MANCHESTER, England, 6 June 2005 — Ricky Hatton won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-welterweight title after battering Kostya Tszyu until he retired at the end of the 11th round here yesterday morning.
Russian-Australian Tszyu, 35, struggled to keep up with the Englishman’s tireless pace and by the 11th round was so demoralized he admitted to the inevitable and quit on his stool.
Tszyu was left looking for a knockout punch as the fight entered the latter rounds and decided to surrender the title he first won ten years ago after failing to repel Hatton’s attacks.
Tszyu did not hurt Hatton, who rocked his opponent with a left hook and straight right in the tenth round that perhaps persuaded Tszyu his fourth defense was a lost cause.
Hatton may have been fighting in his first major world title fight but he dominated from the first bell, never allowing Tszyu to settle and landing by far the more punches.
The dethroned champion left the venue soon after the second defeat of his 33-fight career, leaving it to his promoter Vlad Warton to reveal it was trainer Johnny Lewis’ decision to retire at the end of the 11th round.
Tszyu made his way to the ring at the cavernous city center venue amid a cacophony of boos after Hatton had entered to deafening cheers from his home supporters for his first shot a major world title.
Hatton, who has made 15 defenses of the fringe WBU title, was facing his toughest opponent after stopping 28 of his previous 38 fights.
But the challenger was hardly intimidated by Tszyu and quickly settled into his pressuring style of body punching and high work-rate.
Tszyu found himself penned against the ropes for much of the second round where Hatton had some success with some right upper-cuts inside.
Hatton landed the more punches in the first half of the fight to send him into a points lead and in the fourth connected with a hurtful left hook while Tszyu could only swing at air in the fifth. It left Tszyu searching for — and needing — a knockout punch as the fight entered its second half with Hatton seemingly ahead on points. By the seventh round Tszyu was cut below his left eye but he was having more success at scoring punches but Hatton’s pace was not about to drop off.
Hatton had his best round in the tenth when he staggered Tszyu with a left hook and a straight right which left the Russian-born needing to deliver a knockout in the final round to be assured of retaining his title.
But after being unable to penetrate Hatton’s incessant attack to land any threatening punches of his own as the challenger piled on more punishment, Tszyu opted to retire on the advice of Lewis.
