Relentless Pacquiao Sets Daunting Standard for Hatton to Match

The future beckons for Ricky Hatton and it is both lucrative and daunting. The Englishman was among the 17,000 spectators who witnessed Manny Pacquiao demolish Oscar De La Hoya, sending the golden boy of American boxing into probable retirement, and like everyone else who walked from the MGM's Grand Garden Arena into the Las Vegas night he bore the startled look of a man who could hardly believe what he had just seen.

"Magnificent" was how Hatton summed up a performance that saw the Filipino undress De La Hoya for eight rounds before the referee, acting on the wishes of the American boxer's corner, called the proceedings to a humanitarian end. The victor left the venue, metaphorically at least, on the shoulders of his grateful homeland, where he is a national monument in flesh and blood. The loser left in an ambulance, heading to the nearest hospital for a precautionary check-up.

In truth, Pacquiao's effort was more than magnificent, but while others will be happy to toss around superlatives for months to come, Hatton could not afford the luxury of being too impressed because the day is coming when he will be tasked with stopping a fighter who, on this evidence at least, appears utterly unstoppable.

If everything goes to plan - not always a wise assumption in the fight business - the Englishman will step into the ring against the Filipino some time next year with upwards of £20m on the line. "I'll go to England to fight Hatton, no problem," Pacquiao said when asked about the prospect. "But I'm just a fighter. I leave [match-making] to the promoter."

In the Filipino's case, the promoter is Bob Arum. While he was making all the right noises ("Why not? It's got to be the number one on the drawing board.") he was not exactly unequivocal and with rumours abroad that Floyd Mayweather, like so many other American investors a victim of the stock market crash, is seriously considering a comeback, No1 on the drawing board could quick become No1(a).

Hatton has developed into a well-respected, well-liked figure in the States - a steady stream of boxing personalities, from Mike Tyson to Tommy Hearns, came up to shake his hand as he took his ringside seat - but America loves its own and it is safe to say he would be readily cast aside by television executives if Mayweather indicated he was willing to take on Pacquiao.

All will be revealed in due course, no doubt, but in the meantime Hatton appeared content to assume his big pay-day is on the near rather than distant horizon. "My goal was to fight tonight's winner and that was Pacquiao. He is pound-for-pound the best boxer in the world. That's what we all want to be. I didn't take my chance against Floyd Mayweather, maybe I will get my chance again," he said, insisting the Filipino was his preferred choice of opponent all along.

If that is the case, then his confidence is to be admired and respected but, equally, it is fair to say that it will not be shared by too many other sound judges.

Stepping into the ring a heavy underdog Pacquiao was lighter and shorter than his opponent on Saturday, almost comically so. But it did not take long for the mirth to subside, about 30 seconds in fact. That was how long it took the Filipino to land a couple of dazzling combinations, neither of which was met with any meaningful response from De La Hoya.

The tone was already set and as the night progressed it became ever more discordant for the 35-year-old American who was tagged time and again by his faster opponent and could only muster the occasional solitary shot in response, very few of which found their target, never mind inflicted serious damage.

By the fourth round De La Hoya's left eye had begun to close and his handsome features had taken on the colour of a bruised tomato. Pacquiao was rampant, cocky enough to make light of any of the American's punches that did land and talented enough to pick off his opponent at will.

By the sixth round De La Hoya's humiliation was complete, the only question being when it would end. Happily, the answer was sooner rather than later. After torrid seventh and eighth rounds, the American staggered back to his corner to be met with the news that his trainers had no wish to watch him suffer such indignity any longer. The proud fighter, winner of world championships in six weight divisions, was not inclined to disagree and walked across the ring to embrace the man who had given him the beating of his life.

"You're my idol," he told Pacquiao.

"No, you're my idol," came the response.

In the circumstances it was understandable that none of the principals involved was inclined to give an honest appraisal of what had just taken place, although there were plenty of others around the Grand Garden Arena who were, Ricky Hatton included.

"Oscar looked totally weight-drained. His reactions weren't the same, his footwork wasn't the same and the body shots seemed to snap him in two," the Manchester-based fighter said afterwards. "To be honest it was a little bit upsetting, I felt a little bit sick. It seems the great champions always bow out that way in their last fight. It is a shame."

As assessments go, this was both succinct and brutal. Hatton and his supporters will be hoping the Englishman brings the same attributes to bear when he steps into the ring to measure himself against the magnificent Manny Pacquiao.