Mayweather vs Hatton: The preview and prediction!

Boxing has had an amazing year in 2007, with a number of super fights taking place. Fights such as Barrera vs. Marquez, De la hoya vs. Mayweather, Hopkins vs. Wright, Taylor vs. Pavlik, Pacquiao vs. Barrera II and Calzaghe vs. Kessler all happened much to the pleasure of boxing fans and experts.

The conclusion of this magnificent year is no exception, as Pound for Pound King and World Welterweight Champion “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather and Jr Welterweight Champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton square off in a twelve round championship battle tomorrow night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The fight will be contested for Mayweather’s World Welterweight Championship, as Hatton is coming up in weight for this fight.

Two years ago, Hatton sprung to the top of the boxing ladder with his upset win of defending Jr Welterweight Champion Kostya Tszyu in Manchester, England in June of 2005. Hatton stopped Tszyu inside eleven grueling and punishing rounds when the defending elected not to come out of his corner for the twelfth and final round. Later that year, he unified the IBF and WBA Jr Welterweight belts by stopping defending WBA titlist Carlos Maussa.

Hatton previously made a trip up to 147lbs to face defending WBA Champion Luis Collazo in Boston back in May of 2006. Hatton out pointed Collazo for the title via a controversial decision. Following that victory, Hatton moved back down to 140lbs where he felt more comfortable and beat previously undefeated Juan Urango this past January.

Hatton followed up on the Urango win with an impressive fourth round stoppage for Former Two Time Lightweight Champion Jose Luis Castillo. In the ring immediately after his victory, Hatton called out Mayweather, siting that his fight with Castillo was more exciting than any performance or showing Mayweather had ever produced in his ten year career.

While watching the fight at home, Mayweather was provoked to instruct his advisor Leonard Ellerbe to, “make the f&*$ing fight.” Considered to be the consensus Pound for Pound best fighter in the world, Mayweather has won six different titles in five different weight classes in less than a nine year span and remained undefeated in doing so. Rather impressive, to say the very least. From 130lbs to 154lbs, Mayweather has defeated a who’s who of champion pugilists, such as Genaro Hernandez, Angel Manfredy, the late Diego Corrales, Jesus Chavez, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Carlos Baldomir, Oscar De la hoya, and the list goes on and on.

Acknowledging a fighter with such credentials, Hatton is fueled to rise to the occasion and pin the first loss on the record of his reputable opponent. Hatton himself is no push over, as he has won four titles in two weight divisions and has remained undefeated throughout his professional career. Together, Mayweather and Hatton boast a combined professional record of 81-0. The match up features a contrast of styles, pairing a boxer with speed of hand and foot against a relentless body punching brawler.

With over 50 million dollars in prize fight money banked away, does Mayweather still have that motivation and determination to give 110% of himself? Will his hands and body hold up, amidst the surgery he's gone through as seen on HBO's reality show 24/7? Is Mayweather just to fast and skilled for Hatton to deal with? Will Hatton's relentless aggression and grappling style frustrate and eventually shut down Mayweather as it did to Tszyu over two years ago? Will Hatton be susceptible to cuts?

Both men have promised a toe to toe battle. Both men have promised to emerge victorious inside the twelve round distance. The fight will be pretty even through the first eight rounds, with Mayweather and Hatton going back and forth taking rounds from each other. In some rounds, Hatton will be pressuring Floyd on the ropes and winning rounds by throwing more punches and keeping him on the defensive. In other rounds, Mayweather's defensive prowess, ring generalship, and accurate counterpunching will seize the momentum for him.

The championship rounds will tell the tale here in my opinion, and Mayweather, who has been in championship fights for almost ten years in various weight classes, will begin to showcase his experience. He may even have to dig down deep to put the fight out. Hatton throws those wide winging shots. That will keep Mayweather on his heels in the first half of the fight, and the British fans will be going "ahhhhhhhhhhh", but as the fight wears on, I see Hatton getting sloppier with that style and Mayweather coming down the middle with straighter and crisper shots catching Hatton coming in. Hatton, motivated and urged on by thousands of his countrymen in the crowd, will surely be putting forth his greatest effort, but technique, experience, and for once, being the bigger man, win this contest for Mayweather down the stretch.

Prediction: Mayweather by split decision.

Tune in to see "Undefeated" Mayweather vs Hatton live on HBO PPV at 9pm ET/6pm PT tomorrow night.