Hatton camp believes body punch key to ‘Hitman’ win

MANILA, Philippines – The team of Ricky Hatton believes the powerful body punch that knocked the lights out of the Englishman’s several opponents in the past would also served as Manny Pacquiao’s downfall. “I know for a fact that if Ricky hits Manny in the body, he’ll go down," admitted a confident Lee Beard, the reliable assistant of Floyd Mayweather Sr. in Hatton’s corner. Beard said that of Pacquiao’s three career losses, two of them were courtesy of well-placed body shots. Rustico Torrecampo was the first to inflict a blot in the Filipino ring icon’s career record by sending then a young, gangling Pacquiao to the canvass with a single body shot. The other came at the hands of Thai Medgoen Singsurat after a dehydrated Pacquiao, failing to make the weight, fought him in their World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title fight. With a fighter that packs a mean punching prowess like Hatton, Beard is sure that the popular southpaw from General Santos City would crumple down once he got hit below. “If Ricky lands anywhere on Manny, he’s gonna feel it. What he (Hatton) hits, he hits," said Beard, who added he doesn’t see the fight going 12 rounds. – GMANews.TV