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Manny Pacquiao hits Ricky Hatton...hard - Source: Reuters -
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Favourite Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines claimed the IBO
light-welterweight title with a stunning second round knockout of
Britain's Ricky Hatton on Sunday.
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 fight 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.
"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 last December.
Watched by a capacity crowd of around 16,000, Hatton began the
opening round by cramping Pacquiao and repeatedly forcing him to
back-peddle on to the ropes.
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.
Pac Man pressure
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."
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.
