MATTHEW HATTON vs BEN TACKIE

Before Ricky Hatton takes to the ring on Saturday his younger brother, Matthew, will be boxing on the undercard at the MGM Grand. Matthew has a tough fight, too, as he has been matched with Ghana’s durable and experienced Ben Tackie in a 10-rounder.

The match weight of welterweight will help Hatton, who is the bigger man, and at 27 he is eight years younger than Tackie.

Yet even with these advantages I am not sure that Hatton can overcome someone as seasoned, resilient and persistent as Tackie.

Although Tackie has lost four fights in a row he always gives a good account of himself. He is a basic but solid professional, a bit plodding and predictable but nonetheless able to put pressure on his opponents and throw hard punches from either hand.

Hatton apparently had quite a difficult time in his last fight when he outpointed Scott Woolford, a boxer who had never been past four rounds and who was having only his ninth bout. However, he has won a few fights in the U.S. on his brother’s supporting cards, so boxing in a big American arena is nothing new to him. As Ricky outpointed Tackie in 2003 he has probably been able to give his brother some useful tips on fighting him.

I wouldn’t be surprised if either man wins this fight. Hatton, I think, is a slightly better boxer than many in Britain give him credit for being, and he is a hard-working type of fighter. I am expecting a close fight here, with Hatton winning rounds just by being busier, but I have the feeling that Tackie is going to start getting through with the right hand after the halfway stage. If Tackie can hit clever boxers such as Henry Bruseles, I have to think he can hit Hatton. I see this as being a close, competitive fight but I think that Tackie’s experience at the highest level and his steady forward movement will prove a little too much for the younger, bigger man. I’ll take Tackie, probably on a close decision.