Matthew Hatton Stops Ted Bami With Body Shot In 6th Round

by James Slater – Last night, at The Altrincham Lesuire Centre, UK, Matthew Hatton scored a career-best win as he stopped former European light-welterweight champion Ted Bami in the 6th round. Sending the experienced Bami down with a left hook to the body, the less famous Hatton saw his man fail to beat the count. In fact, Bami, who fell to 26-5(13) was down for some time. 27-year-old Hatton, who advanced to 36-4-1-2(14) was walked into the ring by bother Ricky, and it was “The Hitman” who suggested he should go to the 31-year-old’s midsection..

Speaking to The Manchester Evening News after the fight, both Hatton brothers were elated with Matthew’s win.

“Just before we went out I told him he has a great little body shot, and that it had taken Ted three goes to make the weight,” Ricky Hatton said. “I told him not to be scared of giving him as little shot downstairs, and that’s what did him. For someone as experienced as Ted not to want to continue shows how good a shot it was.”

Matthew, who will fly out to Las Vegas with his brother on Saturday, Manchester Evening News reports, and who will box on the under-card of the May 2nd Pacquiao-Hatton fight, said he can do even better than he did last night.

“I wasn’t that happy with the way I was boxing, to be honest,” Matthew said. “But I was taking a lot out of him. He was getting more and more tired and I was catching him more as the fight went on. That left hook (that ended the fight) shows it’s not always the force but the placement as well. I barely tickled him with it but it was right on the spot and brought a delayed reaction.

“He was down for quite some time and to do that to a former European champion takes some doing.”

Next up for the 27-year-old will be his slot on the big fight card in May, against an opponent yet to be named. However, looking further ahead, South Africa’s Bongani Mwelase is a fighter Hatton has his eye on. According to reports, Mwelase is expected to box for the vacant IBO 147-pound belt in America next month, possible against Lovemore N’dou, and if he wins Hatton will likely meet him – possibly in Manchester.

Gareth Williams, a member of Team-Hatton, spoke briefly about the possible match-up.

“We would obviously prefer to stage it in England, but it may be South Africa, or maybe even the States,” Williams said.

Matthew Hatton keeps on improving, and who knows, maybe one day he will have a world title to match his brother’s. Beating unbeaten 6’0″ southpaw Mwelase, currently 13-0(12) will not be easy though!