Pacquiao (above) all smiles after his victory over De La Hoya.

 

 

BY:Robert Epstein

Thousands have voted in our poll, the results are in and by a slight margin boxing fans selected Ricky Hatton over Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the opponent they want to see in the ring next with Manny Pacquiao .The margin was very slim as 49 percent of the voters selected Hatton and 44 percent selected Mayweather.

So now the fans have spoken and the promoters Golden Boy and Top Rank are working on the details to put together Pacquiao vs Hatton. I am sure working out the details of the fight is a challenge for them however the fun comes when they select the title for this fight. It goes without saying and at this point in the year it has been written countless times that Pacquiao has achieved greatness in 2008. He is the official pound for pound king of the ring and deserves all the accolades after his victories over Marquez, Diaz and De La Hoya.

On the other hand Hatton did not have the superstar year that Pacquiao had. However, he was able to record two victories in his two fights and regain the momentum he lost after the Mayweather defeat in December 2007. Hatton under the guidance of Floyd Mayweather Sr. was able to put together a dominating performance over Paulie Malignaggi which catapulted him into the Pacquiao sweepstakes. So here we are with the books for 2008 about to close and new chapters about to be opened in 2009, with what maybe the most memorable boxing event in history about to be announced.

Ricky Hatton (above) in the media room at the Pacquiao - De La Hoya “Dream Match”

In years past both Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions have promoted great battles featuring the legends of the sport, each great fight also included a great title. As they think about the title for Pacquiao – Hatton here are some of their greatest event titles and battles from their past promotions to help spark their thought process:

1985 - “The Fight” - Hagler vs Hearns

1986 - “SuperFight” - Hagler vs. Leonard

1990 - “The Puncher and the Preacher” - Foreman vs. Cooney

1990 - “Once Is Not Enough” - Toney vs. McCallum

1991 - “Battle of the Ages” - Foreman vs. Holyfield

1993 - “Heavy Damage” - Foreman vs. Coetzer

1996 - “Ultimate Glory” - De La Hoya vs. Chavez

1997 - “Buster on Broadway” - Douglas vs. Ryan in NYC

1999 - “Fight of the Millenium” - De La Hoya vs. Trinidad

 2002 - “Bad Blood” - De La Hoya vs Vargas

2006 - “Sworn Enemies” - Mayweather vs. Judah

2007 - “War For Four” - Morales vs. Diaz

2007- “Fast and Furious” Cotto vs Mosley

2008 - “The Battle” - Cotto vs. Margarito

2008 - “Unstoppable” - Pavlik vs. Hopkins

2008 – “Dream Match” – Pacquiao vs De La Hoya

For Pacquiao first it was the epic rematch battle with Juan Manuel Marquez which was labeled as “Unfinished Business “sandwiched in between the De La Hoya “Dream Match” we had Pacquiao Diaz “Lethal Combination”. As for Hatton his fight with Malignaggi was called “Power vs Precision”. So what will the marketing geniuses at Top Rank and Golden Boy come up with for their megasode of Pacman vs Hitman?

 We have asked around and here are some of the suggestions we got         

“Battle of the Generation”

“Battle of the Planets”

” Total Collision”

” Clash of the Storms”

“Collision Course”

“Thunder vs Lightening”

“New Horizons”

My personal favorite title is Pacman vs Hitman “A Battle for the Fans” both fighters have huge fan bases in their own countries and beyond. When Pacquiao fights the Philippines is at a standstill so that they can watch their hero. Hatton fans travel by the tens of thousands to see him fight, which make him the leading box office draw. The fans provide the energy, support and desire they need to reach beyond expectations.  Pacman and Hitman inside the ring always demonstrate their loyalty to their fans with their attacking and never give up styles. So why not title this one Pacman vs Hitman “A Battle for the Fans      

 

Please email me your title suggestions to rob@diamondboxing.com

Boxing News www.diamondboxing.com 

BY: Robert Epstein

The hottest boxing news today was the breakdown of the Oscar De La Hoya –Manny Pacquiao negotiations for a December 6th bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Apparently the two sides could not reach an agreement on the percentage of the purse split. With De La Hoya only willing to give Pacquiao 30 percent of the purse and Manny wanting 40 percent a compromise could not be reached.

Pacquiao through his lawyer today informed the public that he is going to move on and seek another opponent for his next battle. Bob Arum head of Top Rank Pacquiao’s promoter will now try to lock in a November fight with Humberto Soto (44- 7, 28 KOs) of Mexico. Soto is coming off a controversial disqualification in a bout against Francisco Lorenzo In that bout which was part of the Pacquiao –David Diaz card at the Mandalay Bay on June 28. Soto knocked out Lorenzo, however, he was disqualified by referee Joe Cortez for hitting Lorenzo while he was down. The hit after the bell caused a cut on Lorenzo’s head to open and blood soaked the canvas. So it appears that Pacquiao will settle for the Soto bout which he will make several millions less dollars than if he faced De LA Hoya.

While team Golden Boy will huddle up next week to plan their next move and I believe they only have one move and it’s a move they may fear. They must dial up Antonio Margarito this is the only opponent left that will draw fan interest. Forget about Berto, Cotto and Clottey the fans will cheer a De La Hoya – Margarito slug fest. Yes De La Hoya will be an underdog in this bout but what a way to go out against the hottest boxer in the sport right now. Margarito coming off his scorching victory over Cotto is exactly what boxing requires. A De La Hoya – Margarito bout can break all pay per view records and will sell out in hours.

De La Hoya may lose actually he may get knocked out however if he pulls off the upset he will go out as a super legend. Oscar will go out on top of the boxing world beating the best in the sport right now. Why face anyone else when you can face the best, there is serious risk, however, in this sport that is all you do is put yourself at risk every single bout. Why not Oscar give the fans what they want to see a legend facing the most feared boxers in the game. If you win De LA Hoya you will be a super legend so forget the rest and have Richard Schaefer dial up Margarito.