Hatton's Close Call

BOSTON, MA - Ricky Hatton added the first world welterweight title to his haul with a unanimous points decision over World Boxing Association champion Luis Collazo over 12 bruising rounds.

The Englishman, who stepped up from junior welterweight to improve his record to 41-0 (30 KOs), floored Collazo 15 seconds into the fight and had him bleeding from the mouth and forehead throughout, but southpaw Collazo battled back in a gruelling tussle.

In a tight contest Hatton was ahead on all three cards -- 115-112, 115-112, 114-113 -- to give the pride of Manchester the belt to add to his junior welterweight world titles.

"He was stronger than I thought he would be," Hatton said. "It's a good test at a new weight. I need to grow into this new weight. This was my first fight at 147 (pounds) and it was a title fight. I'll get better."

"I'll fight absolutely anybody and that includes a rematch with Luis," Hatton said after the tight verdict.

"It's up to the teams to get together and do it. Yeah, why not? He hurt me several times in the fight -- I'm man enough to admit it."

After Hatton floored his heavier opponent, Collazo produced the more venomous selection of punches and almost put his rival on the canvas in a thrilling final round.

Hatton fought the last three rounds with a severe swelling under his left eye, but apparently never bled from the injury.

"Hatton was out on his feet in the 12th," said Collazo. "I thought I out-boxed him and was stronger. I thought a guy had to do more than he did to take my title.

"He didn't do enough to win the fight. I'm the champion and he's the challenger."

Collazo, who fell to 26-2 with the loss, started the second defense of the title in shaky fashion.

He said he was caught by a Hatton left after the referee told the fighter to break, but he rallied and took the entertaining bout to Hatton.

"I think there should be an immediate rematch and I'll see everybody back in England," he said.

Prior to the Hatton fight, a moment of silence was observed by the crowd of 7,915 for former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, who died Thursday at the age of 71.

On the undercard, Brazilian Valdemir Pereira surrendered his IBF featherweight title when he was disqualified in the eighth round for repeated low blows.

Making his first title defense, Pereira fell to 23-1 as he was thoroughly frustrated by unknown Eric Aiken, who took the fight on 10 days notice when Englishman Esham Pickering pulled out.

Aiken, who improved to 16-4, scored knockdowns in the fourth and fifth rounds before Pereira was penalized points for low blows in the sixth and seventh. Another in the eighth prompted Charlie Dwyer to stop it at the 1:37 mark.

Karl Foster
East Coast Correspondent

Information from other publications and wire services was used in the compilation of this report.