Boxing: Mayweather sends Hatton back to old school

Floyd Mayweather Snr has taken charge of Ricky Hatton's training programme and the controversial former fighter, felon and coaching guru from Las Vegas insisted the "old days" would be making a comeback.

Mayweather has worked with dozens of quality world champions during the last 10 years and is the father of Floyd Jnr, who remains the only boxer in 45 fights to have beaten Hatton, but he has a refreshing habit of letting his opinions get in the way. "I make good fighters better, I do it my way and if that doesn't work then I don't do it," Mayweather said yesterday. "I do it the old school way and working with Ricky ain't about to be any different."

Hatton fights Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas on 22 November and it will be the first time as a professional that his devoted trainer Billy Graham and his influential dietician Kerry Kayes will not be in his corner. "That is gone now and it's my turn to work with Ricky and people know that I don't like all the science in the gym," Mayweather said. "Ricky will make the weight and be in great shape. I don't need a professor to tell me that. I'm the professor of boxing!"

Hatton refused to criticise Graham, but he admitted that he was surprised when his coach of over 12 years claimed that he had been sacked. Mayweather, however, has been critical of Graham since seeing him work with Hatton last January in Las Vegas and yesterday he was far less diplomatic in his assessment of his latest boxer's former coach.

"Billy Graham got rich and he don't know shit" said Mayweather, who will relocate to Las Vegas with Hatton next week. "I understand what Ricky is saying but I'm going to tell you the truth because that is all I know. Malignaggi is a runner and you don't win fights by running. The new Ricky will have the brain behind the power. He will become an educated fighter with me."

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