FIGHT WEEK: WEIGH-IN, HOW CLOSE THEY ARE

LAS VEGAS - Everyone else has made their bets and had their say. All that's left is for Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton to let their fists fly and the chips fall where they may Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

May 1, 2009 - by Chuck Johnson | Photos by Will Hart

In an HBO Pay-Per-View fight (9 p.m., $49.95) that has ramifications for future premier matchups and scenarios, Pacquiao, the fast and furious No. 1 pound-for-pound king from General Santos, the Philippines, and Hatton, the fearlessly tough junior welterweight champion from Manchester England, will carry the banner of boxing in a scheduled 12-rounder that has captured the attention of fans around the globe.

"I am ready for the fight,'' said Pacquiao (48-3-2), who seeks to add Hatton's 140-pound title to his history-making collection of belts. "I respect Ricky Hatton. He is a good person. I would like to remind everyone that there is nothing personal about this fight. We are just doing our job to give a good fight to the people and make them happy." Pacquiao, 30, weighed in Friday at 138 pounds, two under the junior welterweight limit, while Hatton, who has never lost at his natural fighting weight, tipped the scales at 140 pounds on the nose.

An estimated crowd of 6,000 took advantage of free admission into the official weigh-in, with Hatton's boisterous British fans numbering in the majority over those Filipino fans of Pacquiao, who nonetheless is a solid favorite to win and become the only boxer besides Oscar De La Hoya to win world titles in six different weight classes. "I think you have all made your mind up already,'' said Hatton, referring to media predictions that Pacquiao will prevail. "I have been reading what you have been saying and what everyone has been saying. That doesn't scare me. I have been here before. I have been the underdog before.

"I hear what you say. 'He is an over-hyped, over-protected, fat beer-drinking Englishman. Guess what? That 'he' is going to shock the world again."

The last time Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) was in this position as an underdog he pulled off the upset with an 11th-round TKO against future Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu to win the IBF junior welterweight in June, 2005.

Hatton, 30, has seen his popularity continue to grow since that fight. And, even after suffering his only defeat to then- welterweight champion and pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. in December, 2007 - his first fight in the Las Vegas lights -- the Hitman remains no less of a hero to British fans. Again, they've made the trip in droves across the pond to cheer him on and declare in song that "There's Only One Ricky Hatton."

Having fired his long-time trainer Billy Graham and replaced him with Floyd Mayweather Sr., Hatton intends to show that he's no longer the straight-forward brawler that didn't mind taking punches in order to get in his shots. Rather, his second fight under the tutelage of Mayweather Sr. is expected to reveal a more polished fighter who has added head movement and defensive footwork to his body-snatching aggression.

Hatton will need to be new and improved to beat Pacquiao.

A consummate boxer-puncher, Pacquiao's skills take a backseat to no one. Neither does his popularity among his people. He has been declared a national treasure in the Philippines and further solidified his iconic status last year when he did the seemingly impossible by winning three fights in three different weight divisions, including two world titles.

The capper was last December in a 147-pound nontitle bout when Pac Man scored a TKO victory after eight rounds to send De La Hoya into retirement.

"This is the first mega-fight in the post-Oscar De La Hoya era and, if the fight does really well as we expect, there will be other fights that can be put together that will do equally as well or better,'' said Top Rank's Bob Arum, who's co-promoting Saturday's "Battle of East and West,'' along with De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.

"If Manny wins, it could set up a fight against Mayweather (Jr.) or (Miguel) Cotto or (Julio Cesar) Chavez Jr. or even a third fight against (Juan Manuel) Marquez. If Ricky wins, there's also a number of fights that can be made. So, the outcome of this fight really has a lot to do with putting together more mega fights."