There are certain knockouts in boxing that even the hardiest of fight fans struggle to watch back.
One such knockout ended the career of one of the most loved fighters in history.
The left hook that Manny Pacquiao delivered which put Ricky Hatton down and out in the second round is still a tough watch.
The ‘Hitman’ went into the fight at the MGM Grand on the back of two decent wins following his defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jnr two years earlier.
He took Juan Lazcano the distance in a points win at his beloved City of Manchester Stadium before putting the tough New Yorker Paulie Malignaggi down in the 11th round at the MGM Grand.
Whilst Hatton was well beat by Mayweather, there was a sense among fans and pundits alike that Hatton could worry Pacquiao. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
The ‘Pac Man’ delivered such a devastating array of blows in those two rounds it effectively signalled the end of Hatton’s career.
Pacquiao had shot to overnight stardom six years earlier when, as a late replacement, he fought the legendary Mexican, Marco Antonio Barrera. Such was the speed and power of the Filipino’s hands, coupled with the Mexican’s pride, that Barrera suffered a torrid evening before his corner gave in to the inevitable, throwing in the towel in round 11.
Pacquaio would go on to conquer some of the other great names of boxing, eventually across eight weight divisions.
Before he faced Hatton he had beaten Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Jorge Solis and Oscar De La Hoya.
Hatton, in contrast, had been beaten for the first time by Mayweather, but still had a reputation for his blistering power that claimed 45 victims before he met Pacquiao.
Perhaps in another era Hatton would have bowed out undefeated but he was unfortunate enough to face two genuine greats. Pacquaio was a force of nature that evening in Vegas and Hatton left the game with his held head high.
He would return to the ring three years later in Manchester against the Ukraninan, Vyacheslav Senchenko. Despite his fans hoping he still had the magic in his hands, Hatton was soundly beaten, being stopped in the ninth round.
But it wasn’t that fight that retired him. He knew full well when he came round in Vegas that his time was up. He will go down as a legend that was beaten by two of the greatest ever –if not the greatest. There is no shame in that. He took on the best and beat most of them.
