BRAVE Ricky Hatton tried to give us his best impersonation of the Tasmanian devil, but in the end, talent and guile overcame aggression and raw courage.
The ?Hitman? tried and tried but Floyd Mayweather was just too damn good and too skilled. Floyd Jr. also showed he could get down and dirty too and in that fight he unveiled a very potent weapon in his arsenal which warded off most of Hatton?s attacks?a bulbous elbow which he brandished with authority every time Hatton came charging in.
He also had the gumption to shove it down Hatton?s throat whenever the opportunity presented itself. It effectively stymied Ricky?s attacks and smothered the latter?s aggressive forays.
The coup de grace was a thing of beauty. Just as Ricky came rushing in, Mayweather deftly moved to his left and buried a left hook on the unsuspecting Hatton?s jaw.
The latter?s momentum carried him forward where he crashed face-first into a corner. He then fell backwards, visibly hurt. Though he managed to beat the count, the fight was all over at that point. The follow up flurry and the subsequent knockdown were superfluous.
CLEAN-UP JOB. With the exception of undefeated Puerto Rican sensation Miguel Cotto, Floyd has practically beaten all his major rivals, and there are no more big names for him to fight at the 140-154-pound range.
He?s beaten them all. Punchers (Hatton, Castillo, Gatti, Baldomir.) Boxers (Judah, Oscar dela Hoya, Sharmba Mitchell).
Undefeated welterweight Paul Williams, a lefty who stands a freakish 6-foot-1 could be a possible opponent in the near future, but for now Williams is too green and besides, height is not might when you?re up against Floyd Jr. Who can forget what he did to the late Diego Coralles?
