An exquisite and instinctive left-handed punch thrown by Naseem Hamed in the 11th round ended Paul Ingle's plucky challenge in the World Boxing Organisation world featherweight title fight at the MEM Arena in Manchester on Saturday night. It did not, however, but did not disguise another patchy performance by the champion.

After dominating the early stages, sending Ingle to the canvas in the first round and again in the sixth, Hamed seemed to be coasting to a comfortable victory before running out of steam after the eighth round. The bruised and battered Ingle suddenly found he could nail the normally elusive Hamed at will. Ingle is, however, not a noted puncher and missed the opportunity to spring a huge upset.

Blood seeped from Hamed's nose after he was tagged by a straight right, and Ingle caught him repeatedly with head shots.

However, the danger man among the smaller fighters will be champing at the bit to prove what is becoming increasingly apparent; if the early storm can be weathered and the left hand resisted, Hamed appears more vulnerable the further a contest progresses.

Mexican super bantamweight champions Eric Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, and the talented American star of the Atlanta Olympics Floyd Mayweather are potential opponents who would relish the opportunity now the Hamed aura of invincibility is not what it was.

Hamed claimed his work was hampered by a damaged left hand, which became increasingly painful from the sixth round, and plans for him to defend his title again in Las Vegas in July seem highly unlikely to come to fruition, especially if surgery is required to rectify the problem.

"What a wicked fight," Hamed told the 20,000-strong crowd via the public address. "Paul Ingle came with a great heart, but he's been beat. It was pure power. He had the heart of a lion, but the Prince is on his own. I have a gift from God." The "gift" is freakish punching ability for a featherweight, which enables him to compensate for inadequacies in other areas. Under the tutelage of his new trainer, Oscar Suarez, Hamed has concentrated on his balance; throwing more body shots, slipping punches more effectively and planting his feet to find greater power without lunging in searching for knock-out shots, leaving himself exposed to damaging counter punches.

Hamed said: "I've been learning new things, and was mostly happy with the way it went. I see this fight as a stepping-stone to the future."