Hatton retains IBO light-welterweight belt

Briton Ricky Hatton retained his IBO light-welterweight title with a hard-fought points win over Mexican Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester stadium on Saturday night. In his first bout since his defeat to American Floyd Mayweather last December,...

Briton Ricky Hatton retained his IBO light-welterweight title with a hard-fought points win over Mexican Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester stadium on Saturday night.

In his first bout since his defeat to American Floyd Mayweather last December, Hatton began aggressively in front of a sell-out crowd of 55,000, although Lazcano registered a steady flow of counter-punches.

Lazcano's longer jabs found some success in the fifth round, causing a heavy swelling on Hatton's right eye. Both fighters exchanged big blows in the eighth, Lazcano rocking Hatton with a strong punch only for the former three-times world champion to respond impressively with an aggressive combination.

Hatton took a number of big hits but landed enough of his own to secure a unanimous victory over the Mexican, who has fought the majority of his career as a lightweight, and set up a possible fight against American Paulie Malignaggi.

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