It should be a battle of epic proportions. It has multiple storylines and features two very different boxers with distinctly different personalities and fighting styles.
On November 22 at the MGM Grand, Ricky Hatton(44-1) will face Paulie Malignaggi(25-1) to unify Hatton's Ring Magazine 140lb title and Malignaggi's IBF 140lb title.
lets take a look at the fighters:
Ricky Hatton
background-
Ricky Hatton hails from Manchester, England, and is a very popular figure in his country. "The Hitman" gained popularity by not only maintaining an undefeated record for quite some time, but for his fighting style and everyman personality outside the ring. In more recent times, Ricky has come to the U.S. to mixed results. He moved up to 147 to fight Luis Collazo, and looked very average in a decision win. After blowing out an ancient looking Jose Luis Castillo, he took on Floyd Mayweather at 147, and was stopped in the 10th round. He defeated Juan Lazcano in his most recent fight at 140, which is his true weight class.
style-
Hatton has an aggressive, swarming style. He likes to use head movement to work his way inside, and pound to the body and head with hooks and uppercuts. He likes to wrestle and hold on the inside to smother his opponent's work. Hatton has shown the ability to box in the center of the ring when he wants to, and the rumored addition of Floyd Mayweather Sr. as his new trainer should definitely show results in this department.
Paulie Malignaggi
background-
Paulie Malignaggi hails from Brooklyn, New York. He is of Italian descent and spent several years in his homeland while growing up. He is a brash, trash talking, self promoting sort, who never feels uncomfortable in front of a mic. He earned many fans respect after suffering a broken jaw early in his fight with Miguel Cotto, yet he managed to gut it out and finish the fight on his feet. In his last fight the "Magic Man" defeated N'dou in a rematch of a fight from a year ago.
style-
Malignaggi is the polar opposite of Hatton. He is a quick boxer with good handspeed and a very good jab. He has good reflexes, but sometimes tends to stand and trade despite having very little in the way of power. When he sticks to his gameplan he can make fights very one sided with his stick and move, stick and hold strategy.
Fight Breakdown
This is as even as fights get on paper. Using their fights against Cotto and Mayweather Jr. as measuring sticks, this should be an entertaining fight. The Mayweather fight showed us that Hatton needs to stay at 140 for the duration of his career. At 140, he is stronger and can grapple and wear down opponents with his body attack. He also tends to have problems with guys that don't stand in front of him.
Malignaggi showed us in his fight against Cotto that he will not quit, and can box effectively while being stalked by a fighter who likes to walk their opponent down.
Look for Hatton to show some improved boxing and defensive skills under the tutelage of Mayweather Sr., and look for him to try to box more, at least early on.
As for Malignaggi, his gameplan is transparent. Hatton has trouble with slick boxers than throw effective jabs and give him angles. Look for him to try to stick and move all night long, and keep the fight in the center of the ring. Also look for him to tie Hatton up on the inside.
Prediction
Hatton by split decision.
I think Malignaggi will look good in spots, landing combinations and moving away without getting hit. I also think Hatton will start wearing him down over the course of the fight, and put just enough hurt on him to convince the judges he's won after 12 rounds. Malignaggi can be really brave once he starts winning, and I think that will cost him in this fight, as he has shown that despite all his slick maneuvers he can be hit, and hit often.
Either way this fight should be a good one for fight fans, and moreso for boxing overall.
8 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Teddy Mazurek 11 months ago
This fight is easily going to be KO for Malignaggi......................
Ok that was a bad joke.
Bryan, I think you are giving Malignaggi too much respect. Yes he is a good fighter and stood in there with Miguel Cotto but Hatton and Malignaggi are at different skill levels.
Think about it, Malignaggi almost lost to Lovemore Ndou. Hatton has fought better quality opponents (Mayweather, Kozta Tzu, Lazcano, Castillo, etc), while Malignaggi has fought lower class ppl such as Cherry, Ngodjou, Ndou.
Hatton will win a UD because he will constanlty pressure Paulie who will get tired from having to move around the ring to avoid hatton. Still this fight will be entertaining. I am looking foward to see what Malignaggi's new hair style/color will be.
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Bryan Trafford 11 months ago
I'm not sure Paulie will get tired from moving around the ring so much as he will at some point stand and trade with Hatton. He tends to do it a lot lately to try and entertain the fans. Problem is he's feather fisted and that just won't cut it.
Malignaggi frustrates me. Sometimes he looks like a masterful boxer in the ring, rarely getting hit and shutting guys out. Other times he looks extremely average.
I think the biggest x-factor will be how Mayweather Sr. affects Hatton if Hatton really does hire him as his trainer. If Mayweather manages to tighten up Hatton's defense a bit and gets him to box better, that would swing things towards Hatton in a big way.
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Teddy Mazurek 11 months ago
you make a really good point about how the hatton mayweather relationship goes. i would like to see the winner take on Timothy Bradley!
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Bryan Trafford 11 months ago
I wished Hatton had fought Witter on a sidenote. Bradley's win over him kinda took all the steam outta that one though.
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David Reyes 11 months ago
that was a good analysis -- Paulie's jab and speed is capable of causing horrors for Ricky Hatton - who is completely dependent on getting on the inside or it'll be a long night for him. Truthfully, if Hatton tries to box, this could wind up looking like the minor leagues of Mayweather-Gatti. On the other hand, Paulie has to be in the best shape of his life because Hatton is going to bring it for 12 hard rounds, you mentioned that Paulie doesn't quit -- neither does Hatton, Hatton will try to scrap, hold, wrestle, elbow -- all of the dirty tricks in the book to not only get to Paulie, but slow him down. The contrast of styles could make for a classic. If I can make one concrete decision, it will be that Paulie will hit him a lot, but I feel like Paulie will finally step it up this time, I'm not a Hatton fan -- he's good but overrated. BTW, I wish Junior Witter would have not slacked off so that he could show the world that he's the UK's best 140-pounder.
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Bryan Trafford 11 months ago
this is truly a pick 'em fight David. I could argue for either guy and my mind changes daily on who will win. That makes this fight a must see for me.
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The Yacman Ron Yacovetti 11 months ago
Good call. Paulie is the style that can beat and trouble Hatton, like Mayweather lite, but it is iffy whether or not he CAN stick and move that many round, non-stop. he will steal some rounds at the close...so I see the split dec as you predict, as very likely the result.
Nice breakdown - allows anyone who doesn't know as much about these two, to see why you predict what you do.
Yacman
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Bryan Trafford 11 months ago
Thanks Ron,
Seriously Im not sure this will be a fight of the year candidate, but it is a very compelling matchup. I mean its really only gonna go down one of two ways, either Paulie puts on a twelve round boxing clinic or he puts on a 4-6 round boxing clinic and gets worn down by body work and pressure from Hatton.
Either way I don't see a knockout because Paulie has no power and I don't see Hatton knocking him out because he took the best from Cotto, who is a much harder puncher to the head and body than Hatton.
Hell, Ron, this fight could be a draw. lol
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