Manny Pacquiao stuns Ricky Hatton with KO

By Leslie Wilson Jr, Sports Editor
Published: May 03, 2009, 07:57

Dubai: The Philippines' Manny Pacquiao showed why he is rated the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world by knocking down Britain's Ricky Hatton three times to win their much anticipated junior lightweight showdown in Las Vegas on Saturday.

In a fight that was seen as a matchup of two great fighters looking to cement their place in boxing history as the best pound-for-pound stars, Pacquiao totally outclassed his rival in 359 explosive seconds.

Hatton felt the full force of Pacquiao's speed and power as he suffered what was only the second defeat in his career and first at 140-pounds.

The Englishman's only loss came in 2007 when he moved up to welterweight and was stopped in the 10th round by US star Floyd Mayweather Jr.

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Pacquiao improved to 49-3 with 37 knockouts against Hatton who dropped to 45-2 with 32 kayoes. He secured his place among boxing's top legends, adding the junior welterweight crown to past world titles at lightweight, super featherweight, junior featherweight, featherweight and flyweight.

The Filipino was in great form right from the first bell at the MGM Grand Arena; landing a high percentage of his power-packed combinations to get Hatton in all sorts of trouble.

Pacquiao sent the Englishman crashing to the canvas twice in an action-packed first round and then knocked the lights out of Hatton with a devastating right cross to the head with seconds remaining in round two.

Ringside doctors rushed to the aid of Hatton, who lay motionless on the canvas, However, he eventually recovered and was able to leave the ring unaided before being taken to hospital for a routine post-fight test.

"I am surprised this fight was so easy," said Pacquiao. "I did work hard in my training camp and it paid off. This is as big a victory for me as when I beat Oscar De La Hoya."

Pacquiao's trainer Freddy Roach, who had predicted a quick knockout by his fighter, said, "This is no shock at all. Hatton pumps his hands before he throws a punch, and it makes him a sucker for the right hook. Manny is a monster, he is the best fighter ever. There is no surprise here."

Both fighters are 30-years-old and were trying to cement their spot in ring history in the junior welterweight division, but it was Pacquiao who totally dominated his opponent from the first bell.

Hatton had no answer to the left-right combinations that the Filipino icon threw at him and twice hit the deck in one of the most explosive opening rounds of a boxing match.

Pacquiao then finished the fight with a thundering right to the jaw that floored the Briton.

"That was the best knockout punch I've ever seen," Pacquiao trainer, Roach, said. "It was the perfect shot. That rarely happens."

According to computer statistics, Pacquiao landed 73 of 127 punches in just under six minutes, including 34 of 53 power punches in the second round, while Hatton connected on only 18 of 78.

Pacquiao matched the all-time record by becoming a champion in his sixth different weight class by lifting Hatton's International Boxing Organisation junior welterweight world title after dispatching now-retired six-division champion Oscar de la Hoya.

Pacquiao will reportedly take home $12 million from the bout while Hatton was set for an $8 million-payday. Pay-per-view income alone for the megafight is believed to have crossed $40 million.

For Pacquiao, the future looks bright with a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr already being talked about.

Hatton's trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. did not attend the postfight news conference, leaving co-trainer, Lee Beard, to do the talking.

"We knew about Manny's speed and that it could play a factor in the fight," Beard said. "What you saw was two rounds of action and Ricky got caught."

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I really didn't see the punch coming! - Hatton

LAS VEGAS - Favorite Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines claimed the IBO light-welterweight title with a stunning second round knockout of British holder Ricky Hatton on Saturday.

The 30-year-old southpaw twice knocked the Englishman to the canvas in the opening round before ending the fight with a stinging left hook at the MGM Grand Hotel's Garden Arena.

The ring announcer said the bout, scheduled for 12 rounds, had ended two minutes 39 seconds into the round but that was later corrected by officials to two minutes 59 seconds.

"I was surprised that this was so easy but I've worked hard in training camp since the beginning of March," a beaming Pacquiao said in a ringside interview. "He was wide open for the right hook. I knew he would be looking for my left.

"It's nothing personal. I was just doing my job.

"This is as big for me as the De La Hoya win," the Filipino added, referring to his eight-round stoppage of 10-times world champion Oscar De La Hoya in Las Vegas in December.

Hatton, who had stopped American Paulo Malignaggi in November to retain his IBO light-welterweight belt, was left motionless in the centre of the ring for several minutes before being helped to his feet to sit on a stool.

"It was a hard loss but I am okay," the 30-year-old Manchester boxer said before being taken to the nearby Valley Hospital as a precaution.

"I really didn't see the punch coming but it was a great shot. I know I will be okay."

Widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Pacquiao improved his career record to 49-3-2 with 37 knockouts.

Hatton, who had never previously lost at his natural weight of 140 pounds, slipped to 45-2 with 32 knockouts.

Capacity crowd

Watched by a capacity crowd of around 16,000 that included Hollywood actors Christian Bale and Jack Nicholson and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., Hatton began the opening round by cramping Pacquiao and repeatedly forcing him to back-peddle.

However, the Filipino responded with a flurry of combinations late in the round, bloodying the Englishman's nose with a right hook before sending Hatton sprawling to the canvas.

Under concerted pressure, Hatton was pinned to the ropes before again being knocked to the floor by a Pacquiao left hook.

Pacquiao maintained the dazzling pace in the second round, landing a series of sharp punches and jabs before feinting with the right and unleashing a stinging left hook to the jaw, which put Hatton flat on his back.

"This was no surprise," said Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach, who had predicted his man would need only three rounds to win. "Hatton pumps his hands before he throws a punch. He is a sucker for the right hook and this is what we worked on.

"He cocks back before he throws his punches. He fights the same way over and over. I studied tapes of all his fights for the last two months and I know him as well as I know my own fighter."

Pacquiao dominated the official ringside statistics, connecting with 73 of 127 punches thrown to 18 of 78 for Hatton. He also landed 65 power punches compared to Hatton?s 16.

Hatton's trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. said: "I really felt Ricky would get him. I don't want to go into it more than that."

Pacquiao could next fight the winner of the bout between Mayweather Jr., who announced earlier he would come out of retirement, and Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez who meet in a non-title welterweight fight in Las Vegas on July 18.