Chat with Roger Mayweather This content is protected Roger Mayweather trained Floyd Mayweather Jr. for two years in the mid-90s and then full-time since early 2000. Since re-hiring Roger to be his trainer, Floyd Jr. is 15-0 with seven knockouts. Floyd Mayweather Jr. puts his WBC on the line against Ricky Hatton on Saturday, Dec. 8, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The fight can be seen live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Leading into the fight, fans can get a special, behind-the-scenes look at the two fighters in "Mayweather/Hatton 24/7" on HBO. The first half-hour episode debuted Nov. 18 (10 p.m. ET/PT). So, send in your questions now and then join Roger Mayweather at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday! MORE Previous boxing chat guests | SportsNation index This content is protected Buzzmaster: Roger will be here soon, so keep sending in your questions! UB/ Michigan: Do you train Floyd jr the same style you were trained or in your own style? This content is protected Roger Mayweather: No cause the guy who trained me could not train a lick. I knew more about boxing than the guy who was training me. I was training kids when I was a kid. Craig Cincinnati, OH: Roger in your opinion, does Hatton have even a 1% chance of winning this fight? This content is protected Roger Mayweather: Everyone has a chance, so I will not say that. Anytime yo are in combat anything can happen. But when it comes down to pure skill, I don;t see him doing it. But he will put his best face on. I will never say a guy does not have a chance to do it, just look at Buster Douglas. Anything can happen in a fight. David (Winston-Salem, NC): Do you think Hatton will be effective going to the body of Floyd? This content is protected Roger Mayweather: Floyd has been boxing since he was a baby, so whatever he does it will always be the same, it does not matter where he goes. Mario (Bell Gardens, CA): Roger, do you think Hatton will be tougher to beat than De La Hoya? This content is protected Roger Mayweather: I believe De La Hoya would knock his butt out if they faced each other. He is a rugged tough guy, but he cannot fight. He does not have too many skills. But I do not think he could beat Cotto, De La Hoya, Mosley, and I think he definetly cannot be my nephew. Bill (San Diego): Hello Roger! Im a huge fan of you and your nephew. How does it feel to be on top and getting PAID after all that you and your family have been through? Also, Floyd seems to always be in top condition when he fights. Whats your secret? This content is protected Roger Mayweather: No secrets to being in shape. You concetrate on what you have do. Floyd started to boxing when he was 2, so that all he knows is getting in shape. He was born into the world of boxing, so he was always training and boxing. The key is knowing boxing, and we have been around boxing our whole life in this family, so that is the key. J.R. Baltimore, MD: is there a chance that you may train other fighters like you did hasim rahman, or are you just going to stay with floyd? This content is protected Roger Mayweather: I've trained plenty of people, and I train fighter now. I can train anyone. Rememeber Layla won all those championships after me, and I trained Forrestr for the Olympics. So no I don't just train my nephew, I train plenty of fighters right now. People brag like they make fighters, but they have no idea. Lavar(Virginia Beach, VA): After Floyd crushes Hatton, do you think he will take on Cotto and crush Cotto too?. This content is protected Roger Mayweather: Well if the money makes sense. Floyd dictates his own career. Since Cotto would be a good fight for Floyd, then I think he would take it. But Floyd is not fighting for money, he wants to establish his legacy as the greatest fighter ever. And no fighter has won 6 different championships and never lost. If he quit today, they will not say he is the greatest fighter, but in 20 years they will look at him as the greatests, because he has done something no other fighter has ever done by winning 6 titles, without a defeat. Greg(Los Angeles): Roger you mentioned you trained Forrest. In my opinion he is the only fighter in boxing that matches Floyd Skill for skill. Do you see a fight between these 2 ever happening? This content is protected Roger Mayweather: It could happen. It is possible. But right now the Cotto fight makes more sense. Right now it is more logical and beneficial for Floyd to fight Cotto. It goes back to what makes money, makes sense. People want to see two undefeated young boxers fight, and Forrest is not undefeated. David (San Francisco): Roger, is Floyd on any kind of special diet or does he always make weight because he trains so hard for so long? This content is protected Roger Mayweather: Well Floyd is not that big anyway, so he does not put on that much weight. I tell him this, weight has nothing to do with winning a fight. If weight had something to do with it, Floyd would not be a 6 time champ in five different weight classes. Skill wins fights, nothing else. Aaron PHX: When are you going to get into the Boxing HOF? Great career, great trainer you know you belong This content is protected Roger Mayweather: People know what I do, and they see it every time I am on TV. Remember this, have you ever seen a trainer that prepared his fighter in front of an audience and trained his fighter as good as me? Have you ever seen Dundee train Ali? I am sure you have not. I think they have enough room for me. I know about boxing, so hopefully, when it is all said and done, my legacy will be recognized as a trainer and fighter. Jay Boston: Hatton holds an awful lot then punches, would this wear down Floyd? This content is protected Roger Mayweather: Well Hatton is fighting here, so we are going to stop all this holding an dhitting behind the head. I saw the tapes of him. It iis going to come down to skill, despite all the holding. Rememeber, it is all about skill, and the better guy is going to win, and I truly believe Floyd will win. This content is protected Roger Mayweather: If you ask your friends about boxing they do not know where the greatest fighters come from, and the truth is they come from the Midwest, not New York. The Midwest has the greatest fighters in the world, that is where Hearns, Louis, Moore, Marvin Johnson, my nephew, etc. So when people start bto talk about boxing they need to know boxing, and a lot of people do not know that. The Midwest dominated the world of boxing, and I do not know why. And if anyone says anything else about where the greatest fighters come form they do not know anything about boxing. Thank you for joining me today.
Chat with Ricky Hatton Welcome to The Show! On Wednesday, we'll take you inside the ring when Ricky Hatton stops by to chat about his upcoming welterweight title fight. Hatton will face WBC belt holder Floyd Mayweather on Saturday, Dec. 8, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The fight can be seen live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Leading into the fight, fans can get a special, behind-the-scenes look at the two fighters in "Mayweather/Hatton 24/7" on HBO. The first half-hour episode debuts a new episode Sunday, Nov. 25 (10 p.m. ET/PT). Hatton, a native of the United Kingdom, will enter the ring at 43-0-0 (31 KOs). While making his name overseas, Hatton will be making just his seventh appearance in the United States. Hatton has won both of his fights in 2007 - a fourth-round KO of Jose Luis Castillo in June and a 12-round decision over Juan Urango in January. So, send in your questions now and then join Hatton at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday! MORE Previous boxing chat guests | SportsNation index Ricardo Cruz Pa: Hi Ricky, how can you stop Mayweather from running and how can you penetrate his awesome deffence? Ricky Hatton: He's got a fantastic defense and likes to room, but he likes to stand his ground and make you miss. It's all about trying to make him waste punches and conserve your own energy. UB , Michigan: Are you noticing more support from US fans? Ricky Hatton: I am, yeah. I'd like to think I've got a decent fanbase here. It's my fourth time coming to the states and my third time in Vegas. I'd like to think that my style and way of fighting makes me a man of the people, and I think the public sees that I'm the real deal. I think that's the way any sportsman should conduct themselves. chris new york,ny: what weakness do you see in floyd mayweather that makes you feel you stand a chance against him? (MY QUESTION ) Ricky Hatton: I would say that he spends too much time covering up and trying to soak it all up, if you like, and he depends on people running out of gas. There's nothing more tiring than punching air. He sets a hot pace but doesn't fight that way himself. Big M (Atlanta): If you had just one fight to pick that would sum up your career, what fight would that be and why? Ricky Hatton: Probably the Castillo fight, because I achieved my goal in it. It's a fight that I'll be remembered by in years to come. Jay Castro (Bronx, NY): If you beat Pretty Boy Floyd on Dec 8th, who would you prefer to go after next in elite class of welterwights? Ricky Hatton: I haven't really thought about that yet. I'll take it as it comes. When I win this fight, there will be no shortage of fighters out there. I'd love to fight Miguel Cotto, but my next fight is far from my mind. chauncey (teaneck): who inspired you growing up? Ricky Hatton: It's difficult to say, really. From a boxing point of view, it was Nigel Ben. In most people's cases, I'd say it would be Muhummad Ali, you could look up to him regardless of sport. John (ATL GA): Will your fans from across the pond have a new theme song (Christmas Carol) for you this fight? Ricky Hatton: I don't know, they're very vocal. It's a shame we only got 4,000 tickets, I could have sold that from my front door. It's like being at a soccer match with my fans. I'm sure there will be a few different songs. Diane - Cleveland, OH: The last time you fought at 147 you didn't perform at your best, what have you changed in your training so that you perform better at 147? Good Luck, Please knock him out!!! Ricky Hatton: I haven't changed anything, really. The mistake I made was, when I got in the ring, I tried to make myself as big and heavy as my opponent, when I wasn't. I ended up in that ring at 158 instead of 152, six pounds heavier than normal. My training camp was as good as ever, but when I left the weigh-in, I was slow and sluggish. Mike (Cleveland): How do you plan to counter Floyd's speed? Ricky Hatton: Stick on his chest, so it's more difficult for him. It's more likely for him to benefit with me standing on the outside. I'm very quick myself at covering the distance and moving in, plus very fast footwork. That will be a big key, moving in on him quick. Mike (Houston TX): Who do you consider the best current boxer to be, other than yourself? Ricky Hatton: You would have to say Floyd Mayweather at the moment, from what he's achieved--world champ in five different weight divisions. That's only been done by people like Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns. In my eyes, he's just keeping the title warm. Bret (Dallas, TX): How do you plan on hitting him? Do you really think out of all the guys who have faced him your the one to penetrate him? Ricky Hatton: I think so. It's a mixture of head and body shots. Bodywork is naturally my game, but Floyd is good at looking after himself defensively, but I am very accurate to the body and head. Floyd doesn't give you many gaps, but if anyone can find them, I think it would be me. Harry Goodspeed (Santa Monica, CA): We know you consider yourself just one of the lads, but how has the media attention (24/7 in particular) affected the way you normally train? Ricky Hatton: It's not been too bad. I've had more attention, but they give you enough distance. The 24/7 program is in another class as far as boxing programs go. If it got in the way, I'd have to knock it back, but that's not been the case. Ricky Hatton: I don't mind talking to people, and most of the time, I forget the cameras are there. Dante, NY, NY: I thought De La Hoya would've beaten Floyd if he used his jab more. Do you think you'll use more jabs than normal to kind of find your range against him and set up a good body attack? Ricky Hatton: I think the left-hand work is important, because he likes to drop his right shoulder. De La Hoya had a lot of success with it in the first six rounds, but after that, he slacked off the pace. It gave Floyd a way back into the fight, which he won't get against me. Ricky Hatton: Just looking forward to the fight, everyone. Floyd Mayweather is the best pound-for-pound fighter right now, but everyone has an Achilles Heel, and I think my game and my arsenal will be the answer to what he's got. Saying it is one thing. Now I've just got to do it.
