Mayweather Dismisses Hand Injury Fears

Floyd Mayweather insists there is no chance of this weekend's title fight with Ricky Hatton being postponed despite fears over the American's fragile hands.

There have been reports that the contest could be called off after Mayweather canceled a training session on Monday. Mayweather has a history of hand problems and undergoes regular treatment on them using wax paraffin. But the welterweight champion denied there would be any problems. "The fight's not in jeopardy at all," he said. "My hands are great and there will be no excuses. I feel tremendous and training camp went well for me."

Mayweather added that he didn't expect Hatton to see the bout out. "He'll fight his heart out, but he's got a weakness and on fight night I'll show you what it is," he said. "It won't go the distance."

The unbeaten Mayweather, who has won all 38 of his professional bouts, was booed at a photo opportunity at the MGM Grand yesterday. But he was unfazed, comparing the experience to that of his recent fights. "I'm always being put in that position," he said. "You've got to have a villain and they'll always make me a villain. I'm used to it - it makes me work harder and it makes me fight harder.

"Ricky Hatton never had this many fans here before - it's all part of the Mayweather experience. I'm putting him in a position to buy a lot of Guinness."

Mayweather believes he is winning the psychological battle with Hatton. "Have you known Ricky Hatton to be a trash-talker before?" he said. "No? Exactly. He'll fight hard because he's mad and upset. If you fight angry, you make a lot of mistakes, and when you fight a sharp, witty fighter like me, you can't make mistakes.

"He's been down, he cuts easily, he swells and he's fighting the best in the sport. Everyone talks about Hatton's pressure - pressure, pressure, pressure, it's been the same game plan against me since 1987."

Mayweather also backed referee Joe Cortez to clamp down on any "roughhouse tactics" from Hatton, who is unbeaten in 43 bouts. "You can't use roughhouse tactics in Las Vegas," he said. "Over here, we have the Nevada Commission and we have a tremendous referee in Joe Cortez, and they're fair and firm. Boxing is an art, a science. This is smart, intelligent boxing over here in the States."