Floyd flattens Hatton

Floyd Mayweather Jr. didn't need to dance to remain undefeated. But he still wound up doing a number on Ricky Hatton on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden.

Mayweather used his superior boxing skills to score a 10th-round technical knockout of the Englishman, retaining his WBC welterweight title and improving his undefeated record to 39-0 with 25 KOs.

"I took my time," Mayweather said. "I fought inside and out. A true champion can adapt to anything."

Mayweather was comfortably ahead on all three judges' scorecards, 89-81, 89-81 and 88-82, when he ended it 1:35 into the 10th round.

A big left hook by Mayweather a minute into the round sent Hatton to the canvas. He tried to regroup, but Mayweather was all over him and another flurry sent Hatton to the deck a second time.

Trainer Billy Graham threw in the towel before referee Joe Cortez could count to 10. Hatton would leave Las Vegas a loser for the first time in 44 pro fights.

"I threw the check hook they teach us in Northern Michigan and he walked right into it," said Mayweather, a Grand Rapids, Mich., native who lives in Las Vegas. "He never saw it coming."

Hatton admitted he got a little careless at times and it cost him.

"I felt really big and strong but I left myself open," Hatton said. "I didn't quite stick to my game plan."

Mayweather nearly had Hatton down and out in the eighth round. He unleashed a flurry of 18 punches to Hatton's head and body. Somehow, Hatton not only stayed on his feet, he answered with a big body shot in the final seconds of the round as he showed tremendous courage.

But by then, Hatton had little left. He needed a miracle to win and none was forthcoming. Not that he didn't try. He continued to move forward, but that was a mistake as Mayweather continued to dominate.

"He was better inside than I thought with all the elbows, forearms and shoulders he used," Hatton said. "He wasn't the biggest puncher I've faced but he was a lot more clever than I expected."

The telling statistic was the 78-26 edge in punches landed in favor of Mayweather over the fight's final five rounds. In the eighth, Mayweather had landed 32 punches to only eight for Hatton.

The sellout crowd of 16,700, the majority of them Hatton supporters, were amped up long before the fighters entered the ring. They cheered all things British, jeered all things American, including The Star Spangled Banner, and constantly serenaded themselves with "There's Only One Ricky Hatton" to the tune to "Winter Wonderland."

Mayweather entered the ring to rock and roll, nixing his usual hip-hop music for Bruce Springsteen's "Born In the USA" which helped drown out the boos temporarily.

As late as Friday afternoon, bettors' money had been pouring in on Hatton as Mayweather was down to a 2-to-1 favorite. But by fight time, Mayweather was up to minus-280 as all the smart money came in on him throughout Saturday, right up to the first bell.

Mayweather's backers would not be disappointed.

Hatton was on the attack from the outset, charging Mayweather and nearly knocking him down with a combination midway through the first round. There was a lot of holding and hitting, and Cortez had his hands full trying to keep control.

Hatton was trying to make it a street fight, a back-alley brawl, continually tying up Mayweather, negating his speed and his seven-inch reach advantage, all the while banging away inside to the body. But when Mayweather was able to shake loose and box, he was dominant. He tagged Hatton with a couple of big right hands in the third round, opening a cut over Hatton's right eye. Hatton admitted he was never the same after that.

Mayweather picked up the pace in the fourth, nailing Hatton with a left jab, than connecting with a three-punch combination to his head. Hatton managed to stay on his feet but the momentum was clearly with Mayweather.

Hatton continued to hold and hit and in the sixth round, Cortez had seen enough. He had a point deducted from Hatton after he held Mayweather and hit him, all the while trying to push him through the ropes.

Mayweather maintained his composure, went to work and finished off Hatton. His jab, when used, was devastating. He carved Hatton up.

Mayweather had briefly retired after he beat Oscar De La Hoya on May 5. After Saturday's victory, he hinted he may be through again.

"One of my dreams was to fight in the (United Kingdom), but that didn't happen, so they had to come over here," he said. "I've done what I had to do. There's nothing left."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2913.