Preview - Hatton vs. Malignaggi
Published November 20, 2008 by Martin Bean
On Saturday night, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas will play host to a clash of nations, styles and personalities as Ricky ‘Hitman’ Hatton takes on ‘The Magic Man’ Paulie Malignaggi. Both fighters are vying for the right to be universally recognised as the world’s best at 140lbs (light welterweight) and also desperate to prove a point.
Ricky Hatton desperately needs a good performance here; the defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last December, his first, followed by his lackluster showing against Juan Lazcano in May has led to many stating Hatton’s best days are already behind him. A spectacular performance here under new coach Floyd Mayweather Sr. would go some way to answering the critics and leave Hatton in line to fight the winner of ‘The Dream Match’ on December 6th, as Oscar De La Hoya takes on Manny Pacquiao.
Many have criticised the appointment of Floyd Mayweather Sr, who will lead Hatton’s corner for the first time – Hatton is known for all out aggression, whilst Mayweather is known for training more defensive fighters. I disagree with the criticism and actually think this is a really good move for Hatton. Mayweather has brought discipline to the camp and had Hatton running in the mountains at 5.30am in the morning, whilst wearing heavy boots – in my opinion, that’s exactly the way it should be. In addition, I think we’ll see a Hatton full of sharp combinations, with better head movement and sharper footwork as he looks for angles. The only danger is if Mayweather gets Hatton to box too much – taking away the pressure from Hatton’s game would see him lose his best asset.
For Paulie Malignaggi, this is a fight he sees as a potential launch pad to becoming a star. Whilst he has already been an IBF World Champion, he’s not considered anywhere near the pound for pound top 10; recognition this fast talking professional desperately craves.
Malignaggi has prepared well down in Vero Beach, Florida under the tutelage of Buddy McGirt. They know exactly what to expect from Hatton and that will have meant lots of aggressive sparring partners being brought in. If they’ve done their homework, lots of sit ups will have been incorporated into Paulie’s training regime to make sure Paulie can stand up to Hatton’s body attacks.
In his last fight of this magnitude, Malignaggi fought valiantly when losing to Miguel Cotto – this time, he wants his hand raised at the announcement of his victory, rather than gain credit in a gallant, courageous defeat.
As always in the build up to a big fight the press coverage is intense and I’ve been interested to read everybody’s previews of the fight. Despite Ricky Hatton being a hot favourite with most bookies, two of British boxing’s most knowledgeable scribes have predicted a defeat for Ricky Hatton in this contest; Colin’s Hart’s column in The Sun and Claude Abrams blog for Boxing News allude to Paulie Malignaggi being a little to slick for a past his best Hatton.
So how does Boxing Capital expect the fight to pan out? I think the styles will gel brilliantly in the classic boxer vs. fighter match up that this is. I expect to see Hatton make a fast start, eager to impress. Whilst Paulie won’t look to meet Hatton head on, I don’t expect to see him run either – he will move in and out of range, looking to work in short bursts.
I think for the first three of four rounds, Hatton will be sharp and we’ll see that Floyd Mayweather Sr. has made a positive impact. Malignaggi, though conceding the early rounds, will be well in the fight. Then, I expect Hatton to fall back to old habits – you can’t change the habits of a lifetime in a six week training camp. Hatton will start to get caught by Malignaggi, who will have success in the middle rounds of the fight, setting us up for a thrilling finale down the stretch.
Who will prevail in the end? Ultimately, I expect a determined Ricky Hatton to come through the sticky middle rounds, then revert to relentless aggression and overcome a resilient Paulie Malignaggi. Hatton’s body work throughout the fight will have made an impact come the final third and he will be able to come on strong in the late rounds, to win by a close (three or four rounds at most), but unanimous point’s decision.
Also, I’ve seen many people talking of knockouts this week but I just can’t see that happening. Malignaggi is strictly feather fisted so won’t be able to hurt Hatton. But, whilst being a light puncher, Malignaggi is tough – any man who can give Miguel Cotto a hard 12 rounds with a broken jaw deserves respect. Hatton is decent puncher but Cotto hit’s harder, so I firmly see this going the distance.
BOXING CAPITAL TIP – Ricky Hatton to WIN ON POINTS @ 4/5 (Skybet)
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