By Chris Robinson
When thinking of unusual duos in the sport of boxing, former champion Ricky Hatton and brazen trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. could easily come to mind.
For two fights Mayweather would work with Hatton, guiding him to an 11th round TKO victory over Paulie Malignaggi in November of 2008 while also watching from ringside six months later as Manny Pacquiao knocked out the British star in chilling fashion in just under two rounds.
Hatton hasn’t fought since his disastrous loss at the hands of Pacquiao but it is easy to remember just how contrasting his personality was when paired with Mayweather Sr., whether deep in training in Las Vegas or exchanging dialogue outside of the gym.
While covering Danny Garcia’s crushing TKO victory over Amir Khan this past weekend at the Mandalay Bay, rumors ran rampant of a possible Hatton comeback. Word is that the 33-year old Manchester resident is currently back in training and that he is eyeing a ring return, with a Malignaggi rematch being his top priority.
Having caught up with Mayweather Sr. recently, I asked him for his thoughts on Hatton’s urge to step back into the ring.
“I don’t think much of his comeback at all,” Mayweather would state to me bluntly.
Hatton admittedly was depressed following the disappointment of his loss to Pacquiao and was caught up in a well-documented cocaine scandal in September of 2010. Floyd Sr. has no real idea how his former pupil is fairing these days but seems a bit pessimistic.
“The fight most definitely would be different now, because a guy laying off this length of time, you don’t know, I don’t know, nobody knows what he’s been doing,” Floyd Sr. stated. “As you saw on TV, it showed him doing cocaine and who knows what else he’s been doing.”
Known for putting on a sizeable amount of weight between fights, Hatton’s battle with the scales could be another issue hampering his ring return, feels Senior.
“He’s got to bring a lot of weight down and Ricky has quite a bit of weight to take off,” said Mayweather. “When Ricky comes back, Ricky will not be the same Ricky anyway. I can’t see anybody thinking he would whoop Paulie Malignaggi coming back. I don’t see it whatsoever.”
Never one to sugarcoat things, Floyd Sr. finished up by offering up a dreary prediction if a Malignaggi rematch were to indeed take place.
“I can’t never say what would happen in the future, but right now, I don’t have Ricky having a chance in h*ll,” said Floyd Sr.
RECENT SLIDESHOWS - click for more photos
Danny Garcia drops, rocks, and upsets Amir Khan - A sizzler at the Mandalay Bay as Danny Garcia halts Amir Khan in the fourth round
Nonito Donaire downs Jeffrey Mathebula - Behind the scenes at the HBO card, including a ringside view of Donaire's victory, Kelly Pavlik, Robert Garcia, Bob Arum, Abner Mares, and others
Candid images of Tim Bradley's controversial victory over Pacquiao - A ringside view of the controversial showdown
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com, www.Twitter.com/CRHarmony, and www.YouTube.com/CRHarmony
