Freddie Roach sat down with reporters at a table inside a restaurant at the end of the Santa Monica Pier on Monday. He was there for a news conference promoting Saturday’s fight between Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and lightweight champion David Diaz of Chicago at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
By the time Roach left the table for the start of the proceedings, he had talked about a rumored future fight between Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton.
“Yeah, I want the Ricky Hatton fight,” said Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer.
For Pacquiao, fighting Hatton would mean yet another move up in weight. In this case, to super lightweight. As it is Saturday he will be trying to become the first Asian to win world titles in four weight classes when he challenges Diaz for his lightweight belt. But Roach said some things about Pacquiao-Hatton that made good sense.
“Style-wise I think it’s the perfect fight for Manny,” Roach said.
Roach isn’t saying that Pacquiao would like to take on any 140-pounder out there. Not at all.
“There are a lot of 140-pounders I wouldn’t fight out there, of course, but the thing is Ricky Hatton’s one that I would,” Roach said. “I think Ricky Hatton’s the perfect opponent for Manny Pacquiao. I think it’s a great fight and I think it’s a huge fight for us.”
Roach said he is talking about a one-and-done situation.
“If we ever fought Hatton at 140, we would go right back down to 135 for the next fight, I’m sure, because there are a lot of 140-pounders I wouldn’t take,” Roach said. “But he’s one that I would.”
That was twice Roach said that there are a lot of 140-pounders he would not want Pacquiao to fight. We pressed Roach as to what specifically he was referring. As if we didn’t know.
“The thing is he made a lot of money; he might be a little spoiled,” Roach said of Hatton. “They tell me he’s having trouble making 140 now. His lifestyle in between fights, it’s going to catch up with you sooner or later. It has to. It’s part of life.”
Although Pacquaio probably never drank like the beer-pounding Hatton, he did drink.
However, Roach said Pacquiao no longer does.
“Not anymore,” Roach said. “He’s grown up, making more mature choices in his life.”
Roach has got something here. Hatton two fights ago in December in Las Vegas was taken apart by Floyd Mayweather Jr. Hatton was beaten into submission in the 10th round of their welterweight (147 pounds) title fight. Hatton came back and won a very wide decision over Juan Lazcano in a junior welterweight fight in May, but Hatton admitted to being very nervous before the fight.
And, his relatively easy win notwithstanding, Hatton was not impressive against Lazcano. Hatton got away with it because Lazcano stunk up the joint in Manchester, England.
England’s Hatton has never denied how much he likes to drink when he’s not in training. But, as Roach said, it catches up to one. Hatton will be 30 in October, but his lifestyle makes one wonder if he doesn’t sometimes feel more like 40.
In other words, Pacquiao, 29, could be getting Hatton at the right time if they were to square off in the next year. Hatton does not appear to be the fighter he was when he shockingly got an 11th-round technical knockout of Kostya Tszyu three years ago.
From a financial standpoint, just imagine how well a fight between two such very popular fighters like Pacquiao and Hatton would do. They just happen to have perhaps the two strongest fan bases in boxing right now, not counting the phenomena that is Oscar De La Hoya – the biggest money-maker in boxing history.
Realistically, this fight could do over a million pay-per-view buys. Promoters could have high ticket prices, and they would not have a problem selling out. The arena would be deafening.
Pacquiao (46-3-2, 35 KOs) said during a recent conference call that he believes he can fight at 140 pounds. But he didn’t care to specifically discuss a fight with Hatton, who might be fighting Paul Malignaggi in the fall.
“Well, that fight has not happened yet, so I think that matter, we will discuss or talk about that after the (Diaz) fight,” Pacquiao said.
Smart man. Diaz may be an unknown to the casual boxing fan, but he is no joke and not one to be overlooked. And he is the champion who has been fighting at least as high as lightweight his entire 36-fight career; he is 34-1-1 with 17 knockouts. Pacquiao began his career in 1995 at 106 pounds and Saturday he will be fighting for the first time at lightweight.
But, Pacquiao said, “I believe I’m stronger at 135 pounds.”
He very well may feel stronger. But as they say, often it is not how much power one can deliver, but how much one can take. Can Pacquiao deal with the punch of a true lightweight? Diaz is not a monster puncher, but he is not a light-hitting lightweight, either.
“We won’t know that until Diaz hits him,” Roach said.
Pacquiao has been in fights much more high-profile than this. If he loses, not only will the pride of he and his Filipino fans take a hit, so will Pacquiao’s bankroll. Chances are, any discussions of a fight with Hatton would die if Diaz’s hand is raised in triumph. The pressure
is on Pacquiao.
Diaz, on the other hand, seemingly has nothing to lose. He admitted that he never really thought he would get this far in his career. But here he is, holder of one of the major belts, about to defend it against arguably the most impressive fighter in world. He is either going to be relaxed, and jacked, at the same time. Or nervous as heck.
Judging by his demeanor at Monday’s shindig, it doesn’t seem like Diaz is having any butterflies. Rather, he is embracing this moment with gusto.
“It’s like I’m in a dream now,” Diaz said. “I’m fighting one of the most dangerous guys in boxing, if not the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, and it’s great. I want this challenge.”