeated ring warriors collide as the reigning pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. 38-0 (24) defends his WBC welterweight title against “The Hitman” Ricky Hatton 43-0 (31) in a scheduled twelve round 147-pound championship match-up.

Neither fighter has yet tasted defeat throughout their respected careers and both have plans on keeping their
unblemished record intact, will Mayweather dance his way to another victory or can Hatton grind out what would be the biggest win of his career? Tune in!

For now check out what the scribes here at the Doghouse had to say on the anticipated match-up, enjoy.

Ian Keogh
Mayweather by decision. Hatton will most certainly make this a tough fight but I feel he'll come up just a little short. Mayweather is a great technician and I fully expect him to box a safety first fight and look to land the more important blows. Not necessarily the harder blows but the ones that score points over and over. Hatton needs to get inside Mayweather and push him back. Hit whatever is available, arms, shoulders, chest etc. Hatton needs to remind Mayweather at every opportunity that this is a fight. It's easy to say it, let's see if he can do it. I say he can't. Mayweather by decision 116-112.

Matthew DeGonzaque
Ricky Hatton versus Floyd Mayweather. I've been waiting for this one since June 2005, back when Ricky Hatton retired Kostya Tszyu and Floyd Mayweather destroyed Arturo Gatti. Although now it’s two years later and a weight division higher than it should be, the fight is finally coming off. Mayweather is a slick boxer who is seemingly perfect in every area. Hatton is a tough fighter who relies on aggressive pressure, great cardio and body punching and is someone who isn’t afraid to get dirty to get the job done.
 
The last time Mayweather has fought someone like Hatton, it was Jose Luis Castillo. Castillo took Mayweather to the limit and most think the Mexican did enough to earn a victory over Floyd in their first fight. Since then, Floyd has mostly snacked on journeyman (Baldomir, Mitchell, N'dou, Sosa) and overmatched/over-the-hill opponents (De La Hoya, Gatti). Hatton is in his prime and will be the freshest opponent Floyd will have faced in years.

Most people think this is going to be an easy walk in the park for Floyd. They think Hatton is British Gatti; people who believe that are sadly mistaken. Hatton is worlds better than Gatti was when Thunder stepped up to fight Floyd in 2005. Its been along time since Floyd was in a fight, I think Hatton will be the guy to give Floyd a real fight.
 
It will be a close fight, but in the end Ricky Hatton will punch, push, wrestle, brawl, elbow and body punch his way to a split decision victory over the pound for pound king in a fight. On December 8th, Hatton is going to shock the world.

Nate Edwards
I feel that that early on it will be Ricky Hatton's fight he will put tons of pressure on Floyd and it will be a rocky road to start things off as far as Floyd adjusting. I expect Floyd to lose at least 3 or 4 of the first 6 rounds in order to adjust to the distance he wants to keep in this fight and what kind of game plan he decides to implement. Around the 5th round I believe Floyd will begin to figure out Hatton and through sharp countering and using his distance and reach he will slowly begin to pick Hatton apart. The most entertaining moments of this battle will most likely be when Hatton pushes Mayweather to the ropes and whether or not Mayweather chooses to play that game with Hatton. If Mayweather chooses to play that game with Hatton like he did with DLH and many others in his career this could be interesting because it will favor Hatton. Overall though I think Floyd will prove to be just too smart and too sharp to let Hatton defeat him and while Hatton will make it very close it will not be enough and I expect Floyd to win this fight either 8 rounds to 4 or 7 rounds to 5. One thing is for sure you won't be able to take anything a way from Hatton after this fight because I feel he will give it his all and go out with his head held high. It’s also possible that Floyd might stop Hatton late on cuts but I am going to go with Floyd by UD.

