Ricky Hatton: Manny Pacquiao Gambles With Every Punch, I’ll Make Him Pay

As Ricky Hatton prepares to defend his world junior welterweight title against Manny Pacquiao on May 2, most boxing experts think Hatton won’t be able to withstand Pacquiao’s punching power for 12 rounds.
But Hatton has other ideas. He says Pacquiao takes too many risks with his aggressive, hard-punching style, and that as soon as Hatton makes him miss with a hard shot, Pacquiao will be off-balance and ripe for the taking.
“I think Manny, because he’s so aggressive, he sometimes gambles with every punch,” Hatton said. “He puts everything he’s got into that left cross and he drills the whole right back. I think if you can make him miss, I think sometimes he puts that much into his punch. I think if you can make him miss, he’s very open and he’s off balance, and along with my head move and my hand speed, my footwork and everything will work. And now, if he misses, he’s going to have some big shots waiting for him.”
Hatton also said he has improved as a boxer and he doesn’t believe Pacquiao is going to be adequately prepared for the way he fights.
“Manny’s probably watching videos of Ricky Hatton, all the videos that he’s watching will be the old Ricky Hatton, and then when the new Ricky Hatton turns up, I think he’s going to get a shock,” Hatton said, speaking of himself in the third person. “I think one thing that won’t shock him is my strength and my size, which I think obviously if he’s not preparing for it, he should be. But I think there’s a technical side, the defensive work and the speed is going to shock him more than anything.”
Hatton added that he expects to walk into the ring at about 154 pounds, meaning he’ll have a significant size advantage over Pacquiao, Hatton is the underdog, but he exudes confidence.

Rapper Francis Magalona passes away

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 6) Rapper-TV host Francis Magalona died Friday at the Medical City in Pasig City, his co-hosts at the GMA Network’s noontime show “Eat Bulaga” said. He was 44.
Magalona succumbed to multiple organ failure “secondary to severe sepsis and secondary to pneumonia,” according to a hospital source.
He passed away at 12 noon, said Philippine Daily Inquirer sources.
The acclaimed rapper-musician was rushed to the Medical City on Thursday night, Inquirer sources said. He was “intubated” upon admission and placed in the Intensive Care Unit at 3 a.m. Friday.
He was described as “toxic” during the early hours of Friday, the Inquirer sources said.
Doctors still managed to administer chemotherapy on Magalona. He expired before a bone marrow transplant could be scheduled, they said.
Magalona had been undergoing several chemotherapy sessions since he was diagnosed with leukemia in August last year but was too weak to fight the infection, sources said.
Magalona is the son of popular 1950s movie tandem Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran.
“I don't want a media circus. I want privacy with my family,” Francis said in a phone interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, after reports of his illness broke out.
“What I'd rather talk about is how we can solicit blood donations to replace the supply that I have consumed in the hospital,” said Magalona, the father of eight children.
Francis' wife, Pia Arroyo-Magalona, said her husband started exhibiting symptoms in March this year. “It was very gradual, hindi siya biglaang lumabas [it didn't manifest right away].”
Magalona was supposed to perform “Superproxy” with the Eraserheads in the band’s reunion concert, “The Final Set” at the SM Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City on Saturday.
He had been in collaboration with Eraserheads and Pupil frontman Ely Buendia for an album to be released this year.
Telecommunications giant PLDT also scheduled in April a golf tournament fund-raiser for Magalona.
Magalona is survived by his wife Pia, and children Maxene, Saab, Unna, Nicolo, Francis Jr., Elmo, Arkin, and Clara.
Magalona started his career as a break dancer in the early 1980s before appearing in several movies, including a lead role in Viva Films “Bagets 2.” He then worked as a disc jockey for the defunct radio station DMZ in the late 80s and then ventured into TV hosting, as a regular of the noontime show “Eat…Bulaga!” and a VJ for MTV Asia. He was also a judge in “Philippine Idol” the original local franchise of the international Fremantle reality singing talent search.
At the same time, he took the musical route as the well-known rapper-songwriter, with his ground breaking hit “Mga Kababayan Ko” in his debut 1990 album “’Yo” that also spawned the hit ballad “Cold Summer Nights.” Several albums followed, “Rap is FrancisM,” “Meron Akong Ano?,” and “Freeman” that further proved his mastery of the genre.
Magalona’s remains lie in state at the Christ the King church in Greenmeadows, Quezon City. According to wife Pia, Magalona’s wake will be open to the public starting at 6 a.m. Saturday.
With Pocholo Concepcion and Marinel Cruz, Philippine Daily Inquirer