I’ll have plenty more to say later about the Manny Pacquiao’s shockingly easy 2nd round knockout of Ricky Hatton, but for now, quick thoughts:
- Before this fight, I would have favored Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to beat Manny Pacquiao. Now? Maybe the other way around.
- That was the Knockout of the Year so far. I was really worried about Hatton after he got caught with that perfect left hook. It came on top of two knockdowns in the 1st. Hatton never had a chance. His eyes looked terrifyingly googly as he laid on the ground.
- Pacquiao made history tonight, winning his fourth lineal title in four divisions, this one junior welterweight. No one has ever done that, ever.
- I think it’s fair to say Pacquiao is a very impressive junior welter, and size never mattered. I also think it’s fair to say that the biggest difference in the fight I predicted — speed — came to bear.
- I do have to question if there was something wrong with Hatton weight-wise, because he couldn’t even kind of take a punch, but regardless, let me emphasize: Any fighter can lose a fight on a bad night in boxing, and even if something was wrong with Hatton, and even if something was wrong with Oscar De La Hoya in December when Pacquiao beat him, you can’t write off a guy’s wins every time something like that happens. Pacquiao beats whomoever is put in front of him, good-to-great fighters, with ease.
- I think Pacquiao might be in the top-25 all-time vicinity. I really do. If he fights and beats Mayweather, is top-10 crazy? Not to me.
- That undercard was as bad as promised. The main event wasn’t the competitive mega-fight I’d hoped for. But Pacquiao’s performance was so frighteningly good.
- Um, I’m kind of speechless now. I’ll stop here. Pacquiao is scary.
