Pacquiao/Hatton Madness

Amidst the hoopla and circus of the NFL draft and all the pain and drama that Redskins fans like myself are subject to, I have been finding it hard to carve out time for too much else in the sporting world. However, the upcoming Ricky Hatton – Manny Pacquiao fight is the one event that I’m following. For the record, I’m predicting (and rooting for) a Pacquiao victory. Seeing Manny dismantle perhaps my least favorite all-time athlete, Oscar De La Hoya, was one of my greatest boxing memories. It’s no secret that the heavyweight division is terrible right now in boxing, which I think is the primary cause for mixed martial arts stealing away its popularity, but Pacquiao is as fascinating of a fighter as you will ever see.

HBO has been doing a good job hyping the fight with its 24/7 show that gives us a behind the scenes look at both camps as they prep for the fight, and episode 3, which just aired, really has me pumped for the matchup. I was also really glad to hear Sammy Davis Jr.’s “The Goin’s Great” play at the beginning of this episode. Something about Sammy always makes me get images in my head of Vegas, which always sets the mood right for a good fighter. Written by Stan Applebaum and Sammy Cahn, “The Goin’s Great” is Sammy Davis Jr. at his best. Check out the video below: