I'm excited for Hatton-Mayweather, but..

...there's something inherently wrong in my mind about the P4P #1 fighting someone from a lower weightclass.

I can understand the fight. Hatton's stock is as high as it'll ever be after he destroyed a fading version of Castillo. That fight showed us he's an impressive fighter at 140. He's a spirited well-conditioned spitfire that swarms, tuggs, pulls and pushes until his opponent is exhausted and uses his naturally short arms to work well on the inside. He's the kind of fighter that can win against an equally talented fighter because of his workrate and determination. But...

That won't help much when he's athletically outmatched and technically outskilled. Oscar De la Hoya wanted to fight him since his jab and left hook would almost be enough on their own to keep Hatton on the outside where he's basically harmless.

Now factor in Floyd -- his strengths are defense, movement, accuracy and handspeed, and deeply think about this match-up.

Hatton ain't going to get inside. Not even close.

This isn't going to be a competitive, close fight. This is going to be a one-sided beatdown. Hatton will be knocked down and probably out. His face will be bruised, swollen and perhaps cut.

Oscar de la Hoya won't be surprised, nor will Mosley bat an eyelash, and Cotto won't be worrying if Floyd will still be undefeated after this fight in case he wants to challenge him. Margarito swears, knowing he couldn't get this fight if he offered up his life savings, but he wish he could.

Why? Because those guys would beat Hatton too. They are high-ranked full-blown welterweights.

And so is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Imagine what he'll do to this undersized opponent with the short reach who is comparitively slow, inaccurate and clumsy.

 

Which is why I question the credibility of this matchup as a superfight.

 

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Do you have a point or are you just randomly defending Mayweather?

I'm sure Hatton would have prefered to fight at 140.

 

No, Mayweather would still win in the same way at 140, but right now he has been active at 147 and he is targeting a 140 fighter while he is the P4P #1. He is, in essence, fighting downward.

 

Shane is not the P4P #1.

I'm basically voicing an objection here that the P4P #1 is cherry-picking a fighter who currently has an inflated reputation and is taking advantage of the public's indifference when it comes to weightclasses.

A friend of mine recently asked why Calzaghe didn't challenge Mayweather. When I explained to him it wouldn't be competitive,he was very surprised, saying middleweight and welterweight surely weren't that incompatible.

There are plenty of interesting fights out there for Mayweather. Even Mosley would be a much riskier fight, but it wouldn't be as impressive in the eyes of the casual public. Which is why this fight leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.

 

How can you say it makes no difference? Of course it does.