Kerry Kayes says 147lbs will not be an issue for Ricky.
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Nutritionist Kerry Kayes insists stepping up to welterweight will not be an issue for Ricky Hatton second time around.
The Mancunian will move up a division on December 8 when he takes on Floyd Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
For The Hitman it will be a second bout as a welterweight after he fought, and beat, Luis Collazo back in the summer of 2006.
However, he was forced to work hard for his points success that night in Boston and quickly decided to drop back down to light-welterweight to take on Juan Urango and then Jose Luis Castillo.
That fight with Collazo has led to concerns over Hatton's decision to take the money-spinning showdown against Pretty Boy, but Kayes is adamant the 29-year-old will not struggle this time around.
Short notice
"We were given notice of the weight from day one this time," he told
skysports.com.
"The last time he fought at 147lbs was the Collazo fight, but we were only given five weeks notice. A lot of people forget that.
"We were getting ready for 140 and then in five weeks I had to get a bit more muscle on him. It was impossible."
Mayweather himself has moved up and down the divisions, winning the first of his many world titles at super-featherweight before then moving right up to light-middleweight to face Oscar De La Hoya.
His slide back down the scales would suggest Pretty Boy will go in as the heavier fighter, but having seen Hatton's opponent from close range during the press tour across America and England, Kayes is not so sure.
"When we went on the tour with Mayweather, me and Billy (Billy Graham, Hatton's trainer) spent most of our time weighing Floyd up," he said.
"The reality was that he is a very, very small welterweight, and we're confident Ricky will be bigger than him on the night."
On Hatton's actual fighting weight, Kayes added: "You can easily put 15-20 pounds on, but that is a big jump in weight in 24 hours.
"Billy, Ricky and I have had a lot of discussions and we're going to put him (Hatton) in the ring at between 154 and 156lbs."
Shortened career
Weight has often been an issue throughout Hatton's unbeaten career and he is known to pile on the pounds in between fights, something that once resulted in him gaining the nickname 'Ricky Fatton'.
Kayes admits his client can be as much as 40 pounds over weight when he begins training again, something that is likely to shorten his ring career.
"The way Ricky fluctuates in his body weight, there's no doubt about it, it will shorten his career," admitted the former national bodybuilding champion.
"But, if Ricky didn't please his mind and have a blow out, his career would have been finished by now. Personally, I think that the mind is as important as the body."
