Boxing / Graham Lewis / 02 February 2009 / Leave a comment

The latest boxing market added to Betfair sees the long anticipated bout between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao finally set to happen. It had looked for a while that the opportunity would pass, as terms could not be agreed.

This fight is going to be a big test for Britain's Ricky Hatton. He has recovered well after his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr with two recent wins. Filipino Manny Pacquiao however is currently the best pound for pound fighter in the world and has not lost since 2005.

My heart is really with Hatton. He is a man who really connects with his fans and appears to not to carry an ego. He is famed for his love for food and beer when not in training. He even admits to having a pre-fight breakfast which consists of: four sausages, three rashers of bacon, two pieces of Spam, three fried eggs, two slices of black pudding, two hash browns, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, two slices of toast and coffee! I am not sure what Manny will be eating, but I am guessing it would contain slightly less fat.

It is clear though; even with a mega breakfast Hatton is going to have to fight the fight of his life to beat Pacquiao. I think the current odds of 2.84 for Hatton (at time of writing) are fair. I can see this coming down in play though. Hatton will not go down easily, so the odds should come in as the fight goes on. This could make the make for a great trading opportunity. For a straight win bet though, I would go for Pacquiao.

Graham Lewis