The Road Ends Where It Started For Hitman Hatton

Click the above Image for more Photos from this Event

In Manchester, England last night – the fairytale ending we all wanted to see for Ricky Hatton disappeared with a crushing ninth round knockout by Ukrainian Vyacheslav Senchenko. Hatton, whose face was easy target for ex-WBA champion Senchenko, was defeated by a punishing bodyshot in the scheduled ten round welterweight contest.

Sporting a swollen bruised right eye, Hatton told media at the post fight press conference “It isn’t there any more…(but) I’m happy…I got the answer I needed – I can’t do it anymore”. He spoke of his pride to have such supportive fans. And there is no denying the fantastic support he received again last night from a packed MEN Arena.

Even afterward – as an emotional Hatton stood in the ring – the arena erupted in to yet another rendition of ‘There’s Only One Ricky Hatton’ as if to tell him ‘you did us proud’.

Click the above Image for more Photos from this Event

The Hatton promotions fight-night also featured four title fights at the packed MEN Arena, but sadly the atmosphere on Saturday night will probably never be repeated – for there’s no better support anywhere than there is for the Hitman.

Ricky Hatton (Manchester) v Vyacheslav Senchenko (Ukraine)
10 x 3 Welterweight Contest

Hatton got off to a good start against the Ukrainian but from round two we could see that his face was wide open to shots and his timing was off – sometimes throwing wide swinging shots that missed their mark against the taller boxer with the longer reach.

Senchenko sustained a cut under the left eye in the seventh round. Both men start to tire in the eighth and they tumble over on to the canvas in the ninth with Senchenko quickest to get to his feet. Hatton is taken over to get his glove re-taped. With ten seconds of the round remaining Senchenko digs in a left hook to the body and Hatton drops to his knees. He is unable to make the count and – visibly in great discomfort – lies back on the canvas.

Senchenko wins by ninth round knockdown. Hatton was ahead on all three Judges scorecards at the time of the knockdown.

Senchenko’s record improves to 33 wins (22 by KO) and 1 loss.

Hatton later announced his retirement at the post-fight press conference. His record stands at 45 wins (32 by KO) 3 losses (3 by KO)

Scott Quigg (Bury) v Rendall Munroe (Leicester)
Interim WBA World Super-Bantamweight Title

The much anticipated re-match between Quigg and Munroe ended with a sixth round stoppage of the Leicester man. Both men seemed to be evenly matched but a crippling body shot sent Munroe to his knees in the sixth and again moments later.

Quigg improves to 25 wins (18 by KO) 1 draw and no losses, while Munroe drops to 24 wins (10 by KO) 3 losses (1 by KO) and 1 draw.

Martin Murray (St.Helens) v Jorge Navarro (Venezuela)
Interim WBA World Middleweight Title

St.Helens Boxer Murray forced a sixth round retirement of Navarro. Navarro went down twice during the contest and was under pressure from a barrage of shots when his corner threw in the towel in round six, just as the Referee looked to be jumping in.

Murray’s record improves to 25 wins (11 by KO) 1 draw and no losses. He’s hoping for a World Title shot against Sergio Martinez next year.

Navarro drops to 12 wins (10 by KO) 1 loss (1 by KO)

Gary Buckland (Cardiff, Wales) v Stephen Foster jnr (Salford)
BBBofC British Super-Featherweight Title

Dynamo Buckland successfully defended the Super-Featherweight Title for a second time. Foster sustained a cut to the forehead from a clash of heads in the sixth and was retired by his corner at the end of the eighth round.

Buckland improves to 27 wins (9 by KO) 2 losses (1 by KO), while Foster drops to 30 wins (18 by KO) 4 losses (1 by KO) and 1 draw.

Sergey Rabchenko (Minsk, Belarus) v Cedric Vitu (France)

EBU (European) Light-Middleweight title & Vacant WBC Silver Light-Middleweight Title

Rabchenko wins by a split decision 116-113; 116-113; 114-115;

His record improves to 22 wins (16 by KO) no losses. Rabchenko was defending his EBU Title for the first time and now wins the vacant WBC Silver Light-Middleweight Title.

Vitu’s record now stands at 35 wins (15 by KO) 2 losses.

Adam Etches (Sheffield) v Roman Dzhuman (Ukraine)

‘Bomber’ Etches stopped Dzhuman in round two. He improves to 10 wins (8 by KO) no losses, while Dzhuman drops to 26 wins (12 by KO) 12 losses (7 by KO) and 1 draw.

James Dickens (Liverpool) v Franklin Varela (Venezuela)
8 x 3 Featherweight Contest

Jazza had Varela down twice during the contest but had to settle for a points win 80-70. His record improves to 13 wins (5 by KO) no losses, while Varela drops to 21 wins (10 by KO) 9 losses (3 by KO).

Scott Jenkins (Chesterfield) v Graham Fearn (York)
4 x 3 Lightweight Contest

Jenkins wins by second round knockdown.
He improves to 7 wins (3 by KO) while Fearn drops to 5 wins (1 by KO)14 losses (3 by KO)and 2 draws