No Real Results From Skewed Weigh-In

LAS VEGAS -- With 6,000 screaming fans crammed into a cordoned off portion of the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday, Manny Pacquiao stepped onto a scale and tipped it at 138 pounds. Then came Ricky Hatton; his weight was announced at 140 pounds.

Too bad they aren't fighting this evening.

If there is one thing I've never liked about boxing it is the day-ahead weigh-in, particularly for a fight like this. Neither fighter will be near the light welterweight limit of 140 come Saturday night. Pacquiao will be closer to 148, which was what he weighed in knocking Oscar De La Hoya into retirement last December.

Hatton, whose one advantage in this fight is he is naturally bigger than Pacquiao, will work between the official weigh-in Friday and the opening bell Saturday night to emphasize he is the bigger man in the ring. He will beef up in the hours in between with plenty of protein and step into the ring Saturday probably weighing more than 150. Rumor was that he had trouble getting down to the max of 140 to begin with. He denied the accusation.

Getting bigger doesn't always work to a fighter's advantage, which was supposedly what did in Roberto Duran in his infamous No Mas bout with Sugar Ray Leonard. He spent the hours between weighing in and the opening bell beefing up on steak and orange juice and suffered diarrhea, along with some well-placed fists.

There isn't any chance, of course, that boxing will ever change this method of weigh-in. Promoters can't afford to have a guy not make weight just before stepping into the ring, which would force a nullification of whatever crown the fight was for or, at worst, force the cancellation of the bout.

But if Hatton has a decided size advantage in this fight and uses it to win this fight, then this fight won't be right. It'll be a super welterweight fight disguised as a light welterweight one, which isn't what we're being sold.

Kevin B. Blackistone is a panelist on ESPN's Around the Horn, the Shirley Povich Chair in Sports Journalism at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, and a former award-winning sports columnist for The Dallas Morning News. He lives in Silver Spring, Md.

Pacquiao-Hatton Photos

LAS VEGAS - MAY 01: Terry Mirlow, of London, holds a British flag as he cheers on Ricky Hatton of England after the weigh-in for Hatton's junior welterweight title fight against Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines at the MGM Grand Garden Arena May 1, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Terry Mirlow

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LAS VEGAS - MAY 01: Host/actor Mario Lopez attends the weigh-in for the junior welterweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Ricky Hatton of England at the MGM Grand Garden Arena May 1, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mario Lopez

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LAS VEGAS - MAY 01: (L-R) Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Ricky Hatton of England shake hands after both fighters stepped on the scale during the weigh-in for their junior welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena May 1, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Pacquiao;Ricky Hatton

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LAS VEGAS - MAY 01: Retired boxer/promoter Oscar De La Hoya attends the weigh-in for the junior welterweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Ricky Hatton of England at the MGM Grand Garden Arena May 1, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Oscar De La Hoya

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LAS VEGAS - MAY 01: (L-R) Humberto Soto of Mexico and Benoit Gaudet of Canada pose after their weigh-in for their super featherweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena May 1, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Humberto Soto;Benoit Gaudet

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LAS VEGAS - MAY 01: A fan of boxer Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines holds up a sign before the start of the weigh-in for Pacquiao's junior welterweight title fight against Ricky Hatton of England at the MGM Grand Garden Arena May 1, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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LAS VEGAS - MAY 01: Ricky Hatton of England answers questions from host/actor Mario Lopez after Hatton stepped on the scale at 140 pounds during the weigh-in for his junior welterweight title fight against Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines at the MGM Grand Garden Arena May 1, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ricky Hatton;Mario Lopez

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LAS VEGAS - MAY 01: Ricky Hatton of England steps on the scale at 140 pounds during the weigh-in for his junior welterweight title fight against Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines at the MGM Grand Garden Arena May 1, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ricky Hatton

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LAS VEGAS - MAY 01: Ricky Hatton of England looks up to the crowd after he weighed-in at 140 pounds during the weigh-in for his junior welterweight title fight against Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines at the MGM Grand Garden Arena May 1, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ricky Hatton

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