http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...ory?id=2237663
I think this puts Hatton in the driver's seat at 140lbs...
SHEFFIELD, England -- Undefeated Ricky Hatton stopped Colombia's Carlo Maussa with a left hook in the ninth round to add the WBA junior welterweight title to his IBF crown in a unification bout at Hallam FC Arena on Saturday.
AP Photo/Jon Super
Ricky Hatton says he could have performed a bit better, but he took down Carlo Maussa all the same.
The British fighter overcame cuts over both eyes in the early rounds to dominate Maussa with a relentless, all-out style. He floored the Colombian at 1:10 of the ninth round, following two big right hands with a hook that put Maussa down for the count in the 140-pound contest.
Hatton, who beat Kostya Tszyu for the IBF title five months ago, improved to 40-0. Maussa, who knocked out WBA champion Vivian Harris on June 25 in the United States, fell to 19-3.
"I wasn't boxing to my full potential of what I could do," Hatton said. "He was very awkward. He was pulling back from the punches and it made it very difficult to nail him. I think I was trying too hard. This was the most difficult period of my boxing career and at times I think I just wanted to go in there and kill him."
By the end of the opening round of the scheduled 12-round bout, Hatton had a nasty gash over his left eye courtesy of an accidental clash of heads. Another cut was opened over Hatton's right eye when he and Maussa collided in the third.
Hatton dictated the pace from the outset, but seemed to be rushing in the early rounds and struggling to find his rhythm. By the fourth round, he took firm control with powerful body punches and combinations, while Maussa began to tire. Hatton's crisp shots knocked the gangly Maussa off balance and produced roars from the more than 12,000 in attendance.
It was Hatton's first fight since his messy split from longtime promoter Frank Warren. Warren had threatened to seek a court injunction to keep Hatton from fighting.
"I could have performed a bit better," Hatton said. "I think I'm a lot better than that. But you've got to understand what I went through outside of the ring to get this fight on."
The fight became increasingly sloppy, punctuated by numerous warnings from referee Micky Vann, Hatton unquestionably landed the cleaner blows while Maussa began to slow down.
In the seventh, Hatton could have been awarded a 10-8 round as he completely dominated his foe from bell to bell. The gritty Colombian survived, but after he started the ninth round strong, Hatton pounced with a clean left hook on the jaw and Maussa went down hard in the corner, where he stayed for Vann's ten count, which produced a halt to the bout at the 1:10 mark.
AP Photo/Jon Super
Ricky Hatton says he could have performed a bit better, but he took down Carlo Maussa all the same.
The British fighter overcame cuts over both eyes in the early rounds to dominate Maussa with a relentless, all-out style. He floored the Colombian at 1:10 of the ninth round, following two big right hands with a hook that put Maussa down for the count in the 140-pound contest.
Hatton, who beat Kostya Tszyu for the IBF title five months ago, improved to 40-0. Maussa, who knocked out WBA champion Vivian Harris on June 25 in the United States, fell to 19-3.
"I wasn't boxing to my full potential of what I could do," Hatton said. "He was very awkward. He was pulling back from the punches and it made it very difficult to nail him. I think I was trying too hard. This was the most difficult period of my boxing career and at times I think I just wanted to go in there and kill him."
By the end of the opening round of the scheduled 12-round bout, Hatton had a nasty gash over his left eye courtesy of an accidental clash of heads. Another cut was opened over Hatton's right eye when he and Maussa collided in the third.
Hatton dictated the pace from the outset, but seemed to be rushing in the early rounds and struggling to find his rhythm. By the fourth round, he took firm control with powerful body punches and combinations, while Maussa began to tire. Hatton's crisp shots knocked the gangly Maussa off balance and produced roars from the more than 12,000 in attendance.
It was Hatton's first fight since his messy split from longtime promoter Frank Warren. Warren had threatened to seek a court injunction to keep Hatton from fighting.
"I could have performed a bit better," Hatton said. "I think I'm a lot better than that. But you've got to understand what I went through outside of the ring to get this fight on."
The fight became increasingly sloppy, punctuated by numerous warnings from referee Micky Vann, Hatton unquestionably landed the cleaner blows while Maussa began to slow down.
In the seventh, Hatton could have been awarded a 10-8 round as he completely dominated his foe from bell to bell. The gritty Colombian survived, but after he started the ninth round strong, Hatton pounced with a clean left hook on the jaw and Maussa went down hard in the corner, where he stayed for Vann's ten count, which produced a halt to the bout at the 1:10 mark.
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