Hatton and Kirkland Win With Ease

Ricky Hatton debuted a more refined style in his first fight under Floyd Mayweather Sr. and he delivered in a big way, becoming the first fighter to stop Paul Maligniaggi as a professional. The Magic Man is still arguing that the fight should not have been stopped in the eleventh round, but that's just his pride talking. Hatton chased and pounded Malignaggi all night long, and the 140-pounder doesn't have any power to speak of, let alone the kind that can turn around a fight in an instant. Hatton, who once again entered the ring in a fat suit despite serious concerns that his conditioning could be his undoing, did everything perfectly in the ring last night, and there was nothing Malignaggi's jab could do about it. The Hitman from Manchester has come a long way since being put down by his new trainer's son last year, and now he can control his own destiny in the 140 pound light welterweight division. He's recently been called out by undefeated American Timothy Bradley who did Hatton the favor of silencing Junior Witter. So you think it's the least he could do to fight him. Of course what really matters is the money, and Hatton will be looking to cash some big checks in his next three fights. Undefeated challenger James Kirkland earned the 24th win of his young career and his 21st knockout at the expense of a rugged Brian Vera. The self-proclaimed Mandingo Warrior crushed Vera with left hands until the referee made a wise stoppage. Kirkland took his fair share of shots, but that's to be expected as he faces more legitimate opposition. He's one of the top young stars in the light middleweight division along with fellow knockout artist Alfredo Angulo, and both should be challenging for major titles soon. Vernon Forrest and Verno Phillips are on the downside of their careers, and soon somebody of significance will need to face Paul Williams.