Ricky Hatton beats Paulie Malignaggi with TKO

Ricky Hatton retained his IBO light-welterweight title on Saturday with an 11th round stoppage of American Paulie Malignaggi.

Referee Kenny Bayless halted the contest 28 seconds into the round when Malignaggi's trainer Buddy McGirt waved the towel in the corner. There were no knockdowns but Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) hurt his opponent several times.

The victory marked a successful return to the ring in which Hatton had lost his unbeaten record last December, when he was knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jr in a challenge for the WBC welterweight title.

"I enjoyed this fight a lot more than the last time I was here," Hatton told reporters.

In the second round, a big right to the jaw buckled Malignaggi's legs and caused the American to cling on, while another hook in the fourth had the same effect.

Malignaggi (25-2, 5 KOs) did score effectively with sharp jabs in some of the early rounds, and appeared to be back in the contest after a productive fifth, but as the bout progressed, Hatton became increasingly dominant.

A series of booming left hooks chased Malignaggi across the ring in the seventh and the English fighter scored again with a left and a right in the eighth.