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Picture Tszyu congratulates Hatton in Manchester (Getty Images)

BRITISH TOP 10 - POUND-FOR-POUND

By Derek Bilton

It's all change on the British 'Pound-for-Pound' beat, after a quite incredible few weeks of pugilistic action.

Ricky Hatton punched his way to financial security and 'P-4-P' pre-eminence after a quite brilliant display against Kostya Tszyu in Manchester.

Not since Barry McGuigan outfoxed and outboxed featherweight legend Eusebio Pedroza for the WBA title at Loftus Road have we seen such unbridled scenes of joy in a British ring.

And while I still feel Lloyd Honeyghan smashing the then seeming unbeatable Don Curry to defeat inside seven brutual rounds to claim the undisputed welterweight crown in Atlantic City 19 years ago remais the most startling display from a Britsh boxer in the modern era, Hatton's win is right up there.

It will forever live in the memory for two reasons.

Firstly there was nothing remotely controversial about the win.

Hatton, as Tszyu later admitted, was quite simply "the better man on the night", as the Mancunian threshing machine busted up one of the best fighters of the last 10 years with an amazing display of guts and guile.

Hatton had been hurt by the media snipers who claimed he was over-protected and that he wouldn't venture outside of his native Manchester.

Promoter Frank Warren too came in for some over-the-top criticism, especially this time last year when some big fights fell through and Hatton was left to bully mediocre (at best) types such as Dennis Holbaek Pedersen and Carlos Vilches.

Yet Warren said all along that the big fights would be made when the time and economic climate were right, and sure enough less than a year after Vilches was hopelessly outclassed at the same venue, Hatton now stands atop of the light-welterweight division.

Mouth-watering clashes against the likes of Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather now await 'The Hitman', who is unquestionably now the man in the sport's deepest division.

The grace with which Tszyu accepted defeat and indeed the grace with which Hatton hailed his victory was the other main highlight for me.

Boxing has been tarnished by some scandelous behaviour in and out of the ring over the past decade or so but these two showed that the noble art remains just that.

These two proud ring soldiers tried with all their might to render the other unconscious, yet when the dust eventually settled they embraced and kissed like young lovers.

It was stirring stuff, and you just know the lucrative American market, where Hatton is now hoping to crack, will just love the barbarous grace of the Englishman.

Hatton's win means he usurps Joe Calzaghe for top spot, ironically just a few weeks after one of the Welshman's best perormances for years.

Calzaghe nonchalantly dissected Mario Veit inside six rounds in Germany, and in doing so mouthwatering super-middleweight title unification showdown with Jeff Lacy in November.

That bout has the potential to be more explosive than Hatton - Tszyu, but until Calzaghe actually gets in the ring and starts trading leather with the top men in his division, he will remain off the top spot.

Junior Witter jumps above Howard Eastman for third place by virtue of his impressive win over the tak-tough Lovemore N'Dou and Eastman's tame capitulation against Hopkins.

There was no shame in Howard losing to the 'The Executioner' (who doesn't), but I got the impression while watching the fight that Eastman could have done much, much more.

The 'Battersea Bomber' was unwilling to take any risks against the man from Philadelphia, and I found that very strange given just what was at stake.

All four major middleweight belts and the chance to cover himself in glory were apparantly not enough to tempt Eastman out of his shell, as he lost a disappointing unanimous decision in Los Angeles.

Elsewhere Scott Harrison showed that his tame display against Victor Polo was just a blip, by smashing likeable Mancunian Michael Brodie to defeat inside four rounds in the latter's backyard.

Harrison may not be able to buy a drink in his hometown right now, but showed he still has a raging thirst to dominate at featherweight with his clinical destruction of Brodie, who retired immediately after the fight.

On the undercard Michael Jennings showed he may just have what it takes to make it in the sport after a fine display against the capable Gavin Down, and the Chorley welterweight only just misses out on making the cut on our list as a result.

Nottingham banger Carl Froch also makes the list, following his impressive demolition of game American dangerman Henry Porras in Hollywood back in April.

'The Cobra' is now 15-0 (12), and his next fight against the very capable Matthew Barney should tell us plenty about just how far he can go in the super-middleweight division.

Michael Hunter continues to impress, and the man recently dubbed "British boxing's best kept secret" could well announce himself to thye country at large if he gets his wish and meets Newark stylsih Esham Pickering next.

Pickering is a fantastic boxer, but 'The Hunter' could prove a nightmare fight for him given the Hartlepool man's indomitable will to win and the sheer amount of leather he throws per round.

Staying at super-bantam, Wayne McCullough proved there is life in the old dog yet with a very spirited display against Oscar Larios last time out.

'The Pocket Rocket', considered a spent force after his one-sided shellacking at the hands of Scoot Harrison, boxed so well against the Mexican that he has been granted a re-match in Las Vegas this coming July.

Sportinglife.com Pound-for-Pound British Top Ten:

1 - Ricky Hatton

2 - Joe Calzaghe

3 - Junior Witter

4 - Howard Eastman

5 - Scott Harrison

6 - Johnny Nelson

7 - Wayne McCullough

8 - Carl Froch

9 - Carl Thompson

10 - Clinton Woods

Honourable mentions: Michael Jennings, Esham Pickering, Michael Hunter, Peter Oboh, Audley Harrison.

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