Mayweather Sr warning for Hatton

12 April 2012

Floyd Mayweather Sr has warned Ricky Hatton he must quit drinking between fights if he has any hope of defeating boxers of the calibre of Oscar De La Hoya or his son, Floyd Jr.

Hatton, who on Saturday night announced his return to form with a decisive 11th round stoppage of Paulie Malignaggi, wants a showdown with De La Hoya or Manny Pacquiao next year at Wembley Stadium and has also spoken of wanting a rematch with the now retired Mayweather Jr - the only fighter to have defeated the 'Hitman' in 46 professional fights.

But Hatton's new trainer Mayweather Sr believes that the 30-year-old must end his renowned fondness for drinking sessions and fast food between fights, saying: "It's something I'm very concerned about."

He added: "I spoke to him about that and I talked to him again (before the fight). I told him 'you want to beat these guys, man, you want to continue to beat these guys like Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr? You can forget about whupping those kind of guys if you're going to continue that kind of life.

"That's not going to work right here in the United States.

"It's very simple. He needs to do this to save his career, however much time he has left - it might be two or three years, but the less he gets into (drinking alcohol) the longer his career is going to last.

"Alcohol or liquor alone and eating bad, he's got to be leaving that stuff alone."

While Mayweather believes Hatton is prepared to make some adjustments to his lifestyle he said he doubted whether his fighter would go all the way with his suggestion and quit alcohol.

"He's got it in him to do a little (drinking) but if he does a little he's going to do it all." said Mayweather Sr.

"He's a man, I can't read his mind but he seemed like he was kind of considering it when I told him he wasn't going to be beating no Oscar or Floyd or anyone like that while he was doing this. He seemed sincere but who knows?"

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