LAS VEGAS — It seemed an odd pairing at first: Floyd Mayweather Sr., the author of slick movement, stylish defense, and creative poetry, training Ricky Hatton, the hard-punching Brit from Manchester, England.
Hatton is often accused of being more mauler than boxer, smothering his opponents with pressure without regard to style and technique. Mayweather Sr. created Floyd Mayweather Jr., the slickest boxer on the planet. He’s about flash and cash, while Hatton is all smash.
Hatton and Mayweather teaming seemed like pairing oil and water.
Yet Hatton contends it’s the best thing that could have happened for his boxing career and promises to prove he can be a boxer-puncher when he meets Brooklyn’s Paulie Malignaggi Saturday night at the MGM Grand for the junior welterweight championship.
HBO will televise live on “World Championship Boxing.”
“I’ve always had this boxing ability and working with Floyd as brought it back out,” Hatton said Wednesday. “You’re not going to see Ricky Hatton on his toes, jabbing and moving and doing the Ali Shuffle and all that. You’re going to see Ricky Hatton moving his head as he comes in, jabbing as he comes in and setting up his attack. You haven’t seen that for a couple of years, but it’s come back in his camp.”
Hatton (44-1, 31 KOs) parted with long-time trainer Billy Graham after losing to Mayweather Jr. last December on a 10th-round knockout, and a subpar showing in a 12-round decision over Juan Lazcano last May in England.
“If you don’t work on new things in the gym and you don’t do new things in the gym, you aren’t going to do it in the ring,” Hatton said. “That showed in my last couple of performances where there wasn’t much method to the madness.”
Mayweather Sr. had a poem for Malignaggi during Wednesday’s press conference at the MGM Grand, chanting something about the Hitman coming “with moves and grooves!”
But Malignaggi (25-1, 5 KOs) said it’s too late for Hatton, 30, to learn any new tricks.
“I don’t think he has the talent to pull off what Mayweather Sr. teaches,” Malignaggi said. “Mayweather Sr. is a good trainer. But Hatton can’t pull off that kind of style. He doesn’t have the natural speed or natural reflexes. If he comes out trying to box me, he’s going to look stupid.”
Hatton is certain he’ll be new and improved Saturday night.
“Everybody keeps saying, ‘You can’t turn him into a boxer.’ But I’ve always been able to do this,” he said. “I just never had to chance to bring it out and working with Floyd has brought it to the forefront.”