Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd in Las Vegas, Nevada, which will easily be the most anticipated boxing event of the year.

Hatton has a tall order in this fight as it is still unclear whether he has overcome his last main event, which resulted in an ugly 10th round TKO at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

After the bout, Hatton cried himself to sleep in bed for weeks, which is a big concern as he heads into his biggest fight since. Hatton’s head clearly wasn’t focused when he fought Juan Lazcano in a tight match, which shouldn’t have been that close. He then easy disposed of Paulie Malignaggi but it didn’t feel like the same Ricky Hatton in the ring.

Boxing betting fans know that after a knockout, a fighter is never the same. That appears to be the case for Hatton, although this fight will present him an opportunity to reassert his career.

He is now training under Floyd Mayweather Sr., which is a very interesting mix. Like Mayweather Jr., Mayweather Sr. is a cocky, arrogant person, which is a personality clash with the humble Hatton. Furthermore, Hatton is an aggressive fighter and Mayweather Sr. is teaching him defense.

The tag team just doesn’t feel right and it doesn’t look right either.

On the flip side, you won’t find a fighter and trainer that are closer than Pacquiao and his trainer, Freddie Roach. Roach has his fighter humming right now and it’s hard to envision him stumbling against Hatton.

There is one change in the Pacquiao camp and that is the addition of former Heavyweight boxer Michael Moore. Roach, who is dealing with Parkinson’s disease, is really burdened with the recovery and the preparation for the upcoming fight, so he invited Moore to give him a hand. Moore will provide an additional perspective to the fighters and in the meantime, with Roach still in control of the camp, the addition of Moore should be viewed as a help and not interference.

Hatton had a lot of problems with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s speed but he may be set to face an even more dangerous animal in this fight. Pacquiao is fast but his punches also pack some power. Furthermore, Pacquiao doesn’t dance around the ring as much as Mayweather Jr. and if Hatton hasn’t improved his defense, this fight could be a quick one.

Either way, don’t expect this fight to go the distance as boxing betting fans know that both of these fighters are aggressors. But with Hatton struggling to recover from his loss to Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao in his prime, expect Pacquiao the one to be raising his gloves at the end.

The Pick: Manny Pacquiao (-275)