Is Ricky Hatton Picking Trainer Joe Gallagher for the Road Back?

By: Ian Webb (SBB)

After his announcement he is looking for one more war, rumors abound that Manchester, England's Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, who dropped trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. immediately after his devastating loss to Manny Pacquiao last May, is leaning towards selecting hometown trainer Joe Gallagher.

Gallagher, considered by many to be Great Britain’s top boxing trainer, has taken over the gym where Hatton used to train, the Phoenix Camp Gym.

Hatton trained there for many years under the tutelage of Billy “The Preacher” Graham and conditioning coach Kerry Kates. Kates is still there and has joined Gallagher training some of England's top fighters, like John Murray and Matthew Macklin.

The gym has been renamed to Gallagher's, but the old school ways have remained. Gallagher, who already has a business relationship with Hatton, who promotes Macklin, feels he knows how to get “The Hitman” back to the top, stating, "With fighters like Ricky it's not a case of teaching them new things. It's about reminding them what they do best.”

In regards to Hatton's shape, he knows that Hatton is driven once training begins, and he knows the “Hitman” will be focused.

For the most part, Hatton could have his choice of opponents for that big fight, with Juan Manuel Marquez at the top of the list. A rematch with Paulie Malignaggi would work, or an all-British war with Amir Khan could be made if Khan doesn’t grab Malignaggi first.

Here at www.StrictlyBusinessBoxing.com, we feel Gallagher would be a great fit for Hatton, and going back to Kates for conditioning would be a giant step back to the old “Hitman” we all loved. Squaring up with “The Preacher” would also be a tremendous move on all fronts and another great step turning back the clock, which at this point is a one-shot deal for the “Hitman.”

Oh yeah, since we brought up Macklin, how about a Macklin-Kelly Pavlik fight?