~~~ Final and Official ESB MAYWEATHER v. HATTON ~ ANALYSIS and PREDICTION Thread ~~~

Let's go pecksy, let's have your thoughts on what makes the biggest difference in this one!

 

:good

 

This, my previous effort, is crap; I will do better today or tomorrow...seems I haven't thought about it enough...3/10...I can do better!:deal

 

Any more analyses? Come on; aren't you inspired?:hey

 

Yeah, I can see that...he tends to lean in when using his hooks, protecting his body at the same time...

 

Any last-minute analyses and predictions?

 

IceJohnScully:

I know a lot of people have been bringing up all the ways that Hatton can and will win this fight. Many have talked about his relentless pressure, his awesome body punching and his will to win to go along with his dogged determination as factors in why they will pick him to defeat Mayweather. And while I believe that Hatton is a warrior and a very determined individual who always comes to fight and is probably much more skilled than most give him credit for I also believe that Floyd is one of those guys, like a Ray Leonard, who has all the tools and gifts at his disposal. I have actually trained in the gym out in Las Vegas when he was also training and while I am sure Hatton works hard in the gym I would find it hard to believe that he trains any harder than Mayweather. I also think that Floyd, like Ali and Leonard before him, is a guy who has the image of a boxer and a personality first but like those two guys did countless times, i think when the going gets tough Floyd will respond like a champion. If Hatton thinks he is just going to bully Floyd with no resistance coming back at him then I think he will be terribly mistaken. I also think that the majority of people that count all the ways that Hatton will win this fight also happen to be people who do not personally like Floyd and their opinions are more wishful thinking than anything. As much as I think Floyd is very, very immature in his bragging about how much money he has, as much as I think his friend Leonard Ellerbee talks way too much trash for a guy who never fought before and doesn't fight, and as much as I think Floyd probably will not be remembered -for a variety of reasons- as a true and revered legend of the game so many years after his final fight like Leonard and Ali are now, I do think he is far and away the elite of today and everything in this equation points to his winning December 8 in very convincing performance.

Putting it another way, the night before James Toney and Roy Jones fought out in Las Vegas back in 1994 Roy's lawyer asked me for my honest opinion and I told him this: "James Toney is a very good, maybe even a great, fighter but all the things that make him great will never come into play -stylistically- against a Roy Jones."

Substitute the names Mayweather and Hatton and you have my same prognosis for December 8.

 

Mayweather WILL use the whole of the 22-foot ring, obviously, which means he will box all night. However, I think he will not be weary of staying in he centre of the ring and moving around the centre, in all directions, fighting quite a bit inside: Mayweather will use his extra inch in height and 7 inch reach advantage to good effect on the inside...He will lean forward a bit, protecting his body and using hooks and uppercuts to hit Ricky. I think he might fight inside more than people assume he might...first couple of rounds I think he will keep it outside, tiring Ricky and making him miss...once Ricky is a bit more tired, he will start turning around the centre more...this would allow him to go for the TKO...if he gets tired, he will go against the ropes if he has to...

...Ricky will go for speed - especially if he comes in, as I predict, under 150...his punch-speed is underrated and so is his precision; his footwork and footspeed are also underrated I think...I think Ricky is banking more on the decision than on the stoppage, to win. Of course, he will try to stop him but he is not banking on it...

Another thought...Mayweather will not aim to fight with the precise amateur style that he is famous for as much as people might expect...I think he will give up some precision for a higher punch output and more brawling style action, to impress the judges who are going to buy into Ricky's high output and not to be classed as a "runner" by the judges who might contrast his style with Ricky's "good, true, honest lad" style...I think he will do this in the early middle rounds to late middle rounds, before boxing again towards the end...

I'll stick with Mayweather TKO from 9 onwards.

 

Any last minute thoughts/change of minds/predictions/analyses?:think

 

I can see a KD, but a flash KD, not a massive KD...It won't be a KO, it won't be a corner stoppage, it won't be a retiring...it will be a ref stoppage after a good couple of combos from Mayweather after a cut, I think...but not an early stoppage, if at all. :think