10.12.07 – By Tony Nobbs: Floyd Mayweather junior retained his WBC and Ring Magazine welterweight championships and is mythical pound for pound title in a fairly one sided affair against two division champion Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
In what was a showcase of his supreme skill, Mayweather dominated most rounds and all but finished the contest with a perfect left hook with 1.57 left in the tenth round. Somehow the pride of Manchester, England, as ballsy a fighter there is, got up but was saved from further punishment a few seconds later, just before he sagged to the floor after a Mayweather combination. As referee Joe Cortez grabbed Mayweather away, Ricky fell to the canvas and the white towel came flying in from his blue corner..
The punch that scored the first knock down was set up in the opening seconds of the fight and was being better timed through out. Mayweather won the fight with speed and timing, he couldn’t miss with sneaky right hands and lead left hooks but it was on the inside he made the statement and Ricky spent a lot of energy wrestling and not scoring with loaded up shots. Standing his ground, smothering in close, nullifying Hatton’s leverage to land his bread and butter body shots, landing quick counters after Hatton threw and either missed or landed on arms, shoulders and elbows, it was a masterful performance in every manner.
After a big round eight where he snapped Ricky’s head back with flush rights, Mayweather got around to the jab in the ninth and the fight was beyond Hatton’s grasp. He ran out of ideas and coming straight in, got clocked by a perfect left hook as Floyd spun out of the way. Ricky buckled into the corner post and landed flat on his back. Seconds after beating the count and being hit with a couple of lesser punches he was totally spent and Cortes showed why he is one of the very best third men in the business. Official time: 1 min 35. At the end, Mayweather was up by 8, 8 and 6 points. Hatton deducted a point round six for hitting to the back of head as Floyd was half way through the ropes. TV replays indicated the punch missed.
This writer has been a Mayweather man since the start of Pretty Boy’s career – The Black Mamba – his uncle and trainer Roger was also one of my favorites. Where does Hatton go from here? Who knows. There are big money fights, he’s still a draw card and can command big money fights. This loss could either make him a completely better fighter or bring him back to the field at 140. He is always going to absorb punishment because of his in your face style and a Junior Whitter type could have a field day pot shotting him if he comes back damaged goods. However, he’d most probably still be good enough to win more titles and make great pay days.
As for Floyd? He’s the best today – daylight possibly second! A match up with Miguel Cotto is one that would get us up for it but right now, we should just sit back and appreciate how great the man is.
An Olympic Bronze. Hatton, De La Hoya, Baldomir, Judah, Gatti, Castillo, Corrales, Chavez, Vargas, Manfredy, Hernandez. Six world titles in five weight classes. Undefeated. The Hall of Fame awaits him. How would he have gone in different era’s. Whitaker out points him him, Chavez and De La Hoya he beats, Leonard , Duran, Benitez and Hearns? Forget it.
Where would he rate among the All Time Greats? Time will tell but put it this way: Sweet Pea struggles to make top 20.
My dynamite dozen P4P today:
1.Floyd Mayweather jnr
2. Joe Calzaghe
3. Manny Pacquio
4. Bernard Hopkins
5.Cory Spinks
6.Winky Wright
7.J.M.Marquez and Chris John*
8.Miguel Cotto
9.Israel Vasquez
10.Ivan Calderon
11.Ricky Hatton
12. Junior Whitter
* Please Note: Until I am able to view the tape of Marquez v John I will rate them equal as I have heard differing reports.