Floyd Mayweather stopped England's Ricky Hatton in the 10th round to win a brawling showdown of unbeaten fighters late on Saturday, keeping the World Boxing Council welterweight crown.
Mayweather knocked Hatton down with a left to the chin as the Briton was swinging a punch of his own. Hatton rose but the American followed with a left hook and a dazed Hatton fell moments later.
"I threw a hook and he walked right into it. He never saw it coming," Mayweather said. "I wanted to show the fans I could punch with power."
Mayweather improved to 39-0 with his 25th victory inside the distance when referee Joe Cortez halted a bout filled with clinching and bumping at 1:35 of the 10th round.
"I already knew coming into the ring it was going to be tough, that he was going to try to rough me up," Mayweather said. "I took my time. I fought on the inside and the outside. A true champion can adapt to anything."
Hatton suffered his first defeat after 43 triumphs but earned respect for a gutsy effort.
"He was definitely the toughest competitor I've ever faced," Mayweather said. "I threw a lot of body shots, and he still kept coming."
Cortez deducted a point from Hatton for hitting Mayweather behind the head in round six. All three judges would have scored the round even otherwise.
"I was doing fine until I lost that point," Hatton said. "I thought then I had better put the foot down and I left myself open."
Hatton knew he was trailing on points and pressed harder than he wanted in later rounds, leaving himself open to Mayweather in the 10th.
"I thought I was doing well in the fight until then," Hatton said. "When I went down I felt more like a mug for leaving myself open like that."
The end came moments after the final blow with Hatton flat on his back by the ropes as Mayweather jumped for joy to celebrate victory.
"I'll be back. Don't worry," Hatton said. "I'm sorry everybody."
Hatton's popularity helped draw thousands of vocal British supporters to the US gambling mecca for the biggest fight of his career.
Hatton supporters sang along with God Save the Queen before the bout, but booed throughout the singing of the US anthem.
"I'm disappointed by that," Hatton said.
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