Two

HBO Championship Boxing PPV

Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton

May 2, 2009

MGM Grand Garden Arena

 Las Vegas, Nevada

Featured Bout:

IBO & RING Magazine Jr. Welterweight Title Bout (12 Rds)

Champion Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) vs. Manny Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs)

______________________________________________________________________________

Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao And Ricky "Hitman" Hatton

Officially Announce...

"The Battle of East And West"

World Junior Welterweight Championship Set For

Saturday, May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas

Live on HBO Pay-Per-View

LAS VEGAS - The anticipation is growing and the stage is now set for two of boxing's biggest stars, Ring

Magazine's number one ranked pound for pound fighter MANNY "Pacman" PACQUIAO and IBO and Ring

Magazine World Junior Welterweight Champion RICKY "The Hitman" HATTON to meet in "The Battle of

East and West," Saturday, May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. These two boxing artists, who will rumble

for Hatton's World Junior Welterweight Championships, will have a 20 x 20 foot canvas to paint a black and

blue masterpiece that the world is anxiously waiting to see. Pacquiao and Hatton boast a combined record

of 93-4-2 (68 KOs), a winning percentage of 94% and a victory by knockout ratio of 73%. The bout will be

produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton "The Battle of East and West," presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and promoted by

Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions is a 12-

round bout for Hatton's IBO and Ring Magazine World Junior Welterweight title. The fight is also sponsored

by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines. Tickets, priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300 and $150, can be

purchased through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available

online at www.mgmgrand.com.

"When Manny Pacquiao goes into the ring he fights for his country, the Philippines, and millions of Filipinos

worldwide," said Bob Arum, Chairman, Top Rank, Inc. "He is a tremendous athlete and unlike any other

champion we have ever promoted. When Manny walks to the ring he carries the weight of his country on his

shoulders and he fights with all of his heart, every second of every round."

"We are very excited that this fight has been made, as it is the fight fans wanted and the one I look forward

to seeing myself," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "This fight has all the

makings of a "Fight of the Year" candidate and I think Hatton will dethrone Pacquiao and become boxing's

pound-for-pound king."

"MGM Grand is thrilled to be hosting what we anticipate will be one of the biggest fights of 2009," said

Richard Sturm, president of Sports and Entertainment for MGM MIRAGE. "As we continue our tradition of

hosting the top names in sports and entertainment, this spectacular boxing match will not only be a battle

between two great champions but will offeran electric and international atmosphere for the fans."

"Pacquiao-Hatton features two of the sport's biggest and most exciting stars -- the Pacman against the

Hitman -- in a battle to determine who is The Man," said Mark Taffet, HBO Senior Vice President of Sports

Operations & Pay-Per-View.

Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) secured his claim as the 2008 Fighter of the Year, a year reminiscent of what

Hall of Fame fighter Henry Armstrong did in 1937-1938, winning three fights in three different weight divisions,

two of which were world titles. Armstrong is the only man to hold three world championships simultaneously,

capturing world titles at featherweight, welterweight and lightweight (in that order) during a nine-month span

between November 1937 and August 1938. Pacquiao, officially proclaimed a National Treasure by the

Philippines, captured the WBC World Super Featherweight title last March by defeating Juan Manuel

Marquez and the WBC World Lightweight title in June by knocking out defending champion David Diaz. He

completed his personal trifecta by stopping Oscar de la Hoya in a welterweight battle on December 6.

Pacquiao's last two victories were in his debut fight in each weight division with the latter fight being two full

divisions above his previous fight. Pacquiao, 30, has won 24 of his last 25 bouts, blitzing through boxing's

best fighters since 2003 including Erik Morales (TKO 10, KO 3,), Marco Antonio Barrera (TKO 11, W 12),

Marquez (D 12, W 12,), Diaz (TKO 9) and De La Hoya (KO 8). Pacquiao was previously named the 2006

Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine.

"I always like new challenges and this is why I am anxious to fight Ricky Hatton," said Pacquiao. "My

trainer Freddie Roach will put together a new game plan which will be much different than the one we used

against Oscar (de la Hoya). Hatton is a very strong puncher so I must deal with that in the ring. I promise I

will be completely prepared and will do my best for all of my fans in the Philippines and around the world."

The storied career of Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs), an international superstar hailing from Manchester, England,

began in 1997 and for the last 12 years he has been thrilling fight fans around the world with his aggressive

style in the ring and down to earth attitude outside of the ring. Owner of victories over world champions

Kostya Tszyu, Vince Phillips, Paulie Malignaggi, Luis Collazo, Jose Luis Castillo, Juan Urango and Carlos

Maussa, Hatton is a two division world champion. He fell short of the pound-for-pound best fighter title and

world welterweight championships in his 2007 super-fight against Floyd Mayweather. However, the 30-year-

old bounced back impressively at his natural weight of 140 pounds last May when he scored a near shutout

12-round unanimous decision over Juan Lazcano. His most recent fight was a scintillating shutout

performance against world champion Malignaggi last November, ending with an 11th round TKO for "The

Hitman." Hatton was honored as the 2005 Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers

Association of America.

"I'm really excited to get back in the ring in Vegas after knocking out Malignaggi in November," said Hatton.

"I am confident that I am the fighter to take down the pound-for-pound champion and I believe I will be

victorious on May 2nd."

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special

events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-

the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights

between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar De La Hoya vs. Bernard Hopkins and George

Foreman vs. Michael Moorer; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen,

Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, Backstreet Boys, 'N

Sync, Sting, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena is

also home to the annual FOX Billboard Music Awards, the annual Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children

Benefit and the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMA). For room packages and availability at MGM

Grand, call (800) 929-1111 or (702) 891-7777 or log onto the World Wide Web at www.mgmgrand.com.

The Pacquiao vs. Hatton pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail

price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71

million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD.

HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Pacquiao

vs. Hatton fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.

Please visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.toprank.com or www.rickyhitmanhatton.com for upcoming

announcements.

 

- Press Release issued by Golden Boy Promotions with a little editing from us (color, etc...)

Subject to change

(3/3/09)