Mayweather calls Hatton 'high-profile club fihter'

Floyd Mayweather's uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather has derided Ricky Hatton as a "high-profile club fighter" as the build-up to the pair's December 8 Las Vegas super-fight gathers pace. And trainer Mayweather insists that gives the unbeaten Briton no chance against his nephew, who he once again hailed as the greatest fighter who has ever laced on gloves. The outburst during an expletive-ridden trans-Atlantic conference call was one of the more predictable chapters of the lengthy pre-fight build-up to the pair's WBC welterweight title clash. Roger Mayweather said: "Hatton is nothing more than a high-profile club fighter and the only way he's got this reputation now is that he beat Kostya Tszyu, and that was a very even fight. "He got away with all kinds of stuff over there (in Manchester) and he won't get away with it over here. "What's he going to do? He's going to bring his face because that's the only chance he's got." Nevertheless, Roger Mayweather insists Floyd is not about to disregard the threat posed by Hatton, and says an ability never to underestimate any opponent is at the forefront of his reign over five different weight categories. "The reason Floyd's done it is that he doesn't take his opponents lightly," added Roger. "He knows what Ricky Hatton brings to the table. He's a tough fighter but weights don't win fights - skills do. "Muhammad Ali isn't more skilled than Floyd. Sugar Ray Robinson and Floyd are the two most skilled boxers in the world of boxing, period. "When everyone's long gone and retired, they will say Floyd was the greatest fighter in the world." Hatton's trainer Billy Graham admits to being rather more impressed with Mayweather's credentials, acknowledging him as the best fighter in the world but convinced his man can pull off a famous victory. Graham said: "I think Floyd Mayweather is an absolutely fantastic fighter and defensively he is breathtaking. I've got no argument about him being regarded as the best. "He's extremely gifted and he's sailed right through the weights. He's a great fighter but that's why we have wanted to fight him for so long. And Ricky Hatton will beat him." Meanwhile Graham laughed off Mayweather's taunts about his man's physical style and warned the American's camp they would be making a big mistake to regard him as nothing more than another come-forward brawler. "At some point Floyd will have to meet Ricky in the trenches and he won't be able to get on his toes," Graham added. "Ricky's not just a pressure fighter, he's blessed with the same attributes Floyd's blessed with. "I think they (Mayweather's camp) are too experienced to underestimate Ricky Hatton. I don't think they see Ricky as basic as what they're saying. They can see he's much more complicated than a typical pressure fighter."