Boxing Perspective: Does Hatton vs. Pacquiao Parallel Pryor vs. Arguello?

Just under 27 years ago, two men stepped into the ring and created the most memorable 140lb bout to ever take place when former three division champion Alexis “El Flaco Explosivo” Arguello stepped up to challenge then reigning WBA light welterweight champion Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor in his quest for a fourth division championship.

Arguello, the crowd favorite by far, had not lost in five years and was widely considered one of boxing’s pound for pound greats, while Pryor was undefeated and had developed an aura of invincibility, stopping 29 of his 31 previous opponents.

The bout did not disappoint onlookers in any way, shape or form as the two men went to war, giving it all they had until finally Arguello had enough and the bout was halted in the 14th round.

Until this day, no other 140lb bout has captured the heart of boxing fans the way Arguello vs. Pryor had, nor to this date has there been another light welterweight bout which produced the same amount of electricity that circulated through the air of Miami’s Orange Bowl on November 11 1982. Not even when Julio Cesar Chavez faced off in the first of two meetings with Meldrick Taylor.

Some fans had even come to believe that we might not see another bout of that proportion in that division for another 50 years, if ever! This of course has little to do with the fact that talent has been scarce at that weight because the light welterweight division has been anything but lackluster in talent over these past 25 plus years.

It is just an aura that had been impossible to create, the 140lb equivalent of the first Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier fight, although I think we might have found an equal in appeal the day Manny Pacquiao signed to fight Ricky Hatton.

After all, boxing matchmakers have been on fire these last few years; we have witnessed bouts such as Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Oscar De La Hoya, Joe Calzaghe vs Bernard Hopkins, the Israel Vazquez vs Rafael Marquez trilogy, Miguel Cotto vs Antonio Margarito and most recently, Juan Manuel Marquez vs Juan Diaz.

It was only a matter of time until we had a 140lb blockbuster, except who knew it was going to be one of this magnitude, in fact, who could have guessed that Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao would even be fighting at the same weight?

Hatton has dazzled fans since he burst on the scene in 1997 with his work rate and body attack. At light welterweight, Hatton has proven time and again he is the one true king of that division.

Manny Pacquiao has been perhaps boxing’s most exciting fighter for the last seven years now, beating everyone from Marco Antonio Barrera to Juan Manuel Marquez.

Pacquiao has not only risen up to become a bonafied lightweight champion since his debut, when he tipped the scales at 106lb, but he even accepted a challenge from Oscar De La Hoya last year, facing the Golden Boy on December 6 and winning every round, eventually stopping Oscar in the eighth. This as a welterweight!!

When placing certain comparisons of these two fighters alongside that of Pryor and Arguello some in-ignorable similarities seem to surface.

Pacquiao has won world titles at featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight prior to signing to fight Hatton, just as Arguello had before signing to face Pryor. Pacquiao is widely considered one of the sport’s pound for pound best, with a reputation for being tough and relentless, just as Arguello was.

Hatton is considered widely as the best light welterweight in the world, just as Pryor was when he signed to face Arguello. Hatton earned a reputation for his come forward style that seems to never end, just as Pryor had attacked his opponents. Most importantly, as a light welterweight, Hatton has not been beaten, and neither had Pryor when he faced Arguello.

Similarities like those mentioned above, added with the fact that neither of the four men have ever been accused of being involved in dull affairs, yet another similarity, makes me believe a new chapter of excitement could be written in our history books come May 2nd.

There is little to have me believe otherwise, but of course, we must remember that what is on paper does not necessarily pan out once the fight takes place. Yet on the other hand, things also have a tendency to exceed expectations.

If that happens, my fellow enthusiasts, May 2nd could be not only fight of the year but possibly the decade.

I don’t believe Ricky Hatton nor Manny Pacquiao would aim for anything less.