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More than a decade ago Billy Graham clapped eyes on Ricky Hatton for the very first time as a raw teenager, now they stand on the brink of world domination.
It's the perfect partnership, built on a trust and understanding that has moulded these two men into an unbeatable fighting force.
On December 8 Hatton will bid to take the final step to the pinnacle of his glittering career - victory over widely acclaimed P4P king Floyd Mayweather.
It's a mighty task facing the Hitman inside the MGM Grand ring - just like him Mayweather is brilliant, confident and unbeaten.
But the Hitman, with Graham monitoring every step and every punch, is approaching this fight the same way he approaches any other. With jokes, laughter...and hard work.
Laughing
He revealed: "Everbody needs to realise one thing. In Billy Graham's camp there seems to be a lot of laughing and joking. But one thing that is priority and a country mile ahead of everything else is how hard we train. We just like to make the training fun.
"I hear that Floyd is a fantastically fit fighter - he very rarely gets tired in his training. But I can categorically say that he won't be training as hard as Ricky Hatton and he won't be in as good shape as Ricky Hatton."
Hatton says that after 43 professional fights together, he's built up a near-telepathic understanding with the man in his corner.
Same wavelength
"Billy and I hit it off right from the start. He only has to say one word to me and I know what he means. That's the way it should be with a trainer. You've got to be on the same wavelength as a trainer.
"If I'd stopped boxing five years ago we'd still be mates. We've never had more than a handshake between us, which in boxing these days I'd probably say is a strange thing.
"You won't get two more serious men in boxing than me and Billy Graham. You'll see that on December 8."
Hatton and Graham both came from similar humble beginnings in Manchester, another reason they're so close.
But one thing Hatton is sure of, wherever this magical journey takes them, they'll never change.
"We're just two lads from the housing estates in Manchester that have done very well. People expect you to act differently when you get to a certain level, but we don't."
More than a decade ago Billy Graham clapped eyes on Ricky Hatton for the very first time as a raw teenager, now they stand on the brink of world domination.
It's the perfect partnership, built on a trust and understanding that has moulded these two men into an unbeatable fighting force.
On December 8 Hatton will bid to take the final step to the pinnacle of his glittering career - victory over widely acclaimed P4P king Floyd Mayweather.
It's a mighty task facing the Hitman inside the MGM Grand ring - just like him Mayweather is brilliant, confident and unbeaten.
But the Hitman, with Graham monitoring every step and every punch, is approaching this fight the same way he approaches any other. With jokes, laughter...and hard work.
Laughing
He revealed: "Everbody needs to realise one thing. In Billy Graham's camp there seems to be a lot of laughing and joking. But one thing that is priority and a country mile ahead of everything else is how hard we train. We just like to make the training fun.
"I hear that Floyd is a fantastically fit fighter - he very rarely gets tired in his training. But I can categorically say that he won't be training as hard as Ricky Hatton and he won't be in as good shape as Ricky Hatton."
Hatton says that after 43 professional fights together, he's built up a near-telepathic understanding with the man in his corner.
Same wavelength
"Billy and I hit it off right from the start. He only has to say one word to me and I know what he means. That's the way it should be with a trainer. You've got to be on the same wavelength as a trainer.
"If I'd stopped boxing five years ago we'd still be mates. We've never had more than a handshake between us, which in boxing these days I'd probably say is a strange thing.
"You won't get two more serious men in boxing than me and Billy Graham. You'll see that on December 8."
Hatton and Graham both came from similar humble beginnings in Manchester, another reason they're so close.
But one thing Hatton is sure of, wherever this magical journey takes them, they'll never change.
"We're just two lads from the housing estates in Manchester that have done very well. People expect you to act differently when you get to a certain level, but we don't."
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