Boxing's Little Icons Prep For Duel

Saturday will see a boxing matchup sure to draw countless diehard fans: Filipino Manny Pacquiao, considered the sport’s “pound-for-pound best,” versus Britiain's Ricky Hatton, the current International Boxing Organization junior welterweight champ. “When Manny fights, everything stops in the Philippines,” a Manila journalist tells the Wall Street Journal. And a million Brits got up at 4am to see a Hatton match in Las Vegas, said a promoter.

“I can't wait for the fight. It doesn't get any better than fighting the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” said Hatton. He knows how to pressure an opponent, a key strategy to beating lefties like Pacquaio. Pacquiao predicts “great action.” But neither is great on defense, and the fight will likely hinge on self-control.
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