Boxing

RICKY HATTON has opened up on the nightmare training camp in the run up to his brutal knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao. The year was 2009 and Manchester’s beloved Hitman was almost 18 months removed from his crushing first ever loss to Floyd Mayweather.
Floyd Mayweather Sr formerly trained Ricky HattonCredit: Getty
Manny Pacquiao knocked out Hatton in 2009Credit: PA:Press Association
And after a financial dispute forced Hatton to part with his long-time coach and mentor Billy Graham, he actually hired Mayweather’s dad.
Together they beat Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi but the acid test would come against Pacquiao.
But Hatton revealed the fight was already lost in the gym and his mind, which was laid bare when he was floored just weeks before the bout.
He told SunSport: “I think Floyd Mayweather Sr trained me into the ground. 
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“When I was like eight weeks out from the fight I felt fantastic but he drilled me and drilled me, round after round after round. 
“Then two or three weeks before the fight my sparring partner, one of them knocked me on my a***.  I thought, ‘This ain’t right.’”
Hatton’s alarm bells were ringing when he arrived in Las Vegas and was told by Mayweather that he could not hold pads in the southpaw stance.
Weeks of gruelling training also drained the former world champion to the point that his dad Ray wanted to pull his son out of the fight.
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But having never got over his loss to Mayweather Jr and the subsequent falling out with coach Graham, Hatton knew the writing was on the wall.
He said: “Bearing in mind the Floyd Mayweather fight I was devastated, so mentally I was bad. 
“I then fell out with Billy Graham so mentally I was down and I fought Malignaggi and I was back up, then I fought Pacquiao and I was back down again. 
“So even though Floyd Mayweather Sr trained me into the ground a little bit – and he couldn’t do southpaw pads – my mind wasn’t in a good place anyway. 
“I was never gonna pull out of the fight because the tickets had been sold and I’m a proud man but if I had, I’d have ended up in the same place anyway. 
“My head wasn’t right because since the Mayweather fight my mind was never right. Even if the training hadn’t gone bad, my head wasn’t right. 
“If I had pulled out, that might have done more damage. So it’s a hard one to say.” 
Hatton took three years out of the sport after being knocked out cold by Pacquiao in just two rounds, sparking a spiral in his personal life.
He returned in 2012 but lost in round nine to Vyacheslav Senchenko, which signalled the end of his boxing career.
Two or three weeks before the fight my sparring partner, one of them knocked me on my a***.  I thought, ‘This ain’t right.’Ricky Hatton on his loss to Manny Pacquiao
In retirement, Hatton has turned to coaching and is now a team captain for a new boxing concept called The Box Off which kicks off next Saturday.
The tournament will see four city-based teams compete in a knockout competition.
Each team has five fighters, one from each weight class, and will box over four rounds with winners progressing into the final.
Finalists also earn four points for their team, with championship winners gaining a further six meaning the team with he most are crowned victors.
Hatton is leading the charge for Manchester as he looks to find boxing’s next top star.
He said: “It’s going to give a chance to someone that might not normally get one. 
“People coming out the GB squad or Olympians, you know they’re going to get a contract with Sky Sports, or BT, Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren. 
“I’m pretty sure there’s some talent out there sat on the settee thinking, ‘You know what? I can beat them.’ 
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“It’s going to give fighters the opportunity from small hall shows an opportunity that they might not have got. I think it’s good all round.” 
Hatton is a captain on a new boxing concept called The Box OfficeCredit: ©Sky UK Ltd More

