Weekend Wrap-up in Boxing (November 23-24)

In the UK on Saturday, Ricky Hatton failed in his comeback attempt after a 3½ year layoff. Hatton managed to keep the fight close and was slightly ahead on all three scorecards in the welterweight bout going into the ninth round when he was knocked out with a body shot by Ukraine's Vyacheslav Senchenko. Hatton announced his second retirement following the fight, saying he will go back to training and promoting other fighters. In Ontario, California, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Andre “The Beast” Berto fought 12 grueling rounds in a bout that had the audience on their feet for a standing ovation after the final bell sounded. HBO commentators were suggesting the bout as a candidate for fight of the year. Much of the fight was fought in the love-it-or-hate-it inside fighting style, with both fighter’s bodies clinched to each other against the ropes and either of them swinging to the other man's head or body whatever loose hand they had available, very much appearing as if a street fight that could have easily taken place inside a telephone booth. Toward the end, both boxer’s right eyes were swollen and completely shut and Berto’s left eye was rapidly closing as well, nearly making him a blind fighter. Guerrero had apparently inflicted the most damage and was awarded the decision. Someone to watch closely is an up-and-comer quickly rising to the ranks of today’s best junior middleweight fighters. The undefeated Keith Thurman has fought 19 times and won all but one by knockout. That includes his destruction of the veteran Carlos Quintana in the Guerrero-Berto undercard. Quintana had fought throughout his career some of the greatest fighters in boxing and is known for the stunning upsets of several of them. He was knocked out by Thurman in the 4th round.

P. Rivera, GAR1680 Boxing Talk
Twitter: @GAR1680