Aspland's shot of Ricky a winner

Marc Aspland, Chief Sports Photographer of The Times, explains in graphic detail how he captured the News Picture of the Year at the Sports Journalists' Accociation awards - Ricky Hatton after being knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas.

Ricky Hatton v Floyd Mayweather Jnr. 'Undefeated' World Welterweight title fight. MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas

Bell sounds for the start of Round 10...

...jammed almost under the neutral corner post, awful position but at least The Times secured ringside, knees aching from the semi crouching/straining effort of the last 9 rounds to make sure my camera does not miss a split second of the action from under the bottom rope of the ring, I dare not let my guard down as if a see a knockout punch it means the camera has not recorded the knockout punch and so far we are all waiting for the knockout punch...

...my shirt already stained with the blood and sweat from these awesome fighters, the constant deafening singing of, 'one Ricky Hatton', my hands sweating, my mouth dry, adrenaline pumping with only two rounds left for my friend Ricky Hatton to defeat one of the best boxers I have witnessed. During the frequent grapples and between breaks by referee Cortez I cannot help but shout my support for Ricky: just another noise amongst the 12,000 screaming fans all sensing a climax to this gripping fight. Mayweather's class is telling. His jabs are sharper, movement quicker, feet lighter, shoulders rocking, head weaving and still very pretty. Ricky looking confused, angry, frustrated, tired and tellingly, bloody.  When Ricky connects, Mayweather hits back twice as hard and three times more accurately. A sense of foreboding creeps through me.

...hands shaking, cold sweat running down my temples and down my back from the heat off the TV lights, concentrate Marc, must concentrate....then BANG, the American lands a crushing left hook which I feel run through my body, Ricky bounces off the ropes onto the canvas. Ive missed the punch, Im sure I just missed that weird-looking punch. Ricky takes an eight count on his feet, "come on Ricky, PLEASE COME ON....",  I am screaming into the back of the camera firing picture after picture, the noise is unbelievable at ringside. Fighters face each other, guards up, left hook... BANG, Ricky's head jerks backwards, Mayweather facing me, closer, closer, Mayweather comes in for the kill, Cortez just manages to hold his swinging arm as Ricky's legs fail him and he falls backwards.

35 seconds later...

BANG...goes Ricky's head and body on the canvas, the violence of his body hitting the canvas knocks me backwards, inches away from my face. No Noise, I hear nothing as Ricky is knocked out.

no time to think... just time to react, wide angle, must be a wide angle lens, shove it through the ropes away from my face, point, frame, compose, hope, hold down auto-focus button, rapid fire 10 frames per second aim at Ricky's face. His eyes closed, gum shield pulled out, people climbing all over me, being crushed by security and photographers...ringside Doctor now with Ricky, "Get up mate, please get up', I scream, fight over, eyes opening, glazed, confused, staring at ceiling, blinking, harrowing....still firing pictures...still take pictures....must take pictures....

Ricky Hatton knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jnr in 1 minute 35 seconds of the 10th round.