Ricky Hatton began his Las Vegas adventure by beating Colombian Juan Urango on a unanimous points verdict on this day in 2007 to claim the IBF light-welterweight title.
It was the first of five trips to Sin City for Hatton and, although he would lose two of those bouts and with them his unbeaten record, it served as a career-defining run for the Mancunian as he helped reignite a faded boxing scene in Vegas.
With 3,000 fans in tow, Hatton travelled to the United States having not fought for seven months – since he beat Luis Collazo in Boston to claim the WBA welterweight title and improve his career record to 41-0.
Urango was also without a fight in six months and there was perhaps a bit of ring rustiness in a bout which did not entirely live up to expectations.
Hatton, moving back down to light-welter, started brightly but tired badly, grateful that Urango was too static to take advantage.
After 12 rounds, all three judges scored the fight 119-109 in Hatton’s favour as the 28-year-old claimed the IBF and IBO belts.
The victory earned Hatton a return trip to Vegas seven months later to take on Jose Luis Castillo as he and his fans came to revel in their trips to the Nevada desert.
Hatton’s victory over Castillo in four rounds increased the clamour for a fight against Floyd Mayweather which duly followed, although when it did come it saw Hatton’s unbeaten record come to an end.
He later beat Paulie Malignaggi in Vegas but announced his retirement in 2009 after a bad loss to Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand. A return in 2012 proved short-lived as he lost to Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester.
