I could not have been more wrong about Ricky Hatton and his chances of upsetting Kostya Tszyu in the ring. I had Hatton pinned as a local hero who fought stiffs and past their prime fighters in front of large hometown crowds. How wrong I was! Ricky Hatton proved  he belongs with the elite fighters in his division after his impressive win over Kostya Tszyu. Most people thought Tszyu would be able to stand and trade with Hatton but few gave Hatton the chance of being able to trade punches with Tszyu.

Both men started and ended the fight throwing punches with bad intentions. To my surprise, Tszyu was content on lying on the ropes and fighting at close quarters, allowing Hatton to fight his game. They took each other’s best shots with no real sign of going down. There was roughhousing throughout the bout and congratulations are in order to referee Dave Parris, who did a fine job of letting both men fight their fight, without deducting points from either fighter.  

As the contest entered the later rounds, it was becoming clear that Hatton was not going to fade down the stretch; actually, it looked as if he was only getting stronger. As I sat there, watching, I kept waiting for Tszyu to take control of the fight but it never happened. It never happened because Hatton's constant pressure would not allow it to happen. Going into the 11th round Tszyu's face showed the punishment he had taken; it also showed the expression of a beaten fighter when he slumped on to his stool at the end of the round.  

His corner asked Tszyu if he wanted to continue; there was no answer, as Tszyu just sat there. Seconds later, Kostya’s corner told referee Dave Parris their man would not be coming out for the 12th and final round.  

Ricky Hatton fought the fight of his life, he deserved the victory and deserves to be called champion. While both men fought with everything they had, Ricky Hatton simply had that much more. Both fighters deserve to be congratulated on their efforts. Also, a thank you to Showtime for bringing us some of this year’s best fights. With the win Ricky Hatton keeps his perfect record of 39-0 (29 KO's) while Kostya Tszyu drops to 32-2 (25 KO's).