Floyd Snr - Paulie's no threat

Malignaggi: just five KOs

What's he going to do if he hits Ricky? It's not like his eye is going to swell up. He ain't no threat. He's like the wind flying across your face, that's all. I can't say anything good about him.

Floyd Mayweather snr
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HATTON v MALIGNAGGI
IBO Light-Welterweight title
9pm, Saturday, November 22
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Floyd Mayweather snr has dismissed Paulie Malignaggi's chances of an upset win over Ricky Hatton in Saturday's Las Vegas showdown.

For the last six weeks Mayweather has been preparing Hatton as the 30-year-old Mancunian gets ready to defend his Ring Magazine Light-Welterweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Pointing to Malignaggi's meagre tally of five knockout victories in his 25-1 professional record, Mayweather said Hatton would not be troubled.

"I don't know if they're taking this fight as a cakewalk but Ricky's going be on him and let me tell you, he's in hot water," Mayweather said.

"What skills are we talking about? Quick? Quick is timing, that's all it is. You can be slower than me, but you can time me right.

"What's he going to do if he hits Ricky? It's not like his eye is going to swell up.

"He ain't no threat. He's like the wind flying across your face, that's all. I can't say anything good about him."

Mayweather took over the training from Hatton's long-time handler Billy Graham after a lacklustre points win over Juan Lazcano in Manchester at the end of May.

The American is the estranged father of Floyd Mayweather jnr, who handed Hatton the only defeat of his long career at the MGM Grand last December.

Back then he wrote Hatton off as a "punching bag", but since working with him he has been more than impressed by what he has seen during their pre-fight training camp.

Punching bag

"He was a punching bag for my son, I don't take that back, what I said was true. What I'm trying to tell you now is that the man moves his head now," he said.

"He keeps trying to be better and that's how you get better."

Mayweather praised Hatton's willingness to embrace fresh instruction and admitted how easy it had been to introduce his methods to a fighter he described as a slugger.

"I can train anybody," Mayweather said. "I can train a slugger to be a slugger. I can train a boxer to be a boxer.

"Ricky's willing to learn what I'm teaching but still be aggressive and be smart while being aggressive, not coming in and taking three punches for one.

"Now he's moving in and moving his head good and he's punching and making the other guy miss his punches.

Slugger

"I've been very surprised how quick he's learned. He amazed me, especially being the type of fighter he is.

"It wouldn't amaze me so much if he was a boxer but he's a slugger, and he started picking up this stuff so quick, I couldn't believe it.

"But he showed me he wanted to learn. I don't think he'd done any of this stuff in his life but he's started jabbing to the body, jabbing to the head, feinting to the body, jabbing upstairs, you know, started hooking off the jab right-handed."