By Mark Vester

Heavyweight conteder David Haye has told his countryman Ricky Hatton to consider retirement if he is not able to beat Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He says if Maliganggi wins, there is not point in Hatton continuing to fight.

"If he loses this fight then I think his time as a big-time fighter is probably over. If he can't beat a Paulie Malignaggi, then I'd say what's the point? If he does beat him he could be looking at another mega fight with the winner of Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao," Haye told BBC Sport. "That's about as big as you're going to get in boxing."

Haye agrees with all of Hatton's critics about the drinking and party lifestyle that Ricky indulges in between fights. Hatton recently told his new trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. that he would not stop drinking. Haye says the hookup with Mayweather is doing wonders for Hatton's training and focus for Malignaggi.

"How does he abuse himself that badly and then get back in such tremendous shape? There's got to be a knock-on effect. But if he's hooking up with Floyd Mayweather Sr, I know for a fact this guy's serious about his boxing. He'll have Hatton living and breathing boxing," Haye said.

"He'll have him up early in the morning, he'll have him going to bed early at night. He'll be with him at every training session. The stuff I've seen from him in the build-up looks really good. He's actually getting Hatton's head moving, which is something that's stopped happening in recent fights, and he's looking back to his best."

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