Dan Horgan
Although I believe that Floyd Mayweather is a better fighter than Hatton -- 'Pretty Boy' would probably beat Hatton 90 times out of 100 fights -- I think on Saturday, Hatton will pull off the upset.  Mayweather will win the early rounds, but once Hatton hits his foe with a left hook to the body, the Brit's two-fisted attack and holding will eventually wear Mayweather down. Hatton by 11th Round TKO

Debbie Wagner
Floyd Mayweather and Ricky Hatton couldn't be more different from each other. Mayweather is the trash-talking sparkle of a smile while Hatton couldn't be more of a hometown boy that the world loves. But Mayweather has earned the right to be 'The Michigan Mouth' whereas Hatton has more than earned the right but sees the world as an everyman would; with humility and humor. It's a shame because Hatton is a cheer-magnet. I just want to...nay, I HAVE to root for him. But who you bet on and who you root for are two different breeds and if I was a betting girl, I would bet on Floyd Mayweather. It isn't an expert assessment. It's just smart, I suppose. If Mayweather has lost anything in his career, perhaps it's a little bit of power but the speed and defense are still abundant as hell and those tools are what Floyd has to make this his fight and his fight only. Sadly, Hatton will become so frustrated with Mayweather's skill that his penchant for fighting less on the clean side will become even less clean, fouling Mayweather frequently which Floyd will slyly use to privately strategize or bide time. Along the way to the mid-rounds, Hatton's pressure attack will become negated by brilliant counterpunching which will take it's toll on Hattons' cut-prone skin, slicing him more and more. The claret will flow as will the concern of the ref who will do the right thing but stop the contest, with advice from the attending physician, midway through the ninth round.

Coyote Duran
As I previously mentioned in Random Howlings, with Mayweather-Hatton, we have two genuine world champions with one genuine world title on the line. It might be two years too late but in this case, with two fighters deeply seated in their primes, 'better late than never' is absolutely the perfect adage. With the World Welterweight Champion Mayweather, what you see is obviously what you get. Same fighter. Same formula. Mayweather's best strength is using others' strengths against them. Not weaknesses. Strengths. Ricky Hatton's greatest strength is pressure fighting and will ultimately be his undoing for 'Pretty Boy' loves to draw in an opponent into a web of defeat. At this stage, he just cannot be deciphered or denied. Try as he might, conditioning or not, Hatton's been inconsistent in his performances since his championship win over Kostya Tszyu in 2005. Mayweather has been doing what he does best and whether he performs masterfully while putting a crowd to sleep, Saturday night's not going to be any different. Expect Mayweather to walk away a winner once more after a 12 round unanimous decision in a fight that'll be more clinic and minimal excitement.

Vikram Birring
This is the match up boxing aficionados and fans alike have been awaiting for years, specifically after Mayweather's destruction of Arturo Gatti and Hatton's shocking victory over legendary Kostya Tszyu. It took some time, but the wait is finally over, and the build up was worth it, as both fighters are earning massive purses for their participation in this mega-event. Mayweather is undefeated and coming off the biggest victory of his career, a victory over Oscar De La Hoya, one that launched him into superstardom. Hatton, also undefeated, knocked out tough Jose Luis Castillo in June. Mayweather holds in advantages in speed and defense, but Hatton has brute strength and is relentless. The bottom line, it will be a fight, and possibly one for the ages.

Gabriel Montoya
Yet another super fight in a year that boxing saw a resurgence and re-emergence into the main stream, "Hatton/Mayweather: Undefeated", unlike it's predecessor "The World Awaits" actually looks like a real fight. Sure, Mayweather, the "linear" welterweight champion hasn't defended that title in more than a year and still has yet to against a legitimate welterweight. Sure Hatton looked like crap against Luis Collazo in his only welterweight fight. And yes the hype is deafening. Still and all, the fight looks to be a good one with Hatton pushing the pace and Mayweather trying to push him off.

Throughout the period following Floyd's win over Oscar, we have seen him become, or strive to become, that kind of household name he so desperately wants to be. Will that effort play out in the ring Saturday night? Probably not.

The book on Floyd in recent years is that he only takes fights that he will not lose. Call it creative matchmaking. High reward and low risk or as Floyd calls " good business sense." Will that matter Saturday night? Probably not.

What will matter will be Hatton's underrated footwork and ability to cut off the ring. Floyd's ability to sting Hatton as he tries to come in on Floyd and bully him. Floyd's underrated strength at Welterweight. Hatton's ability to take punishment and keep coming. The ref allowing or penalizing Hatton's hook and hit style.

This will be the first time that both men have fought a prime, elite fighter. Both have great wins over aging or former champs but neither have ever faced a current elite fighter (with one possible exception being Floyd's win over Diego Corrales. Many experts say while it was a superb win, Corrales, facing a prison stint and having to lose 14 pounds the week of the fight played into his loss). We're going to get questions answered Saturday night. For now, the only question I have the answer to is who I pick: Hatton by decision. Busier, more aggressive (HBO/Vegas fights favor aggression be it effective or not these days).

