YUP, HE IS THAT GOOD:

Manny Pacquiao stuns Ricky Hatton with second round knockout (Brian Doogan, 5/03/09, Times of London)

Manny Pacquiao underlined his status as the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer with a stunningly destructive second round knockout of Britain’s Ricky Hatton this morning at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The 30-year-old Filipino, a rare amalgam of brutal power and virtuoso artistry, dominated his bigger opponent with speedier, more precise, explosive punches which reduced the 30-year-old from Manchester to a stumbling, impotent, overwhelmed version of the proud fighter who had marched to the ring with a record of 46 wins, 32 by stoppage, against just one previous defeat.

Hatton was twice knocked down in the opening round before Pacquiao put together a savage sequence of punches which further diminished the Mancunian before a bombshell left to the jaw sent him crashing onto his back unconscious. Wisely, American referee Kenny Bayless chose not to complete the count before he waved it over at 2:59 of round two, with Hatton in a frighteningly endangered state.

Pacquiao knocks out Hatton in round two (The National, 5/03/09)

Coming off an overwhelming win over Oscar De La Hoya, the Filipino was even better against Hatton, knocking him down twice in the first round before stopping him with a devastating left hand in the light welterweight bout.

Referee Kenny Bayless took one look at Hatton and declared the fight over at 2min59sec of the round.

"I didn’t have to count," Bayless said.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 3, 2009 8:12 AM