Ricky Hatton was upset during his clash with Floyd Mayweather due to being deducted a point in round six.
'Hitman' and 'Pretty Boy' met in 2007, in a rare cross-division super fight. Both men were undefeated heading into the fight, and both were champions. Hatton reigned as the IBO and The Ring light-welterweight titleholder, while Mayweather was the WBC and The Ring welterweight champion.
The fight was one of the biggest of the 2000s, as it earned nearly two million pay-per-view buys across America and the U.K. As far as the action itself goes, Mayweather outpointed the Brit en route to a 10th-round knockout.
However, the victory didn't come without controversy. In round six, the fight was very close, as Hatton used his excellent work in the clinch to work away at Mayweather. In response, the latter tilted his head down and eventually turned his back on his opponent, which is illegal.
Ricky Hatton then landed a few shots to the back of Floyd Mayweather's head. While both men's actions were illegal, referee Joe Cortez decided to only penalize the British star and deduct a point. Following the break in action, Hatton was dominated until the 10th-round finish.
Following the fight, the Manchester native admitted that he fought recklessly and lost his cool after the foul. While it was a great performance by Mayweather, one has to wonder how the fight could've gone with a different referee.
Ricky Hatton felt cheated against Floyd Mayweather
Years after their clash, Ricky Hatton is still not happy about his loss to Floyd Mayweather.
Throughout his career, 'Hitman' traditionally did his best work on the inside. While Hatton could box with some of the best of them, that wasn't his style. The British star was always aggressive and tried to fight in the phone booth.
The strategy worked for 43 fights before he fought 'Pretty Boy'. Heading in, Hatton knew he wouldn't be able to outbox or outspeed his opponent, but he knew he could outwork him in the clinch.
Instead, Ricky Hatton wasn't allowed to clinch that night in 2007. Anytime the two men got close, they were separated. One of the few times the Brit let loose, he was deducted a point for hitting Mayweather in the back of the head, despite his opponent turning around.
In an interview with BT Sport, Hatton admitted that he's still sore about the defeat. He stated:
"I feel a bit cheated to be honest with you...I smelt a rat that night with the referee and I don’t think I was given a fair crack of the whip.”