Billy Graham: The Most Vindicated Man In Boxing

Imagine you've worked with a company for fifteen years. You've been nothing but a loyal and faithful employee. You've worked hard, put in the weekends, and always held the company's best interest at heart.

Then, after one poor performance, you're unceremoniously fired. Kicked to the curb without so much as a going away party.

Well, welcome to Billy Graham's world.

Graham, you might remember, was Ricky Hatton's former trainer.

He is the man who trained Hatton since he was a teenage runt in Manchester, England. The man who guided him to over forty straight professional wins without a loss. The man who stood by his side for numerous title defenses.

Then, last summer, after a loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and a lackluster fight against a journeyman, Graham was fired.

Let go by Hatton in favor of Floyd Mayweather Sr.

So much for loyalty. So much for roots and family.

Allegedly, it all went down over a pint at a loyal pub and the two haven't spoken since.

Mayweather Sr. was supposed to turn Hatton into a boxer. He was supposed to teach him some defense, head movement, and strategy.

All he taught him was how to get knocked out.

What was the strategy against Manny Pacquiao? All Mayweather Sr. proved was that he could recite really, really bad poems.

Ricky Hatton is a finished fighter. He should retire now.

Mayweather Sr. thinks so.

So does Graham.

So do I.

Hatton never should have fired Billy Graham. He should have stood by the man that got him to the very pinnacle of his sport. He should have stayed with small-time Manchester against big-time Las Vegas.

I don't know what the feeling towards Hatton is now in England?

Undoubtedly his reputation has been tarnished. In the HBO 24/7 series he did look like kind of a jerk.

But against Pacquiao, he looked like a loser.