After racking up a few wins, Hatcher faced
WBA light welterweight champion
Johnny Bumphus on June 1, 1984, in
Buffalo, New York. In what
Ring magazine called its "Upset of the Year," Hatcher scored an eleventh-round technical knockout over Bumphus. When Hatcher knocked Bumphus down, he slipped and fell on a follow-up attempt. He then threw Bumphus down to the mat when both fighters clinched. A post-fight melee in the ring ensued after the stoppage. Hatcher's first defense was against
Uby Sacco in December of the same year. He won a fifteen-round split decision. Sacco, however, won their July 1985 rematch (and title) with a ninth round
knockout win in
Italy (the fight was stopped by the referee because of a Hatcher cut). In Hatcher's next and last chance at a world crown, he lost by knockout in 45 seconds to
Lloyd Honeyghan in August 1987, with Honeyghan's
WBC and
IBF welterweight belts being at stake. ==Post-championship career==