By Mark Vester
Matthew Macklin (20-2, 16KOs) has high hopes to revamp his career with the services of Floyd Mayweather Sr. Macklin recently left trainer Billy Graham, Team Hatton and will soon leave his home in the UK. He plans to move over to America to begin his training under Floyd Sr. The change was simple, he was tried of being the ignored by Graham, who gave most of his time to the star fighter of the Phoenix Gym, Ricky Hatton.
"Billy had taken me as far as he was going to take me in one sense, and to be honest he was all around Ricky Hatton, which was obviously understandable, no problem there. But he's got to understand that my career can't stall and be on the back burner every time Ricky has a fight," Macklin told Sportinglife. "Billy's style of fighting was okay for Ricky Hatton but it didn't really suit me. I've got a good jab, boxing skills, and there can't be too many trainers better than Floyd Mayweather when it comes to that."
Macklin is not worried with the news that Floyd Sr. will be training Oscar De La Hoya for bouts in May and September, and slight possibility of a third bout in December. Unlike Graham, Macklin is confident that Floyd Sr. will find a way to fit him into the equation.
"Obviously I have spoken to Floyd, he knows I am going. But Oscar De La Hoya is on about fighting three times this year so there might be an element where I'm going out of the cauldron and into the fire in terms of availability of trainer," Macklin said. "From what I've been told and what I've heard, Floyd is a lot more hands-on and a lot more dedicated as a trainer; if he's training someone, he's training them."
Macklin will fight Christophe Karagoz in Limerick on the undercard to Andy Lee's next pro showing on Saturday. Next week he heads to Las Vegas to begin with Floyd Sr.
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