LONDON, 3 October 2004 — British boxer Ricky Hatton says he has proved he deserves a shot at a major world title following his five-round demolition of American Mike Stewart to retain his WBU light-welterweight title.
Hatton stopped Stewart with a barrage of hooks to the face two minutes and 57 seconds into the fifth round of their bout in Manchester on Friday. It was his 14th defense of the title.
That put two sub-par performances in his last two fights behind him and set him up for a crack at the winner of Kostya Tszyu’s meeting with Sharmba Mitchell -- with the undisputed title on the line.
Hatton dropped Stewart twice in the first round and finished him off with a swinging left hook in the fifth.
The man from Delaware had never previously been stopped during his professional career. “I have had so much to prove to myself and my critics and I’d like to think I deserve my shot at the title now,” Hatton said.
“I’ve allowed myself to get down and worked up about certain fights falling through. But I managed to put it all to the back of my mind, I put on a good performance and I’m going to get the opportunity now.”
Now Hatton and his promoter Frank Warren will chase the winner of the Tszyu-Mitchell fight which is scheduled for Nov. 6. “I’ve always said that some day I’d have the confidence and the ability to become a real genuine world champion,” Hatton said.
“Kostya Tszyu is widely regarded as the No. 1 in the division so that is the man I want to fight. “I want a big name who is ranked as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in boxing, so that would be a huge scalp for me.”
Warren will hope to make the match in either March or April with the possibility of a tune-up fight in the interim.
