It took less than six minutes for Manny Pacquiao to destroy Ricky Hatton in their 140 lb light welterweight boxing contest Saturday night. During that brief time the cagey Phillippino knocked Hatton down three times, barely got hit with a punch, and proved conclusively two things: 1) Pacquiao is a bonafide phenomenon and 2) Hatton is not an elite fighter.

From the opening bell Hatton did exactly what he has done throughout his career: charged his opponent with his fists at his sides and his chin pointed in the air. And as those who have followed him the past several years have seen, that is the recipe for disaster.

Floyd Mayweather showed in December 2007 that a step to the side followed by a hook can be Hatton's downfall. And Juan Lazcano, a decent though hardly exceptional fighter who throws few punches, has no hand speed, and little power, likewise proved several months later that Hatton's defense is so porous that even he almost stopped The Hitman. Though Hatton won that fight he probably would have been knocked out if not for a freakish referee's time out that allowed Hatton to escape with the unanimous decision.

Last night's melt down was the nail in the coffin. Hatton is reckless, has no defense, and worst of all seems to have lost the charm of an everyman fighting on the world's biggest stage. For his big fight with Pacquaio, Hatton released long time trainer Billy Graham and replaced him with Floyd Mayweather, Sr., a loud mouthed egomaniacle imbecile who cares more about his own publicity than his fighter's best interests. And for those reasons it was a relief to see Hatton KO'd and subsequently eliminated from further talk of blockbuster fights. Quite simply, Ricky Hatton is an overachiever whose best days are well behind him.

As for Manny Pacquiao, Undependent Media predicted a 10th round TKO for The Pac-Man but was not surprised with the early ending. A minute into the fight I turned to my friend and proclaimed, "this fight isn't going to last long. Pacquiao is landing all of his punches." A few minutes later the fight was history.

No doubt, Pacquiao is a smart fighter capable of exploiting his opponent's weaknesses. He is also fast, strong, and hungry. But is he, as many seem to proclaim, an unstoppable machine capable of beating all of boxing's little guys? I don't think so, but I know he'll certainly put on a hell of a show trying to make it happen.

Pacquiao moves to 49-3-2 (37 KO)

Hatton moves to 45-2 (32 KO)

Hatton down twice in round 1, once in round 2.

My Scoring of the Fight: