By Gareth A Davies, Telegraph.co.uk
There has been no suggestion that Roach, the trainer of British boxing tyro Amir Khan and the man who plotted Hatton’s demise last May at the hands of the dynamic Filipino Manny Pacquiao, has been approached by Hatton Promotions.
Rumours persist, however, that Richard Hatton the promoter is soon to become Ricky Hatton the fighter again, planning a ring return this summer. That will also mean shedding around 35lbs.
“Obviously Ricky has to make his own mind up about coming back or retiring, but I’d be a little bit concerned about training Ricky now," said Roach.
"He has suffered two bad knockouts, to the two top fighters of this generation, but if he had come to me a few years ago, I could really have worked with him.”
“Ricky has had a great career, he has been in some real wars, and is a great fighter. I think I could really have done something with him.”
However, Roach may yet find himself in the opposing corner if his own charge, Khan, and Hatton, decide to put friendship aside to duke it out later this year. Both men publicly dismissed any thought of facing each other just over eight months ago.
Yet in recent weeks, both have suggested the contest could be a possibility, although it is believed that Hatton may be moving up to welterweight to fight and may be lining up for a fight with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, beaten last year by Floyd Mayweather Jnr. Hatton is by a long chalk, the bigger man.
For Khan, it would provide the ideal test. For Hatton, a chance not to be upstaged by the young fighter on the rise.
Meanwhile, promoter Frank Warren, who has guided Amir Khan from a 17-year-old Olympic silver medallist to world champion over almost six years, has delivered his view on the newly-established ‘Khan Promotions’.
Khan was written off 14 months ago after being knocked out by Breidis Prescott, yet Warren kept the faith. The promoter explained: "I have delivered all I said I was going to do. When he turned pro I said I'd look after him and I'd make sure he wins a world title and I've done that.
"Now he could become a legend. Can he do it? I don't know. Will he do it with me? I think I'm pretty good at what I do and he's pretty good at what he does." Warren points to the former world featherweight champion Naseem Hamed, whose career went on the slide after he split with Warren.
"Naseem Hamed was very good at what he did and I was good at what I did but, when he left me, it didn't work out for him and he went from being a very popular fighter to a man who was booed out of the ring and he regrets that and I hope that Amir doesn't get fazed by all these things.”
Khan is due to make the second defence of the WBA light-welterweight title against Argentinian Marcos Maidana, although it has gone out to purse bids and may be confirmed in the coming week, in spite of Roach's view being that Khan is not ready for the dangerous Argentinian, who has knocked out 26 of 27 opponents.
Maidana's only loss was to Andreas Kotelnik, from whom Khan ripped the title last summer.
"It's a tough fight for him but he's capable,” said Warren. “Over the last 12 months he's turned into a different fighter."
Source: telegraph.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment