Why The Hitman has met his match in Pacman, the people's king.

Floyd Mayweather Jr is rumoured to be on his way back and that can only be good for boxing. The defensive master exemplified how you can win a fight without being the aggressor. His popularity wavered. He was messiah in the eyes of the purists yet to some his style was infuriating and he became a pantomime villain, a role he loved to play. His status as our pound-for-pound king of boxing made his personality disappointing for the average boxing fan. Floyd was enigmatic on camera, he showed flashes of humility and happiness, but his overwhelming persona was one of contemptuous arrogance. However his unblemished record was a testament to the fact that he was unique and no-one had found a way to beat him.

But boxing needed a hero. As Floyd fought  withered opponents such as Arturo Gatti and Carlos Baldomir, perhaps side-stepping the more dangerous fights against Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao slowly dissected an array of the worlds best super-featherweights in exhilarating fashion.

His style was selfless. He didn't just fight for himself, he fought for the sport and the fans.  He exhibited lightening speed, pin-point accuracy and knock out power in his stinging left hand. Not to mention his adorable, humble showmanship. His uncultured defence left him open to the counter-punch, but his ferocity could not be contained. Juan Manuel Marquez discovered this in both their epic fights, where the Mexican, who possesses sublime skill and a gorgeous, intelligent counter-punching style, found the Philipeano a little hot to handle. Who actually won those fights is an argument which will continue throughout history, but it cannot be questioned that the more dangerous of the two was always the Pacman.

Pacquiao has evolved before our eyes. He has slowly shed his former, wreckless style for a seemingly unbeatable combination of speed, timing, precision and power. He has realised, with some help from Freddy Roach, that he can pick his opponents apart, methodically and systematically. Before he was like an animal possessed. He would stand in front of his opponents without a huge amount of lateral movement, footwork or strategy. He was looking to engage, trade and utilise his dynamite hands. Now he glides in and out, picks his punches, always moving, fainting, bobbing. He waits patiently before moving in for the kill, throwing that damaging straight-left hand, which never fails to breach the guard of and surprise his opponents. His precise, potent combinations are so quick they're a blur and it's no wonder the whole crowd erupts in exhaltation.

If he does get caught, it seems to have a peverse affect on Pacman, where he will become excited and turn on the showmanship, bashing his fists together or reassuringly raising his gloves high above his head. The peoples king in his element. Outside the ring he is perhaps the most humble champion in recent history. He refuses to engage in verbal warfare or the pre-fight boxing pantomime which often ensued where Mayweather Jr was involved. To him, boxing is ultimately a job, the promoter his employer and the fans his to serve.

Pacman's next opponent, Ricky Hatton,will draw thousands of loyal supporters and will safely mark the occasion in our history books. It's a fight for the fans, a clash of two of boxng's heroes. Hatton came up short against Mayweather Jr, but has never ducked a challenge and remains a dominant force in the 140 pound weight division. Questions were raised after he was picked apart and eventually stopped by Mayweather Jr, but he answered those questions emphatically, winning every round in his comeback fight against Juan Lazcarno and then rolling back the years with a brutal 11th round annihilation of the highly-rated Paulie Malignaggi.

Hatton's intelligence, speed and footwork are all underrated. He comes forward and his style is relentless, but he is unpredictable and possesses some beautiful shots in his repetoire. Uppercuts, hooks, body-shots - he has them all and can unleash them to devastating effect. Pacman beware. Hatton confuses his opponents with medium-range shots, particularly his leading left, which will create openings for him at close range. Apart from Mayweather Jr, those who have tried counter-punch Hatton have failed and been overwhelmed.

But a glaring fact remains, Ricky has been rocked in multiple fights by walking into punches as he ploughs into close range. Trainer Mayweather Sr has tried to eradicate this from his game and in the Malignaggi fight we saw a much-improved Hatton, who was harder to hit. But Pacquiao is in the form of his life, punching harder than ever and his accuracy is a genuine concern for Hatton, who has a fair bit of scar tissue around his eyes.

If Pacquiao quickly opens a cut it could be a torrid night for Hatton. But I believe the fight will be a classic. Hatton will hurt Pacquiao as the two engage toe-to-toe and we could see Manny in troubled waters against the unrelenting Manchunian who has never looked in trouble, fighting at his comfortable 140lb weight. But if Pacquiao uses his jab, stays off the ropes and fights smart, he will simply outbox Hatton. He is too fast, his combinations are too quick. Although Hatton won't stop coming forward, he will be tire, slow down as he is picked apart and leave himself open in the later rounds for a spectacular finish for Pacman.

The beauty of this fight is that there will be moments for both fighters throughout, and it is guaranteed to deliver an awe-inspiring spectacle for the public. Sadly, it could mark the end of Ricky Hatton. He deserves his shot at the best, but if he falls short again, I don't see much motivation for him to continue - unless a Mayweather Jr rematch presents itself. The Hitman is convinced he can beat Mayweather and was hindered by the referee Joe Cortez in the last fight. I think a better fight would be Mayweather Jr putting it all on the line against Pacquiao. But that's the stuff of fantasy, let's enjoy what will be a momentous fight on May 2nd as two of boxing's most popular heroes battle for pound-for-pound supremacy.