Boxing: Smith suffers the father of all knockouts

More power to Hatton's elbow as opponent is disqualified on family grounds

Manchester's Ricky Hatton had one of the quickest and easiest victories of his 30-fight career at the MEN Arena in Manchester last night, yet it was by far the most controversial. His opponent, Stephen Smith, a Hull-based Londoner, was dramatically disqualified in the second round, when his father and trainer, the former fighter Darkie Smith, hurled himself into the ring after his son had taken a count. Smith senior barged into the referee Mickey Vann, and complained that Hatton had used his elbow on his son.

It was an ugly, uncomfortable scene and one that meant Vann, Britain's top referee, had no option but to disqualify Smith under Boxing Board of Control regulations, which say that only the referee and the two fighters can be in the ring while the bout is in progress.

Smith's father, who now faces a lifetime's ban from the sport, was furious when he saw his son indicate, as he rose from taking the second count of the fight, that Hatton had caught him with his elbow. Blood was spurting from Smith's right eye and Hatton admitted afterwards that he had brought the elbow into use, but only accidentally.

At first Vann, who was refereeing his 100th title fight – and the eighth bout in succession involving Hatton – ordered Smith senior from the ring, but again he was shoved back, and stumbled away. It was then that he called a halt, following the sort of incident that few can remember ever happening before in a British ring.

The Board of Control will hold an inquiry and Darkie Smith's action means that his son's purse, which would have been the biggest of his career, will be withheld and part of it could be confiscated.

The promoter, Frank Warren, had little sympathy. "Darkie Smith should be banned. You can create a riot by doing a stupid thing like that. It was disgraceful, disgusting,'' he said.

For his part, Hatton said he was "absolutely mortified''. After viewing the video replay he acknowledged that his elbow had caught Smith with a glancing blow, causing the eye wound, but he claimed: "It wasn't deliberate. It was the sort of move that boxers have to make to set themselves up for the next punch, Why would I deliberately elbow him when I was well on top and on the verge of a magnificent win?''

It was a good question. There was no doubt that the 29-year-old Smith, a southpaw who had been beaten only once before in 32 bouts, was a long way out of his depth against an opponent who was making the seventh successive defence of his World Boxing Union light- welterweight title referee Vann surely would have needed to stop the bout a few seconds later anyway.

Darkie Smith was heavily protected by security guards as he led his son back to the dressing room, and was pelted with paper cups by an angry crowd of 15,000 who once again had turned up in force vociferously to support Manchester's favourite fighting son.

Later he accused Vann of being biased towards Hatton. "My boy was twice nutted and then when the elbow went in I couldn't take it any more. If they want to ban me they can, I'm finished anyway. Boxing used to be a clean and fair sport. It isn't any more.''

The truth is, irrespective of the elbow incident, which appeared more innocuous than many seen on the football field these days, Stephen Smith was getting a belting from a young champion who has great magnetism and proved once again that he is the most aggressive and attractive fighter in the land.

Having secured his immediate future with promoter Warren and Sky TV amid denials from the BBC that they had tried to poach him – they claim that their approach was only ever an informal one – Hatton can continue his quest for true global status. But to achieve that he needs more internationally tested and interesting challenges than the one offered last night in Manchester.