( Undefeated )
Press Conference in NYC for the Mayweather-Hatton fightMayweather decided to relinquish his WBC junior middleweight championship[65] and kept his WBC welterweight championship. On July 28, 2007, it was announced that Mayweather would come out of his short retirement to fight light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton which was promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's promotion company Golden Boy Promotions and Floyd Mayweather's "Mayweather Promotions." The bout was labelled "Undefeated" and took place on December 8, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, in a fight which was the biggest welterweight showdown of two undefeated fighters since Oscar De La Hoya and Félix Trinidad met in their 1999 superfight. In the build up to their fight, Mayweather claimed that he was the greatest boxer ever, saying: "I respect what Robinson and Ali did for the sport. But I am the greatest, and this is my time." [66]
Mayweather controlled the fight from the start and knocked Hatton out in the 10th round to retain the welterweight championship.[67] Hatton suffered a cut over his right eye in round three from the punches of Mayweather, and it seemed that it was at this point that his pace and movement began to slow. In round six Hatton lost a point for punching the back of Floyd's head as he was caught draped on the ropes. Mayweather had a huge eighth round, landing a number of clean, effective power shots.
In the 10th round Hatton was caught with a check left hook thrown from Mayweather's hip, and as a result he fell forward head first into the turnbuckle and hit the deck. Hatton managed to make it to his feet, but was clearly dazed. Two more big lefts in a flurry put Ricky down again and Cortez stopped it at 1:35 of round 10.[68]
After the fight, Mayweather said that Hatton was one of the toughest fighters he had ever fought, that he just kept coming and coming, and that he wants to promote fights, with Hatton being his first client. Mayweather announced a two-year layoff from boxing to concentrate on his promotional company.[69]
On March 18, 2009, it was reported that Mayweather was "ready to dance again" according to a source from within the Mayweather camp. Announcing his return to the ring seemed to be somewhat of a formality at this point, as even his estranged father, current trainer of Ricky Hatton, Floyd Mayweather Sr. stated, "He's gonna fight again." [70]
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