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Sugar Ray backs Hatton to take out Mayweather

06/02/2007

IBF light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton has been backed by boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard to beat American rival Floyd Mayweather should the pair meet in the ring.

A former world champion across multiple weight divisions, Leonard believes that he has seen enough in the Hitman's arsenal to topple the American veteran.

"The Ricky Hatton that beat Kostya Tszyu in 2005 can beat Floyd Mayweather. He was so focused and in such good physical shape that he would have given anybody at that level a tough time," he told BBC Sport.

The prospect of such a fight actually taking place seemed to rise when Mayweather launched a scathing attack on Hatton claiming that he could easily brush aside the Manchester-based fighter should they meet.

The 29-year-old is currently preparing for a windfall fight against Oscar de la Hoya in May after which it was expected he would duck out of the ring for good.

But hopes were raised that the WBC welterweight belt-holder could be tempted into one last pay-day by his comments yesterday that "retiring in America don't [sic] mean I'm retiring in the UK".

Though Leonard warned that Mayweather's comments should not be taken at face value.

"I dealt with trash-talk in my career and did the same myself. I wasn't as abrasive as Floyd Mayweather, but it is fun and it adds to the sport," he said.

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