CEBU CITY (3rd Update 1:08 p.m.) -- There’s no arguing about it now. Manny Pacquiao is really the world’s undisputed No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter as he finished off Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in the second round of their 12-round megafight Saturday night (Sunday morning RP time) at MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

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Pacquiao started the fight slow with Hatton applying the pressure on him. The Pacman, however, was able to dictate the tempo and knocked Hatton down twice late in the opening round. Pacquiao could have ended the fight right there and then, but time ran out.

Hatton came back pulling out some of his dirty tactics in the second round, but the Filipino boxing icon proved to be unstoppable as he landed his trademark powerful left punch on the jaw that fell the Briton straight down to the canvas like a log with only a tick left to the bell. Hatton stayed down on the floor for several minutes with ring officials and physicians attending to him.

The world’s Best Fighter unleashed a total of 73 punches in only six minutes of fight time, compared to Hatton’s only 18.

Pacquiao now has six weight division titles to his name as the win gave him the IBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight championship. It was the 49th victory of the world’s Best Fighter with three losses and two draws.

Hatton, who has never lost a fight as a junior welterweight, absorbed his second loss in his 47 career fights.

Pacquiao said he didn’t expect a short fight. “Hatton is a strong fighter. I was hurt with his right punches but I was just lucky,” Pacquiao said.

Filipino featherweight Bernabe Concepcion scored a unanimous decision triumph over Yogli Herrera of Columbia in the undercard.

The three judges scored the six-round fight 60-54 all for Concepcion, who now has a 29-1-1 win-loss-draw record. Herrera, on the other hand, absorbed his eighth loss in 30 fights.

Humberto Soto of Mexico downed Canadian challenger Bennoit Gaudet thrice to score a TKO in the ninth round and keep his WBC super-featherweight title.

Soto sent Gaudet to the canvas early in the opening round but found himself on all fours in the seventh when the Canadian dealt him a low blow. Soto bounced back and floored Gaudet in the ninth then scored the stoppage in the 2:25 marker of the round.

Soto improved his win-loss-draw record to 48-7-2, while it was still Gaudet’s second defeat in 22 fights.

In the other undercard bouts, former world amateur champions Matt Korobov of Russia and Erislandy Lara of Cuba both tallied their fifth professional wins in a row.

Korobov downed middleweight Anthony Bartinelli (20-13-2) in the second round en route to scoring a TKO win, while Lara outscored junior middleweight Chris Gray.

Daniel Jacobs, of Brooklyn, New York, notched his 16th consecutive win at the expense of middleweight Michael Walker, who absorbed his first loss in 22 bouts.

Ricky Hatton’s brother, Matthew, and undefeated junior welterweight Mike Alvarado both won over their respective opponents via unanimous verdict.

Hatton (36-4-1) beat Ernesto Zepeda (39-12-4) of Tijuana, Mexico, while Alvarado defeated fellow American Joaquin Gallardo (18-8-1).

Unbeaten Mexican super-bantamweight Abner Mares posted his 18th straight victory via a sixth-round TKO win against Jonathan Perez (14-6-0) of Columbia. 

Omar Chavez of Mexico likewise TKOed American welterweight Tyler Ziolowski in the second round, and Joe Murray of UK decisioned Missael Nunez of Los Angeles. (Sunnex)

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