Pride of Manchester: Ricky Hatton takes the TKO in Las Vegas

By April MacIntyre Nov 23, 2008, 20:39 GMT

Yes my prediction was wrong - Ricky Hatton Sign - Ricky The Hitman Hatton was the victor Saturday night at the MGM Grand. - MGM Grand Hotel and Casino Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV, USA © Erik Kabik / PR Photos

Ricky The Hitman Hatton was the victor Saturday night at the MGM Grand.

HBO televised the scheduled 12-round boxing event that was supposed to be a matchup of the top two 140-pounders in the world: Manchester's Ricky Hatton versus Brooklyn's Paulie Malignaggi.

Hatton won with an 11th-round technical knockout.

It was a fast surrender as Malignaggi's corner waved white towels in the direction of referee Kenny Bayless in the 28 second round.

Malignaggi seemed to argue with his corner that he was fine and that Hatton hadn't hurt him.  The fight stopped anyway as his trainer Buddy McGirt and Promoter Lou DiBella killed the match.

"I'm better than this," Malignaggi said to reporters. "Maybe I wouldn't have won on points, but I'm better than being stopped."

Malignaggi fought Miguel Cotto in Madison Square Garden and suffered several facial fractures in that one, but stayed on his feet after a first-round knockdown all the way to the end.

Hatton's last trip to Vegas and the MGM ring was December 2007, when he faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. - and this time Mayweather's father, Floyd Sr., trained Hatton for this fight.

The stats from HBO:

Hatton threw 516 punches, Malignaggi threw 342. Hatton also landed 99 of 377 power punches to Malignaggi's 25 of 133.

Hatton is 30, has a record of 44-1, with 31 knockouts.

"I enjoyed this fight a lot more than the last time I was here," Hatton told reporters said referencing the Mayweather fight (and loss) previously.

"I got frustrated in this fight, but then I hurt him early and then Floyd Sr. got me back to being me.