Benny Henderson Jr.
This match-up is billed as “Undefeated”, I for one still believe De La Hoya should have gotten the nod over Pretty Boy Floyd last May, but what do I know? What I do know is that this fight should be a much better scrap than the last over hyped shindig.

I am not a fan of Mayweather’s, I dislike his egotistical attitude and am truly tired of hearing about how his Daddy disrespected him and so on. But regardless of his tasteless tirades I cannot and will not discount his talents in the ring, you do not go undefeated for eleven years and reign as the pound for pound king as Mayweather has and be a slouch. Mayweather has some serious skill and highly qualified ring credentials with wins over a whose who in boxing. His style is not always that entertaining but as it was once put, in entertaining fashion or boring as milk curdling, Floyd does what he has to do to win.

Hatton, he seems more as a people person, more down to earth than the gangster want to be rap his opponent offers up, but personal attributes does not get you the wins. Hatton has good skill, strong and an excellent body puncher, which he will need to use a lot of in this bout to be successful. I like Hatton, and will be rooting for the Brit come fight night, but I see the fight playing out as such.

As I said before, Hatton will have to get inside of Mayweather and wear down the fast footed fighter, not an easy task. Floyd will use his greatest strengths, speed and movement. Being the shorter man, Hatton is going to have to jump in on Floyd; Floyd will wear down Hatton with his crisp continuous jabs. If Hatton does not wear down Floyd’s foundation (legs), Hatton will succumb due to the accumulation of punches.

All though it will not be a one hitter quitter, I think with all the fist to head action Hatton takes on trying to get inside of Mayweather will tally up in the later rounds. All though Floyd should prevail unanimously, I have a gut feeling something is going to happen in the ninth round in Floyd’s favor. Give me Mayweather via 9th Round TKO.

Julian Kasdin
While I initially thought this fight would be close; on Wednesday night I had an epiphany. Floyd is great. No ifs, ands, or buts. Floyd Mayweather is a great fighter. He has moved up from one weight division to the next, and, with the exception of his first fight versus Jose Luis Castillo, he has never come close to losing a major fight. Ricky Hatton is a good fighter, a physical and tough fighter, but he is not a great fighter. Floyd Mayweather may go through some rough patches, but I think he will be able to figure out Ricky Hatton with relative ease. While I do not desire to bring down the wrath of England on me, I also cannot ignore what I have seen, and what I have seen in Mayweather is someone who combines the physical talent of Roy Jones Jr. with the technical mastery of James Toney. It is with that in mind that I pick Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. to win via unanimous decision, something along the lines of 117-111, in a fight that adds to the legacy of a great fighter.

Danny Serratelli
Ricky will come to fight, he will bring the fight, he will force the action, he will hit Floyd everywhere and try to keep him out of the comfort zone he usually can get into.  Kostya Tzsyu has already predicted that Hatton will defeat Floyd the same way he defeated Tszyu, who was one of the top pound for pound guys at the time. 
 
The problem here is weight, size and strength.  Ricky had a much tougher time with Louis Collazzo at 147 than he ever had at 140 and he is fighting Floyd at 147.  In the mean time, Floyd is coming down from a decision victory over Oscar at 154.  While Floyd was never a true junior middleweight, he has grown into a legitimate welterweight.  The issue is if Hatton had that much trouble with Collazzo due to the size/strength factor (from 140 to 147), or if it was a style thing.  It was probably a little of both, and Ricky still did win the fight. 
 
This will be a good fight.  Floyd will fight cautiously early and try to pick his shots.  Ricky will do everything in his power to mug Floyd and turn it into a street fight.  As most great fighters do, Floyd seems to step up his game against top opposition, but he may not consider Hatton much of a threat, even if it’s subconsciously, and that can help Ricky.   Hatton will bother Floyd enough early and often with punches from all angles everywhere especially during clinches and times and places when and where many fighters don't bother to punch.  It is very doubtful that Ricky can rough Floyd up enough to win this fight, or that he can knock him out, but Ricky will be there trying for 12 rounds of good action.
 
If Ricky can begin to win rounds the fight will get interesting and can go wither way. However, Floyd should be able to box his way to a unanimous decision, but he will have to earn it every step of the way.




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