While a lot of the usa will be glued to their television sets throughout the late afternoon early evening to watch and bet on the 2009 Kentucky Derby Saturday, there’s another significant wagering event that happens after that night: It is Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton, both of whom possess huge loyal followings back home (Pacquiao, the Philippines and Ricky Hatton, the United Kingdom).
That is the struggle to win despite the pros being over Pacquiao of anyone. The oddsmakers at Sportingbet.com had Pacquiao as a -223 favourite. Hatton would pay out well at +180 odds (US$100 pays US$180). (please be aware that Sportingbet does not take US players. Those residing in the United States can wager at Super Book)
Here is what’s at stake for Manny Pacquiao in this fight (a la ESPN.com):
If Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs), the betting favorite, dethrones England’s Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs), he’ll accomplish something no fighter in boxing history has ever done, and that is to assert the lineal championship at a fourth division. Lineal, as in the guy who beat the man, who overcome the guy, who overcome the guy, etc.. To put it differently, he’ll be considered the”real” winner at a fourth division, not just a mere titleholder, the way he had been when he claimed his junior featherweight belt and lightweight title.
“Pacquiao goes down as one of the greats when he can reach a junior welterweight championship to go together with his additional hardware,” said boxing historian and occasional ESPN.com contributor Bert Sugar. “Reason being — it is not only difficult to replicate this many weight classes, but since you have equaled and handed greats like a Henry Armstrong, greats like Alexis Arguello. The way he’s done it, we still don’t know his fighting weight that is true. Even with all the belts, he the champion in many weight classes. I make him out to be the Asian fighter of all time and conceivably one of the greatest fighters of all time when he can carry off this.
“Now, we have far more titles, but it still doesn’t dim or in any way decrease what Manny Pacquiao has performed ”
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