Ricky Hatton hailed light-welterweight rival Floyd Mayweather as "pure class" after the American star captured the WBC crown from Canadian tough guy Arturo Gatti in Atlantic City on Saturday night. The 28-year-old Mayweather, touted as a future opponent for Britain's 140lb kingpin, produced a masterclass of boxing to force Gatti to retire on his stool at the end of the sixth round. Mayweather, already a former world champion at super-featherweight and lightweight, dominated from the outset with his superior hand speed. Gatti was floored by a left hook in the first round while his hands were dropped as he complained about a previous blow on the break. The challenger then dazzled his opponent with stinging shots from both hands to leave Gatti marked up around both eyes by the end of the third. Gatti, renowned as one of the bravest ring warriors of recent years, tried to push forward but was mercilessly picked off by Mayweather's precision counters. Mayweather just could not miss the target as he turned up the heat in the sixth and Gatti's camp wisely waved the contest over before the start of the seventh. Hatton was at ringside to witness Mayweather's triumph and admitted he had been impressed by what he saw. "You have to say that was absolutely masterful what he did there," said the 26-year-old from Manchester, holder of the IBF title after beating the great Kostya Tszyu earlier this month. "Arturo Gatti is obviously no mug, but that's just what Mayweather made him look like. He just seemed in a completely different league. "I've said all along, even before my win over Kostya Tszyu, that I'm scared of fighting nobody and that hasn't changed, I'll still fight anybody. "But that was a masterful performance by Mayweather and, being a boxing fan, you have to say that he may do a lot of talking and a lot of bad-mouthing, but he's pure class and that's why he's one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world." Hatton's trainer Billy Graham echoed those words as he added: "That performance was breathtaking." | 
