Mayweather knocks out brave Hatton

Sports News : Monday December 10, 2007

BOXING / WBC WELTERWEIGHT TITLE

Mayweather knocks out brave Hatton

Ugly brawl ends with stunning stoppage

Las Vegas, Nevada / Floyd Mayweather stopped England's Ricky Hatton in the 10th round to win a brawling showdown of unbeaten fighters here Saturday, keeping the World Boxing Council welterweight crown.

Mayweather knocked Hatton down with a damaging left to the chin as the British fighter was swinging a punch of his own. Hatton rose but the American star followed with a hammering left hook and a dazed Hatton fell moments later.

''I threw a hook and he walked right into it. He never saw it coming,'' Mayweather said. ''I wanted to show the fans I could punch with power.''

Mayweather improved to 39-0 with his 25th victory inside the distance when referee Joe Cortez halted a bout filled with clinching and bumping at 1:35 of the 10th round.

''I already knew coming into the ring it was going to be tough, that he was going to try to rough me up,'' Mayweather said. ''I took my time. I fought on the inside and the outside. A true champion can adapt to anything.''

Hatton suffered his first defeat after 43 triumphs but earned respect for a gutty effort.

''He was definitely the toughest competitor I've ever faced,'' Mayweather said. ''I threw a lot of body shots, and he still kept coming. I can see why they call him the 'Hitman'.''

Cortez deducted a point from Hatton for hitting Mayweather behind the head in round six. All three judges would have scored the round even otherwise.

''I was doing fine until I lost that point,'' Hatton said. ''I thought then I had better put the foot down and I left myself open.''

Hatton knew he was trailing on points and pressed harder than he wanted in later rounds, leaving himself open to Mayweather in the 10th.

''I thought I was doing well in the fight until then,'' Hatton said. ''When I went down I felt more like a mug for leaving myself open like that.

''I had success. I was really there. I gave him the chance and he took it.''

The end came moments after the final blow with Hatton flat on his back by the ropes as Mayweather jumped for joy to celebrate victory.

''I'll be back. Don't worry,'' Hatton said. ''I'm sorry everybody.''

Hatton's punches in the sixth left Mayweather doubled over the middle rope, his head and chest outside the ring.

After the deduction, an already-bloodied Hatton responded by turning his rear to Cortez and Mayweather and bending over. When the fighting resumed, Hatton battled back, forcing an up-close and against the ropes fight.

''I didn't quite stick to my game plan,'' Hatton said. ''He's not the biggest welterweight I've ever fought, but he was strong. I don't think he was the hardest puncher here, but he was a lot cleverer than I thought.''

Mayweather slammed a devastating right punch that snapped back Hatton's head one minute into the eighth round and landed a flurry late in the ninth.

While the gutsy Englishman battled back both times, he was clearly tiring and the end was near.

''I felt really strong,'' Hatton said. ''I left myself open and he's better inside than I thought he was, using all of his elbows, shoulders and forearms.''

Hatton had staggered Mayweather with a hard left in a furious first round and pressed the attack in the second, cornering the champion time and again.

Mayweather answered with a straight right to the head and the fighters clinched time and again, prompting Cortez to twice halt the round to caution them about grappling and improper punches.

Mayweather opened a cut above Hatton's right eye in the third round with a powerful right and followed with two punishing rights in a fourth-round flurry, inflicting a toll on Hatton's head and body.

Hatton's popularity as an aggressive fighter and fun-loving pub personality helped draw thousands of vocal British supporters to the US gambling mecca for the biggest fight of his career.

They cheered locker-room video of Hatton, booed Mayweather lustily and began several rounds of singing ''Hatton Wonderland'' before their man entered the ring _ a replay of Friday's rowdy weigh-in mood.

''UK fans, you guys are unreal,'' Mayweather said.

Hatton supporters sang along with ''God Save the Queen'' before the bout, but booed throughout the US anthem, ''The Star-Spangled Banner''.

''I'm disappointed by that,'' Hatton said. - AFP

By : Bangkok Post