Originally Posted by
BoomBoom
Heres my take one the fight...Ricky will have trouble early on adjusting to Mannys speed and style. Then I think things will fall into place and the tides will begin to turn around rounds 4 or 5. I think in the first few rounds a few important things will happen. One, pac will continually land his left hand on his target and realize that his while he lands his punches, he cant back up the Hitman. Two, Ricky will begin to establish the jab, yes the jab. And it will land for him more and more as the rounds go by. And three, Ricky will start to take control around the 3rd round by starting to settle down and stay more toward the center of the ring. That brings use to the middle rounds. To Mannys surprise, while he is using a lot of movement and throwing a lot of punches, the usually easy to find Hatton has become a little harder to find especially while hes working behind his jab. Manny is still able to connect with flush right hands and short uppercuts from time to time, but Ricky doesnt seem detered and continued coming foward, cutting off the ring.
Round 7: Manny is the one looking frusterated and finding himself on the ropes more and more. Rickys confidence is growing and he is beggining to throw more combinations, body head, body head. The fight is now being fought in closer quarters. Round 8: Both men come out, looking like they both have taken some good shots, mainly because, well, they have. Mannys cut above his right eye, and Ricky red around both eyes with his right eye nearly swollen shut. Despite their appearences, both start the round strong, trading punches, but about a minute into the round Manny is showing signs of fatigue. He is holding his hands a bit low, and his legs appear a bit shaking. At this point, Ricky is the stronger of the two, and he senses that his man is slowing. Suddenly, at the end of the hard fought eighth round, just seconds till the bell, a hard left hook to the body sends the brave Filipino warrior to the canvas. One, two, three, Manny makes it to a knee but continues to grimace in pain, four, five, six, his frustration is visible in his eyes, as his brain is telling him to get up, but his body is not responding, seven, eight, nine, he manages to make it to his feet within the count, but unable to stand upright, hunched over, and clearly not fully recovered, the referee waves his hands. He has seen enough. The crowd roars, but there is no one in the arena is happier, and more relieved than Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton, winner by 8th round TKO.
