Today in Boxing History: Floyd Mayweather Retained His Welterweight Titles Against Ricky Hatton in One of the Biggest Fights of Sports History

In the end, the left hook did its job. Ricky Hatton finally fell down flat on the canvas for the second time. Soon, a white towel flew into the ring. Thus was sealed the fate of one of the greatest boxers to have come out of Great Britain. Yesterday marked the sixteenth anniversary of one of the most iconic fights that graced the first decade of this century. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was still ‘Pretty Boy Floyd.’

On December 8, 2007, in Paradise, Nevada’s MGM Grand Arena, Mayweather Jr. met Hatton. It was in November 2005 that the American champion fought his first welterweight bout against Sharmba Mitchell. A year later, he defeated Carlos Baldomir while unifying the titles. On May 5, 2007, climbing up a division, he defeated Oscar De La Hoya and mulled over a retirement. But only if he had seriously moved ahead with the decision. Seven months later, he returned to defend his WBC and The Ring welterweight titles.

The great showdown

The fight was aptly titled ‘Undefeated.’ Both Mayweather Jr. and Hatton entered the ring with unbeaten records, which were soon to change for one. The Englishman started on a strong note. For a moment, ‘Pretty Boy’ appeared knocked off balance. But soon he regained composure and gradually started gaining in subsequent rounds. The fight saw referee Joe Cortez deduct a point from Hatton for hitting the back of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s head.

The act seemed to have ticked off the British boxer, who purportedly claimed that it resulted in him losing his control. By the tenth round, the match was under Mayweather Jr.’s control. With some 90 seconds left in the round, he lured Hatton towards the corner. A neat left hook knocked down the ‘Hitman.’ However, he got up within the referee’s count, who signaled the fight to continue.

Smelling blood, Mayweather Jr. threw another left hook that had Hatton on jelly legs. The latter fell on the ropes, and a final left hook closed all arguments. Clearly dazed for himself, Hatton couldn’t control himself and fell on his back. It was game over for the Englishman, whose team quickly threw in the towel. Scorecards read 88-82, 89-81, and 89-81, all favoring Mayweather Jr.

It was clear that one of the reasons Mayweather Jr. was easily able to knock out Ricky Hatton was due to his defensive shortcomings and fighting style.

Floyd Mayweather Jr., the genius ring maestro

A few years ago, on the tenth anniversary of the fight, while speaking to ESPN, Ricky Hatton admitted the sheer superiority and greatness of Floyd Mayweather. He said, “Just his defense, his movement, and just how clever he was. He knew when to put his foot on the gas a little bit, when to soak it up a little bit, let me blow myself out, let the storm blow itself out a bit, and then put his foot on the gas. I would go as far and say a genius, absolutely great.”

Falling short of the million mark, the fight with 920,000 HBO subscriptions generated roughly $50 million. It was the biggest battle between two undefeated welterweights since Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad fought in 1999. Undoubtedly, to many fans, the prospect of coming across another bout at the same level as Mayweather Jr. versus Hatton remains extremely remote and implausible.

Read More: “Effortless”: Fans Awestruck as Floyd Mayweather Jr Jumps Rope With “Blitzkrieg Speed” in a Resurfaced Video

Which is your favorite Mayweather Jr. fight of all time? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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