LAS VEGAS, NV—WITH one devastating left hook, Manny Pacquiao showed everyone why he is the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world.
In front of a sold out crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday night, May 2, Pacquiao made quick work of The Pride of Manchester Ricky Hatton, the 140-pound IBO Light Welterweight Champion.
Pacquiao knocked the British champion down twice in the first round before finishing him off in the second.
"I mean I am surprised that it was that easy, but the fighter [Hatton] fights hard," said Pacquiao after the fight. "Our strategy was the one punch. Left hook. Right hook. That was going to be the key to this fight."
Pacquiao executed the game plan with perfection.
In the first round, Hatton started aggressively. He charged Pacquiao, clinched and threw short body blows. However, Pacquiao answered back. Pacquiao gained some distance and threw a quick left hook to the head that stunned the British champion.
He landed a few more combinations before knocking down the British fighter with a right hook to the chin midway through the first round. With the Filipino crowd on its feet, British fans were in disbelief.
Pacquiao pounced on Hatton again a few moments later. This time, Pacquiao landed a flurry of punches before a left straight to the head of Hatton fell the Englishman.
Pacquiao finished off Hatton in the subsequent round.
Pacquiao landed a left hook on the chin and below Hatton’s earlobe, a textbook knockout punch. Hatton was out before he fell to the canvas.
Referee Kenny Bayless immediately waved the fight over with one second remaining in round two.
"I was just doing my job in the ring and doing my best to make the people happy," said Pacquiao. "There’s nothing personal I was just doing my job this was a big for me as the De La Hoya victory.
Hatton was not made available for comment after the fight.
The British boxer was rushed to the hospital for precautionary measures, according to Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.
"Ricky is desperately sorry to all his fans," said Garret Williams, the CEO of Hatton Promotions. "He got caught with a great shot. Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao. He is the best fighter, possibly of all time there’s no shame in losing to somebody like that."
"I thought Ricky would get him," said Floyd Mayweather Sr., after the match. "I don’t want to get into it more than that."
Before the match, Roach predicted a Pacquiao knockout in three, he’ll settle for two.
"Manny is unbelievable," said Roach at the post-fight press conference. "I’m the best trainer in the world because I have the best fighter in the world."
Roach said that Hatton was very predictable.
"Every time he throws the left hook and cocks it, he is wide open for the right hook from the southpaw stance," Roach explained. "We worked on that every day in the gym and it just worked beautifully."
"I knew it was over," added Roach. "Ricky fights the same way over and over. He doesn’t have the ability to adjust. I watched the tapes over and over the last few months. I know him as well as I know my fighters."
The win catapults Pacquiao in the boxing history books.
Pacquiao becomes the first Asian to capture six world titles in six different weight division - flyweight, junior featherweight, featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight and now, junior welterweight.
He also joins Oscar De La Hoya as the only boxers to captures sixth different title belt in a different weight division.
The Hatton victory is Pacquiao’s fourth win in a row in a different division.
The win improves Pacquiao’s record to 49-3-2, 37 KOs. Hatton’s record falls to 45-2 32 KOs.
Source: asianjournal.com
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