Fire Quinito gathers all the essential reading for the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton superfight, to save you time to gush at how beautiful and solemn Juday and Ryan's secret wedding was.


'Pacman' by Tyler Streeter

Nigel Collins, The Ring: "As the first superfight of the post-De La Hoya Era, tonight’s Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena has been deemed the bellwether for the fight game’s immediate future. And that’s fair enough, as far as it goes. The match features the two most popular active fighters in the world, a duo whose styles virtually guarantee a violent struggle. Moreover, both men are extremely likable, inspiring incredible passion among their fans. The Sweet Science could not ask for a better pairing to test the market at such an uncertain time."

Gabriel Montoya, Max Boxing: "When you throw in two fighters as revered by their respective countries as Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao, electricity doesn’t come close to describing it. Try radioactive. Traffic stops, (sat in my car, blocks away from the MGM Grand for an eternity), throngs push and pull through the casino floor trying to get to the weigh in much less the fight. It’s a pure mayhem usually reserved for the Beatles or Elvis. But if you ask a Pinoy boxing fan, Manny Pacquiao is Jesus, Elvis, and Mike Tyson all rolled into one. And Ricky Hatton? Well, let’s just say he not only excites his fans but if the UK took a poll, he would get 'Most Likely To Kick it and Have a Pint with you.' He’s a people's champ as well as being the 140 pound champ."

Vivek Wallace, East Side Boxing: "For Manny Pacquiao, contrary to popular belief, this fight will land him in unchartered waters, so despite his blazing handspeed, defense may very well be what the doctor ordered for him tonight - literally. For Pacquiao, a victory may all come down to 'backwards driving'. Pacquiao has had a reputation in the past of going back in a straight line, typically until he touches the ropes. That tendency could mark the beginning of the end against a 'bulldog' like Hatton who will undoubtedly try to keep him there. Pacquiao will need to use angles as he steps backwards to become a tougher target to hit. Using angles to escape will be VERY critical for Pacquiao because if Hatton begins to throw a barrage of blows, Pacquiao's face covering posture with his short arms leave quite a bit of rib to nibble at for a hungry jack like Hatton who can clean the plate if he gets to eat. Defensive exit angles will keep him fresh and less battered. Offensively, Pacquiao will need to use his handspeed and patented fury to keep Hatton off balance and concerned. If Pacquiao can use those exit angles and strategically mount his offensive attacks, it'll be an easy night for him with an inevitable win."

Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports: "Attacking the body is a tried-and-true tactic to slow a faster man down. Hatton, though, has become convinced he’ll be able to match Pacquiao’s speed and negate one of his opponent’s perceived advantages right off the bat. 'I strongly believe I’m as fast as Manny,' Hatton said. He won’t have to be as quick, or as fast, as Pacquiao if he’s simply quick enough to cut off the ring and get into position to get his shots off before Pacquiao skitters away. Leonard raved about Pacquiao’s speed, noting he has 'incredibly fast hands.' De La Hoya, who retired after being stopped by Pacquiao in December, warned that Pacquiao isn’t simply a speed demon."

EA Sports Fight Night Round 4 Simulation: "According to EA's official 'Fight Night Round 4' simulation, Manny Pacquiao will defeat Ricky Hatton with an 11th round knockout when the two square off in the ring May 2. As for what led to the knockout, EA Sports breaks it down: 'An aggressive attempt by Hatton to limit Pacquiao's movement early on was unsuccessful. Pacquiao used his speed and control of the ring to take advantage of Hatton's aggression, picking his punches and keeping out of range. '"

Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times: "[David] Diaz, a well-spoken 32-year-old from the North Side of Chicago, who has a nice 34-2-1 record and who got his shot at the big time against Pacquiao on June 28, fears the same for Hatton in his Saturday night mega-fight against Pacquiao. 'Tell him not to do what most of us do,' Diaz says. 'Tell him to try and make it into a boxing match.' Diaz says he watched on TV when Hatton won by an 11th-round technical knockout over Paulie Malignaggi in November. 'He boxed him more, especially the last four rounds,' Diaz says. 'He has had more time now with Senior [Trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr.], and I think he'll tell him to box more. That's what I would tell him. I would tell him the way I fought [Pacquiao] -- let's get right down to the nitty-gritty -- that was my mistake.'"

BBC Sports: [Floyd Mayweather Sr.] insists he is happy with Hatton's preparation, despite admitting to a spot of in-fighting. 'It doesn't mean a camp is not a good camp because there are problems," he said. 'It doesn't mean you've had a bad camp. I think he had a good camp. It was a problem that could be addressed and taken care of without being in the media. We straightened it out.' When asked if there was a clash between himself and Hatton's assistant trainer Lee Beard, Mayweather said: 'Why wouldn't Lee and I be friends? Why would you pick Lee out of everybody? There are a lot of people there (in camp), not just me and Lee. But you could be on the right track. I'm a no-nonsense trainer. We have a very clear understanding. I respect them and I want them to do the same with me.'"

Eric Raskin, The Ring: "To have an American vs. a foreigner in a major pay-per-view event is a routine occurrence. But you don’t get the casual American sports fan caring about a foreigner vs. foreigner fight very often. Times have changed, though, and on the heels of Oscar De La Hoya’s retirement announcement, the American superstar fighter is an endangered species. There’s really only one of them right now, the about-to-unretire Floyd Mayweather. Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley are established names, but not necessarily major PPV draws. Roy Jones isn’t a superstar anymore. Paul Williams isn’t a superstar yet. Kelly Pavlik once looked like a lock to become one, but now his crossover potential is uncertain. So the environment might be perfect for a fight like Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao, a British fighter vs. a Filipino fighter. If you’re American and you like boxing, can you really be picky anymore about whether the fighters you watch are your countrymen?"

Martin Rogers, The Ring: "The invasion for [Hatton's] fight with Mayweather was extraordinary to behold. Thousand upon thousand crossed the Atlantic with beer can in hand, piling into The Strip’s casinos en masse. Vegas residents were bemused by the sight of pot-bellied visitors wearing City’s sky-blue kit, mingling with the influx from Vegas’ other big event that week, the National Rodeo Finals. In one extraordinary scene at the MGM Grand, a 5-foot balding Hatton follower got into a fist fight with a 6-foot-6 Texas cowboy. The Hatton Army did its damnedest to drink Sin City dry and the chant of 'There’s only one Ricky Hatton,' belted out to the tune of the Christmas song 'Winter Wonderland', was ceaseless. Even when Hatton hit the canvas for the final time and referee Joe Cortez proclaimed Mayweather the winner, the guttural pro-Hatton symphony continued. It would happen again if Pacquiao emerges victorious on Saturday. Hatton’s place in the hearts of those who follow him is already preserved for eternity.

Steve Kim, Max Boxing: "The game of boxing is every bit as mental as it is physical. It's impossible to know just how big of a threat Pacquiao perceives Hatton to be. But as you watch Pacquiao work out, it's clear he's putting in his usual Spartan work. His energy level isn't just frenetic; it's downright nuclear at times. Nobody grinds as hard - and with as much enthusiasm - as the Filipino icon. Roach had famously and accurately made the comment before Pacquiao's last fight that their opponent simply 'couldn't pull the trigger' anymore. This time around, they face someone who can at least let the leather fly. 'The thing is, he'll have a hard time doing it with Manny's movement, though. But we're not going to stand in front of this guy and let him get us on the ropes and throw that left hook. He'll have some difficulty with it but I know he's very capable of doing it, if you let him,' said Roach."