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Hatton camp rocked by discord

Manny Pacquiao shows off his physique during a workout in a gym in Las Vegas on Thursday ahead of his fight with Ricky Hatton. PHOTO: REUTERS

When it comes to training camp headaches, Britain’s Ricky Hatton has had to endure bigger woes than Philippine star Manny Pacquiao going into their boxing showdown today.

Floyd Mayweather Sr, Hatton’s trainer, admitted on Thursday there was a personality problem within the camp, although he said the matter was resolved without revealing the details or the extent of the headaches it caused.

“I’m a no-nonsense trainer,” Mayweather said. “I saw a situation and problem I had and I addressed it. We have a very clear understanding. I respect them and I want them to do the same with me.”

Asked about a possible conflict with assistant trainer Lee Beard, Mayweather cagily replied: “It’s not just me and Lee. A lot of people are in there. But you could be on the right trail.”

“It doesn’t mean the camp is not a good one because a person has a problem with another person,” he added. “It was a problem that could be taken care of without being in the media. It got straightened out.”

Pacquiao, by comparison, caused his biggest troubles for veteran cornerman Freddie Roach by wanting to spend more time in the ring than planned.

“Monday he wanted to go 10 rounds. I said two,” Roach said. “I’m able to win the arguments now. I have trouble clamping him down. I give him one more. I have to give him something.”

“Everything’s negotiable. I’m not the boss. If he’s not comfortable he tells me. We have a good relationship. It’s about finding what’s comfortable for him,” he added. “At this point, it’s really just about situations, when you make this move, Hatton will make this move. It’s just embedding it in the brain.”

Roach, who has endured weeks of taunts from Mayweather, said he sees Hatton and Mayweather as an odd couple.

“I don’t think he’s the right person, the right fit for Ricky’s style,” Roach said. “Floyd is ‘Me, me, me.’ It’s about the fighter.”

The tensions come to a head this weekend, when England’s Hatton defends his junior welterweight title against Pacquiao, the recognized pound-for-pound king seeking a title in a record-tying sixth different weight class.

“Pacquiao could do well in any era,” Roach said. “It will just secure him in the history of boxing as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of all time.”

“Manny is going to beat Ricky, but it’s going to be a hard fight. If he beats Manny, it will be the greatest achievement of his life. I’ve made Pacquiao ready for anything he brings in there. He will be ready for Mike Tyson,” Roach added.

Former heavyweight champion Tyson will not be in the ring, but Hatton will have his hands full despite Mayweather’s training on such techniques as head movement and jabbing styles.

“I can’t tell you he won’t revert to the old Ricky, but if he does it’s going to be good enough to take care of the job,” Mayweather said. “Ricky is the best fighter and he’s in better shape.”

Pacquiao plans to use his deceptive footwork to keep Hatton off-balance.

“Manny is hard to tell. You don’t know whether he is coming or going. I don’t think Ricky has the ability to cope with that speed,” Roach said. “The key for us is speed. It’s not hand speed but foot speed that will win the fight. If you stand in front of Ricky, you put yourself in danger.”
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