Ricky Hatton signalled his return to form with a classy 11th-round stoppage of Paulie Malignaggi and promised he can continue to improve in future fights.
Fighting for the first time since ending an 11-year training partnership with Billy Graham, Hatton showed that a 30-year-old dog could be taught new tricks.
Hatton, belying his reputation as an out and out slugger, put his seven weeks in training
camp with Floyd Mayweather Sr to effective use by dominating a boxing match-up with the slick Malignaggi.
So in control was he that Malignaggi's trainer Buddy McGirt climbed onto the ring apron just 28 seconds into the 11th round and indicated to referee Kenny Bayless that the fight should be stopped on a technical knockout.
Hatton also thanked the estimated 6,000 fans who travelled from Britain to see him in action.
"Back in England, there's a recession on, there's a credit crunch and we've got new year coming up.
"We've had two of our other world champions, Joe Calzaghe and David Haye, fighting in the space of three weeks, so bearing all that in mind, for so many Brits to come over and support me was fantastic."
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