By Ronnie Nathanielsz

WORLD Boxing Council president Don Jose Sulaiman predicted that Manny Pacquiao will have a tough fight against Britain’s International Boxing Organization light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton in their showdown on May 2.

Titled “Battle of East and West,” the clash will be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with featherweight Bernabe Concepcion taking on World Boxing Organization featherweight champion Steven Luevano in an undercard title fight.

“I believe it will be a tough fight for Manny because Hatton has a very, very difficult style,” Sulaiman told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports. “Hatton comes in with four, five punches and then holds so he won’t let the opponent punch back.”

He also pointed out that 140 pounds is the natural weight for Hatton.

“I personally didn’t want Pacquiao to fight Hatton, but the choice was up to Pacquiao and promoter Bob Arum,” said Sulaiman.

Boxing writer Mark Vester reported in a story on Boxing Scene that he had spoken to Hatton’s trainer Lee Beard, who will work alongside Floyd Mayweather Sr.

He said Beard doesn’t feel Pacquiao will be able to stay with Hatton for the first six rounds.

“Freddie Roach was overestimating what Pacquiao can do,” said Beard, who added that Roach’s views were based on the Pacman’s ninth-round demolition of lightweight champion David Diaz and his eighth-round mauling of Oscar de la Hoya.

Beard stressed that if Hatton fought Diaz, he would be way too fast, big and strong and would have stopped the Mexican between three and five rounds.

“If he [Hatton] was in the ring with Oscar [de la Hoya] on that same night, it would have ended in four,” said Beard.