Mayweather Downs Hatton To Stay Undefeated
Mayweather Wins In Round 10
Las VEGAS -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. remained unbeaten Saturday night and retained his claim to being the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world by stopping Ricky Hatton in the 10th round of a brawl between the two previously undefeated boxers in Las Vegas.Mayweather used precision punches to wear down the challenger for the welterweight crown. Hatton kept trying to get inside and score points, but Mayweather had an answer for everything he did. The end came after Mayweather landed a crushing left hook that dropped Hatton on his back in Mayweather's corner. Hatton got up at the count of eight, but Mayweather almost immediately got him on the ropes and landed another flurry of punches to the head. Hatton went down almost on a delayed reaction, while at the same time referee Joe Cortez moved in to stop the fight and Hatton's corner threw in the towel at 1:35 of the round. Mayweather was ahead on the ringside scorecards when he landed the blow that ended the fight.Round-By-Round at Mayweather-Hatton
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Round-by-round action in Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s WBC welterweight title fight with England's Ricky Hatton:
ROUND 1 — Hatton charges from the opening bell. Mayweather holds the neck, and they wrestle. Both very active and mobile. Hatton lands a left hand, and so does Mayweather. Hatton trying to work inside, but Mayweather counterpunches early. Mayweather dodges, but Hatton lands a hand. Crowd roaring with every shot. Mayweather loses balance on defense, and his seven-step stumble drives the crowd mad. Hatton chases Mayweather twice into red corner. Repeated clinch, but Hatton keeps swinging one-handed. Mayweather gets a big crack, and fighters briefly scuffle at the bell.
Hatton's round.
___
ROUND 2 — Hatton draws another roar with a quick opening punch. Hatton wants to brawl, and Mayweather is thinking about it. Hatton charges Mayweather on the ropes, and the champion needs all of his quickness to avoid it. Referee Joe Cortez calls time, warns both fighters. Mayweather bounces and weaves, and Hatton gets a straight right in. Mayweather lands a sharp left on Hatton's nose. Cortez gives another stern lecture, fearful of a wrestling match. Both run and wrestle to the bell.
Mayweather's round.
___
ROUND 3 — Hatton leads with a left while striving to get inside. Mayweather sitting back, playing defense, working the body. Mayweather ducks a left hook. Another clinch. Cortez allowing Hatton greater freedom to stay inside. Hatton hugs Mayweather into ropes, and Hatton turns to Cortez — but Mayweather lands a straight right and a shoulder shove. Mayweather ducks and dodges. Hatton is fighting a classic brawling style. Mayweather's nose is shiny, but Hatton's right eye begins to bleed
Mayweather's round.
___
ROUND 4 — They trade fierce combinations in Mayweather's corner. Hatton works the body with a left, but Mayweather turns his shoulder. Hatton can't move Mayweather anywhere he doesn't want to go, and Mayweather's counterpunching has improved. Mayweather slips a straight left inside on Hatton's head. Mayweather snaps Hatton's neck twice with right hands, but Hatton stays in tight. Mayweather tattoos Hatton's face with combinations, picking at the cut. Hatton keeps charging, but Mayweather is in charge.
Mayweather's round.
___
ROUND 5 — Hatton charges and shoves Mayweather into the corner, but Mayweather turns his shoulder for defense. Hatton still active with combinations. Mayweather sitting back, catching a breather on the ropes. A tangle of arms and heads in the corner. Mayweather content to sit back, and Hatton gains confidence for a combination. Hatton still vulnerable to Mayweather's speedy straight hands. The fighters lock arms, and Cortez warns. Mayweather puts a glove in Hatton's face, ending a round with little activity.
Hatton's round.
___
ROUND 6 — Mayweather ducks underneath punches and blocks others, as usual. Hatton catches Mayweather's chin near the ropes, and the ensuing flury ends with Mayweather's upper body through the ropes. Cortez deducts a punch for a blow to the back of Mayweather's head, inciting the crowd's ire. Hatton reacts with disbelief. Another exciting combination results in little damage. Mayweather tags Hatton's chin with a straight right. The crowd produces its first anti-Cortez song of the night. They wrestle in Mayweather's corner, and Hatton plays to the crowd. Hatton is reluctant to go back to his corner at the bell.
Mayweather's round.
___
ROUND 7 — Mayweather dances a full circle, then wraps up Hatton's arms. More wrestling in the corner, but both come out of it punching. Mayweather tries body shots, but Hatton is too quick. Mayweather blocks a nasty-looking combination. Hatton pushes to set up shots, but Mayweather has played this game before. Hatton barely avoids a right hand. They push in the center of the ring, Hatton constantly leaning forward. Mayweather lands a snapping left hand, then chases Hatton in a classic late-round surge.
Mayweather's round.
___
ROUND 8 — Lots of movement, no punches landing for either fighter. Mayweather punches his way out of a clinch, then lands a sneaky right uppercut. Hatton responds admirably, but Mayweather catches Hatton flush with a straight right, sending Hatton staggering into him. Mayweather smells it, chasing him to the ropes and unloading as Hatton crouches. Hatton recovers and goes to the body as a few hundred fans chant "U-S-A!" over the English drumbeat. The fighters lean into each other. Mayweather slips inside and lands another series of shots, starting with a smashing right and punctuated by another. Mayweather unloads with a ferocity we've rarely seen from him in recent years, but Hatton stays upright.
Mayweather's round.
___
ROUND 9 — "Hatton Wonderland" sounds less convincing now. Hatton still charging forward, and he gets Mayweather to the ropes without landing a square punch. Mayweather sitting back, catching Hatton again with another right that's too fast to block. Mayweather turns his shoulder, then lands another right. Mayweather slaps Hatton with a left, then makes Hatton whiff on a left hook. Hatton still stalking, but Mayweather slaps at his head. Mayweather lands another straight right counterpunch, fighting confidently.
Mayweather's round.
___
ROUND 10 — Hatton stays aggressive, chases Mayweather, who doesn't even look winded. Out of nowhere, Mayweather floors Hatton one minute into the right with a big left hook. Hatton gets up easily, but Mayweather staggers Hatton with a left, then sends him stumbling and sprawling flat on his back in a neutral corner. Cortez ends the fight over a prone Hatton, and Mayweather leaps on the ropes.
Mayweather wins, KO 10.
No comments:
Post a Comment