Mayweather hands it to Hatton
Monday, December 10th, 2007Lights out for the Hitman after ten rounds
Despite the presence of an overwhelmingly British crowd mustering all the support they could, it didn’t help the Hitman hold his own against the Pretty Boy.
Ricky Hatton dominated the first round, catching Floyd Mayweather Jr. out whenever he tried to dodge, and the Manchester-born brawler was definitely the aggressor throughout. Mayweather confidently countered will skill and superior technique, sitting back and weaving, landing a succession of speedy straight jabs, literally calling all the shots from the fourth round onwards.
In the tenth round, Mayweather unleashed a devastating left hook which floored Hatton, who got back up and walked straight into another left which sent him staggering into a neutral corner where he collapsed.
Despite winning, Pretty Boy Floyd was gracious in his victory “[Hatton] was definitely the toughest competitor I ever faced… I was throwing body shots, and he kept coming. I see now why they call him the ‘Hitman.’ But then I threw the check hook. They teach us that in northern Michigan in the amateurs, and he walked right into the shot. He never saw it coming.”
Hatton was also full of praise for Mayweather: “He’s very clever. He picked up a couple of shots, and that was that. I was forcing it, and I was doing well. I should have been a touch more careful. He knocked me out, but he wasn’t the hardest puncher I’ve ever fought. He’s very accurate.”
Hatton insisted that he wasn’t going to throw in the towel just yet, instantly sparking rumours of a grudge match. “Knock me down, I keep getting up. Ricky Hatton is still going to fight.” Mayweather has made vague hints in the press that this match was to be his last, and so any hopes of Hatton seeking revenge may well be dashed. Post-match he said “I have nothing else to prove to the world.”
Straight after the bout in Vegas, Hatton, battered and bruised, made an appearance at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year alongside the Welsh boxing star Joe Calzaghe, the undefeated world super-middleweight champion, who received the trophy from Lennox Lewis.
