Hatton hails Mayweather Sr influence

10:09am Friday 21st November 2008

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Ricky Hatton has thanked new trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr for restoring his confidence after his morale-sapping defeat to the American's son last December.

Hatton hired Mayweather Sr, who had previously trained both his son and Oscar De La Hoya, following a victory over Juan Lazcano in May that did little to convince 'The Hitman' he was still a force to be reckoned with in the light-welterweight division.

"When someone like Floyd says to me, 'you've picked this type of training up, the pad work, the slipping and rolling, quicker than anyone I've ever worked with', that fills you with confidence," said Hatton. "I needed to hear stuff like that because after the Mayweather fight I was down in the dumps and I needed my confidence rebuilding with the Lazcano fight, but I didn't get it because it was rubbish."

He continued: "I wasn't up to it. I know there were reasons, I had a chest infection and I hadn't done the majority of my training, but let's have it right, it wasn't a good performance (against Lazcano).

"I needed this training camp and I needed to hear things like that from someone like Floyd, who's not someone who blows smoke up your backside - he doesn't have to with the people he's worked with."