For those boxing fans who are not already excited about the prospect of Ricky Hatton taking on Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday, the recent statements made by Floyd Mayweather Senior should go a long way to increasing the sense of anticipation surrounding the clash. Mayweather, who is currently training Hatton, has stated that the American fighter poses absolutely “no threat” to the British legend.

The criticism of the American fighter did not stop here. Mayweather believes that Malignaggi will find himself in real trouble when he faces Hatton at the weekend and ultimately, the trainer could not find “anything good” to say about him.

Some of Mayweather’s comments are fairly amusing, including the one which revealed that although the fighter “can run”, this is in fact one of his many weaknesses. Furthermore, he is suffering from an absence of power and an ultimate “lack of everything”.

As well as criticising the American, Mayweather was keen to hype up the potential of Ricky Hatton. He believes that British fans of boxing will be able to observe a completely new fighter when Hatton enters the ring in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Although Hatton may be slower than Malignaggi, the weakness of the American’s punches will mean that, in Mayweather’s opinion, the Brit will emerge victorious. According to the legendary trainer, these punches from Malignaggi are comparable to “wind flying across your face”.

Although Mayweather was obviously keen to support his fighter, he also had some serious words of warning regarding his controversial lifestyle. Ricky Hatton famously puts on weight between fights and does not think twice about indulging in the food and drink he desires. Mayweather believes that this lifestyle can at the very least cut a boxer’s career short if not prove potentially lethal.