Sensational Hatton destroys Castillo

By Ben Carey

Two years on from sending Kostya Tszyu into retirement, Ricky Hatton emphatically confirmed his status as the one of the world’s finest pound-for-pound fighters by destroying Mexico’s Jose Luis Castillo in four brutal rounds to retain his IBO light-welterweight crown in Las Vegas tonight.

It was a superlative performance from Hatton who silenced his growing critics, including this one, who had argued that the 28-year-old was on the slide following his disappointing showings against Luis Collazo and Juan Urango. But now comfortable back in his favoured 140lbs division following a brief excursion to welterweight , Hatton was at his rampaging best, just as he’d promised against a fighter who had made him train like never before.

Hatton Jnr sees off determined Vasquez challenge

By Ben Carey

Matthew Hatton withstood a difficult period in the middle rounds and a determined late rally from Edwin Vazquez to retain his IBF Inter-Continental welterweight title in a contest which ebbed and flowed throughout. After 12, hard rounds, the Vegas judges favoured Hatton by margins of 115-113, 115-112 and 117-111. Personally, I couldn’t split them but perhaps Hatton’s greater consistency earned him the biggest win of his 35-fight career.

The 35-year-old Vasquez, now 22-10-2, is some way short of world class and was stopped in three rounds by current WBO light-welterweight champion Ricardo Torres in 2005. But the Puerto Rican is a useful campaigner and had won three of his last four against up-and-coming fighters coming into this.