My take on Mayweather after a tough fight versus Hatton is that he is among the top 10 elite fighters of all time. He should be mentioned in the same discussions as guys like Sugar Ray Leonard and Joe Louis. Not because of the caliber of opponent that Ricky Hatton was, but because of the way that he beat him. I think that there have been questions about Mayweather's toughness and offense for his entire career. The Hatton fight definitely gave him the opportunity to answer them.
A key point in the fight for me was in the 4th round when Hatton appeared to be taking control of the fight and Mayweather answered with great combination punching on the outside for the last 2 minutes of the round to take it. That was the first round that I gave to him in the fight.
Another key point was in the 7th round when Mayweather stood and traded with Hatton despite the fact that Hatton would land a right hand every once in a great while. That showed me that he was willing to sacrifice himself a little to inflict great damage on Hatton. That is what great fighters do in big fights.
The final key point was when in between the 8th and ninth rounds, Roger Mayweather instructed Floyd not to walk away from Hatton and to keep trading on the inside, Floyd did the opposite. He stayed on the outside, and landed a stiff and quick jab that not only won him the round, but softened up Hatton to the point of being knocked out in the 10th. That showed me that at this point in his career he is willing to depend on only himself at points in fights where most guys depend on a game plan or trainer's instructions in big fights.
I also think that he grew up a little in the ring. There were moments when he looked confused, but never lacked poise. He faced everything that he hadn't before and answered all of my questions. I can't wait to see him
fight again.
