Pacquiao destroys Hatton in title bout
Published 03 May, 2009, 11:40
Edited 28 September, 2009, 11:15
Manny Pacquiao’s status as the best pound-for-pound boxer fighting in the world today was strengthened on Saturday night after a brutal second round knockout of Ricky Hatton in a Las Vegas title bout.
Once again Pacquiao, who is now regarded by many as the best fighter in all weight classes, was facing a man who was bigger than him as he fought for only the third time above 130 pounds (59 kg).
Going into the match, Pacquiao weighed in at 138 pounds (62.9 kg), while Hatton was at the class limit of 140 pounds (63.5 kg).
However, bookmakers, who saw the Filipino destroy an even bigger De La Hoya, were making him a 2-1 favorite to beat the once-beaten Hatton and win a title in his sixth weight class since turning pro.
The bookmakers turned out to be right. The Filipino, known as Pac-man, showed no mercy to the Englishman. Pacquiao sent Hatton to the canvass with a brutal left hook to the jaw, which ended the light welterweight match in Las Vegas at 2:59 in the second round.
As Hatton was gaining consciousness major celebrations across the Philippines began. The Filipino’s victory grounded traffic to a halt in his homeland as his fans rejoiced all day long.
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