by James Slater – One thing 56-year-old Floyd Mayweather Senior does incredibly well is talk. He is also a pretty good boxing trainer. However, if anyone were to tell the father of the soon-to-return “Money” Mayweather that he is a pretty good boxing trainer, he would not be receiving the plaudits he feels he deserves. Floyd Senior is not merely a good trainer, neither is he merely one of the greats – the way Floyd tells it, he is THE greatest boxing trainer of all-time!
With modesty not being something that runs in the Mayweather genes, the 56-year-old, who is now working his second fight with Ricky Hatton, has once again been proclaiming his untouchable talents as a trainer of fighters. Apparently, “The Hitman” knew next to nothing about the sweet science and how to practice it before he hired Mayweather Senior as his coach.
Going as far as to say that the 30-year-old had nothing but brute strength when he took over the duties once performed by Billy Graham, Floyd Senior insists he has completely renovated Hatton and it will be due to this that the Manchester warrior will be able to defeat Manny Pacquiao this Saturday night in Vegas.
Speaking with Mirror Sport in the U.K, Mayweather Senior spoke of how he has made Hatton a complete fighter.
“I taught Ricky how to box,” Mayweather Senior said. “Ricky didn’t know anything when I started with him. He had brute strength, that was it. When I first went down to England to see him, you know, it was horrendous.
“But you look at him today, he’s totally different. And that totally different is going to be explosive on May 2nd.”
It goes without saying that Mayweather Senior is cocksure Hatton will pull it off against “Pac-Man.” Stating unequivocally that his fighter will triumph – mostly due to the teaching he has given him, of course – Floyd said his man will win, whatever tactics are needed from him to do so. So, has Mayweather Senior really done his magic on Hatton, to the extent that even as great a fighter as Pacquiao will lose to him? Or would Ricky have had just as good a shot at derailing the Filipino dynamo back when he was with Billy Graham?
Defeat is not an option Floyd Senior likes to think about, but one wonders what he will say if his star pupil, the man he says he has given the knowledge to beat Pacquiao, loses and loses emphatically on Saturday. How will a one-sided KO loss for Hatton reflect on the master trainer’s own abilities?
Mayweather Senior is certainly talking a great winning fight for his boxer.
“Whatever Manny wants to do, we’ll do,” Floyd Senior said. “We can box better than Manny. Ricky’s definitely stronger than Manny on the aggressive side. Defence is the key, and we’ve worked on hitting and not being hit. We’re also going to hit that body. It’s just a matter of time. We’ve got 12 rounds to fight, and you don’t go a round without your body being hit.”
As full of himself as Mayweather is right now; what will he be like if Hatton gets the win on Saturday!