RIO FERDINAND was mistaken for a heavyweight boxer at the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou launch event.The Manchester United legend was one of several celebs in attendance for the event and pre-fight press conference in London on Thursday afternoon.
Rio Ferdinand was one of several celebs in attendance for the Fury vs Ngannou launch eventCredit: PA
Ferdinand was accidentally mistaken for David Adeleye by Top Rank’s broadcast presenterCredit: QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS
Top Rank eventually got their hands on Brit heavyweight title contender AdeleyeCredit: QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS
But he was accidentally mistaken for Brit heavyweight boxer David Adeleye by Top Rank’s lead presenter for the broadcast.
She was seemingly told by producers that Adeleye would be speaking to herself, former UFC star Dan Hardy and retired boxer Carl Frampton after his opponent Fabio Wardley left the scene.
As Ferdinand had his back turned to the presenters and spoke to Wardley, she said: “I think we’re going to try and get his opponent in.
“David Adeleye, can we get him in?”
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The presenter then turned around to try and look for the undefeated heavyweight and was left bemused when Ferdinand popped into her line of vision.
She said: “No? All right, that’s not David Adeleye – that’s Rio Ferdinand. But we are just as delighted to have you with us.”
Ferdinand was quick to give his opinion on Fury’s controversial Saudi showdown with Ngannou after ribbing Frampton for sweating in his plush get-up.
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He said: “The size of these guys. When one of the connects, it doesn’t matter where you’re from – you’re gonna go down.
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“And the power that he’s [Ngannou] got, it he transfers that to this and he gets hit on the chin Tyson [that is] then he will go down.
“But I just think his ring IQ, his footwork and his ability and what he’s shown and experience [will be too much for Ngannou].”
Top Rank eventually got their hands on Adeleye, with their lead presenter quickly making light of the previous mix-up.
That came moments before the Adeleye and Wardley were involved in a crazy pre-fight brawl further down the red carpet.
Things got heated when a fired-up Adeleye repeatedly said “shut your mouth” to someone on media row.
Suffolk slugger Wardley waded in and was quickly on the receiving end of a two-handed shove from his domestic rival.
Members of both men’s teams got involved in the melee which saw Wardley dropped by a left hook from an unknown person.
Wardley seemed to be dazed when he rose to his feet and was nursing a cut to the side of his left eye – which could potentially scupper the fight.
Fabio Wardley ended up being involved in a melee after facing off with David AdeleyeCredit: PA
The Suffolk slugger suffered a cut dangerously close to his left eyeCredit: PA More

TYSON FURY left boxing fans stunned when he asked Francis Ngannou to reveal his manhood.The Gypsy King went face-to-face with the former UFC heavyweight champion on Thursday for the first time since the booking of their controversial Saudi showdown next month.
Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou faced off for the first time since the booking of their fightCredit: PA
Fury went on a huge rant as he walked around stage during the presserCredit: Reuters
The Gypsy King asked the former UFC heavyweight champion to reveal his manhoodCredit: PA
Fury and Ngannou, 35 and 36 respectively, faced off with one another at Wembley last April, an encounter in which the former mentioned the MMA star’s privates.
And he bizarrely did so again at their pre-fight presser, saying: “I get to knock out him, he’s a good-looking lad – I do like him.
“Probably got a big cory as well. Remember that Francis.
“However, it’s unlucky for him that he has to come across me.”
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Ngannou shrugged off the awkward comment with a wry smile and made light of it with his response.
He said: “If you know where I came from, you don’t have to ask that question.”
Fury then broke out into song and said: “Come on, come on. Get it out! Get it out!”
The bizarre request was ended by a cackle from the WBC heavyweight champion and a perplexed look from Ngannou.
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Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou throw down in Saudi Arabia on October 28Credit: Reuters
Boxing fans were quick to comment on Fury’s x-rated request, with one tweeting: “Cringe as f**k.”
Another said: “A f***ing embarrassment to boxing.”
And another said: “What the hell?”
One remarked: “Tyson it was slightly amusing the first time, like the 20th time u made this joke now.”
Another chimed in: “Crazy lol Jesus Christ.”
One perplexed fight fan asked: “Why [does] Tyson keep bringing up Francis’ meat?”
Ngannou goes into his professional boxing debut as a huge underdog but is adamant he’ll shock the world by knocking Fury old cold.
He said: “I’m going to be hunting for that guy’s head, to take it off.” More