Hatton explains split from long-time trainer
Sunday, 10 Aug 2008 11:05
Graham had trained Hatton throughout his professional career
Ricky Hatton has said he split from long-time trainer Billy Graham because the 53-year-old was not able to keep up physically.
Hatton is taking on IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas on November 22nd and says he needs to be in top shape against the American.
The Manchester-born fighter expects his next training camp to be gruelling and claims he let Graham go for the benefit of himself and his former trainer.
Hatton told the News of the World: "I love Billy, but can't have a trainer who has admitted umpteen times that he is physically beaten. How can I expect him to be okay for the next 12 weeks while I'm preparing to fight Malignaggi?
"There is no way Billy could have been on top form and continue training me."
Graham trained Hatton since he was a junior but has had to resort to using painkillers to get through sessions with the hard-hitting double-weight world champion.
Hatton says it should be him that is going through pain during training and not Graham.
He added: "How do I know how hard or correctly I'm punching when he has needles and cannot feel his hands when we're on the pads?
"He [Graham] might say, 'You're hitting hard' but I would be thinking, 'How do you know? You can't feel your hands'."
Hatton's only defeat as a professional came against Floyd Mayweather Junior and his father Floyd Mayweather Senior has been linked as a potential replacement for Graham.
Mayweather Senior made his name as a trainer working with multi-weight world champion Oscar de la Hoya.