Patriotic punt: Hatton is 3.05 on Betfair to beat Pacquiao

Ricky Hatton v Manny Pacquiao, Saturday 10pm, Sky Box Office

Ricky Hatton has been talking this week about how he enjoys being the underdog. The only problem there is that the last time he was cast in such a role was against Floyd Mayweather Jnr when he suffered his first loss. Here’s why the Hitman stands a better chance of defying the odds this time:

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» Hatton has a stronger win-loss record than Pacquiao. The Hitman has won 45 of his 46 career fights (98% win rate) whereas the Filipino has won 48 of 53, losing three, which gives him a 91% win rate.

» The Mancunian’s only defeat occurred at the MGM Grand but “Pac-Man” has won just one of his last three fights there.

» Pacquiao later won elsewhere against Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales, the two men he failed to beat at the MGM, indicating that he underperforms there.

Posted: May 1st, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Why Ricky Hatton is unlikely to knock Paul Malignaggi out

Hatton versus Malignaggi, Sky Box Office, Best Odds, Free Bets

(Photo credit: Nick Potts/PA Wire)

It’s unlikely that Ricky Hatton will be knocked out in Las Vegas for the second time in a year because his opponent Paul Malignaggi has won just five of his 26 fights by KO, the last of which came over five years ago.

However, Hatton is equally, if not more, unlikely to knock the New Yorker out because Malignaggi has not once in his career suffered a KO defeat. His only loss came against Miguel Angel Cotto in 2006 by a unanimous decision.

Betfair offer 2.24 on Hatton winning on points while Boylesports offer a best-price 3/1 on Malignaggi winning in that fashion.

Posted: November 21st, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Sports Personality of the Year 2008: The Contenders

Hamilton enters as favourite for second successive year

Lewis Hamilton
The last two non-Olympians to win the trophy in a year where the Games took place were Britain’s last two Formula One champions: Nigel Mansell in 1992 and Damon Hill in 1996. There does however appear to be some resentment about his decision to switch Stevenage to Switzerland to dodge taxes and that may have dented his popularity slightly.

Rebecca Adlington
The nineteen-year-old from Mansfield became the most successful British swimmer in a hundred years by winning two gold medals in Beijing. However, the last woman to win an Olympic swimming gold - Anita Lonsbrough in 1960 - only came third in that year’s Sports Personality of the Year. She did win the award two years later though and remains the only female swimmer ever to have done so.

Chris Hoy
There have numerous occasions where this award has been won by the Brit who came closest to winning something so it speaks volumes for Britain’s sporting success this year that Hoy, the first Brit since Henry Taylor in 1908 to win three gold medals at one Olympic Games, is only third-favourite. The only cyclist to have previously won the award was Tom Simpson in 1965.

Posted: November 7th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | 2 Comments