Dreams Dashed - A Good Summary.

[RyanOliverHart1985 0]

Ricky Hatton's dreams of becoming the best boxer on the planet have been dashed by a Floyd Mayweather masterclass. The Hitman was floored in the 10th round of a frustrating contest in front of a star-studded and passionate British crowd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mayweather - with a lot of help from referee Joe Cortez - controlled the fight and finished it off in style by putting the Hitman down with a left hook. Hatton climbed back up, but his legs had gone and another right sent him careering back on to the ropes, before a simple nudge put him on his back again and forced the referee to step in. It was a harrowing end to the Hitman's dream. A dream that as a memorable night went on, soon became his worst nightmare. Brave to the end, he battled on as he always does, roared on by thousands of Brits, some boxing greats and a plethora of Hollywood's biggest names. But in the end it was Mayweather who wrote the script, set the scene and directed the action. AssistedHe was ably assisted by referee Cortez who did not let Hatton get close to his man, when the whole world knew his best chance to win was to get in the champion's face and fight like he has never fought before. No sooner had he done that than the official was between them. Too many times he stepped in, once before Hatton had even thrown a punch. Cortez had been asked by Billy Graham to let them fight on the inside, but had clearly made his mind up. From the first round he wouldn't let the rhythm flow, wouldn't let Hatton build up any momentum and it was clear that the Hitman had two foes to deal with. In the sixth he had a point deducted for hitting round the back of the head, the only real surprise being that Cortez waited that long. Mayweather's part should not be underplayed either. Ducking down into the Hitman's attacks he duped the referee, left Hatton with little alternative but to box round the back of the head and when that point was stripped, wasn't even hit - and was leaning out of the ropes. But it was all part of the performance. A performance that proves, whether or not you like him, the Pretty Boy is far and away the best fighter of his generation. Yet it had all started so well for Hatton, his pace and his work-rate edging the first round amid the constant refereeing interruptions. The size of the task soon became clear though when, on the break, Mayweather started finding his range. PreciseHis straight right over the top greeted most of Hatton's onslaughts and although he did enjoy some success as the third brought the first in-fighting of the night, Mayweather was too cute to get caught in there for too long. Too many times his shoulder, or a slight sway stopped Hatton in his tracks, squared him up and allowed the Pretty Boy to land those clean, precise shots that set him apart from the boxing world. It also produced a cut above Hatton's right eye at the end of the third. Sheer accuracy did it, and he was smart enough to paw it just before the break. Mick Williamson went to work though and it didn't seem to pose a problem. Which was just as well, because the sight of blood saw Mayweather warm to the task. A lightning left-right combination rocked Hatton for the first time in the fourth and by the fifth he started to look weary: tired of being told off by Cortez and tired of seeing Mayweather close the chinks in his impressive armour whenever a glimmer of hope appeared. Mayweather even took the fifth round off. Hatton's angles had long since left him and his straightforward approach played into the champion's hands. For once, the irresistible force met an object both immovable and immaculate in all areas. FatefulThen came the fateful sixth round and in hindsight, the beginning of the end. Hatton didn't hit Mayweather on the back of the head, he hit the ropes as the champion leaned out of the ring, but Cortez was all too quick to take the point off the Mancunian - the first time that has happened in his career. Hatton responded by turning his back and sticking out his backside when the action resumed and Mayweather's little grin suggested he knew full well what was going on. And that he was about to stretch his stellar career to 39-0. Two snappy uppercuts on the inside in the eighth showed that the Pretty Boy can do it all at whatever range he has to, while Hatton's scoring shots had long dried up. But as he does, he kept going, for at least three more minutes. Ultimately it was the Brit's persistence that paved the way for his downfall. As he came forward Mayweather span him on the ropes and delivered what he labelled a 'check hook from the old school'. A classic in every sense, it landed flush on the face and Hatton fell to the canvas in the corner. StumblingHe got up with the count at eight, but his eyes were somewhere else, his legs not his own. Mayweather was on him in a flash, a glancing right sending the Hitman stumbling back onto the ropes. In the end it was nothing more than a nudge that ended Hatton's night in agony, 1min 35seconds into the 10th. There is every chance that he could have stayed out of trouble for the remainder of the fight of his life, but that is not Hatton. Behind on all three cards he knew his dreams had been dashed. And besides, you don't drag up to 20,000 fans across the Atlantic by clinging on for dear life. Every Hitman fan knew it would take something special to beat Mayweather. Everyone knew Hatton would give it everything. Now everyone knows that Mayweather is, as he's said all along, something very special.