Ricky Hatton gave Floyd Mayweather a tough fight in their 2007 WBC title match, but feels ‘a bit cheated’ and ‘smelt a rat’ in referee Joe Cortez

It has been 15 years since Ricky Hatton fough Floyd Mayweather in an attempt to become the first boxer to beat one of the sport's greatest ever.

It didn't happen for him and Hatton, the nation's favourite fighter, ‘felt cheated’ at his knockout defeat in the 2007 blockbuster bout in Las Vegas with the WBC belt on the line.

In fact, in 2020, ‘The Hitman’ - who returns to the ring to face Marco Antonio Barrera on Saturday - admitted it still bothered him that he never got the opportunity to make his mark in the ring - and on Mayweather's body - because of referee Joe Cortez.

Hatton was stopped by ‘Money’ in the tenth round of their glitzy Las Vegas spectacle for the welterweight world championship, but the Manchester-native was left frustrated by the official not allowing him to work inside on the body as he had done so many times throughout his distinguished career, including when he beat pound-for-pound king Kostya Tszyu in 2005.

Mayweather historically struggled with body punchers during the brief glimpses of trouble fans were afforded to witness throughout his unbeaten career and Hatton believes Cortez helped the American.

In the BT Sport interview he said: "I did give him a good run for his money.

"I feel a little bit cheated to be honest with you, because I felt that I wasn't going to outbox him and I wasn't going to out-speed him, but if I was allowed to get close I would definitely throw more punches than him.

"I never got the opportunity and that's the thing that will always eat away at me – the referee never gave me the opportunity.

"The one person that was allowed to get stuck in and bully him and was allowed to fight close was Marcos Maidana and he pushed him really close.

"Castillo was allowed to get close and a lot of people thought Castillo won, so I smelt a rat that night with the referee and I don't think I was given a fair crack of the whip."