INQUIRER Sports

LAS VEGAS?GIVEN A CHOICE, MANNY PACquiao will fight as a light welterweight again.

?I feel very strong at 140, I want to stay here,? Pacquiao told a horde of media people during the postfight news conference at the MGM Grand.

?I hope you enjoyed the show,? said Pacquiao, referring to his masterful two-round annihilation of Ricky Hatton to win the International Boxing Organization light welterweight crown on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Pacquiao came up with a performance so splendid that Filipino fans won?t tire watching it over and over.

Fast, fierce, relentless
He was so fast, fierce and relentless that Hatton, the unbeaten king of the division for 12 years, was reduced to a punching bag.

The end came after Pacquiao hit Hatton with a sledgehammer of a left hook to the jaw that left the Briton senseless for a few minutes while laid out flat on his back in the middle of the ring.

Statistics released by Compubox confirmed the lopsided result.

High conversion rate
Pacquiao threw a total of 127 punches, landing 73 of them for a 53 percent conversion rate.

Hatton, who was later brought to a hospital for routine checkup because of the beating he absorbed, unleashed 78 but could only connect on 18 for a measly 23 percent.

The Filipino champ also uncorked 105 power punches with 65 finding its mark for 62 percent.

In contrast, Hatton could only connect on 16 of 56 punches thrown for just 29 percent.

?I thank God for giving me the strength,? said Pacquiao after the mismatch. ?Before the fight, many people were saying I?m small at 140, but I didn?t put that in mind.?

Lucky to hit Hatton

According to Pacquiao, now 48-3-2 with 37 knockouts, he?s just lucky to hit Hatton with that left hook.

?I believe it?s a hard punch and when it landed I thought he won?t get up.?

After praying and acknowledging the cheers of his fans, Pacquiao invited the members of the media to a victory party at Mandalay Bay?s The Beach.

?I?m singing tonight?
?I?m going to sing tonight,? said Pacquiao, who has done a few records back home. ?I brought my band here.?

After two months of hard training and less than six minutes of executing the gameplan, Pacquiao deserved to be belting songs this time.