Boxing:The war of words ahead of Ricky Hatton's fight with Manny Pacquiao has extended to their trainers. When Hatton and Pacquiao square up on May 2nd in Las Vegas, the title of the world's best pound-for-pound fighter will be at stake, but the reputations of the trainers is on the line too.
Indeed, a specially-designed trophy will be awarded to the either Hatton's cornerman, Floyd Mayweather senior, or Freddie Roach, though the latter has liitle to prove after being voted 'Trainer of the Year' by the Boxing Writers' Association of America for an unprecedented third timelast year.
Mayweather today described Roach as "a joke", while Roach responded by saying Mayweather was "a legend in his own mind".
Mayweather said: "They've got Roach in the Hall of Fame. He should be in the Hall of Shame.
"Let's tell the truth like it is, you see Freddie Roach training and you see me training, it's night and day. Don't even compare. Don't even come close.
"Freddie Roach is a joke. And that's why I say his name is Freddie 'the Joke Coach' Roach as far as I'm concerned."
Roach, who picked up his writers' award after helping Pacquiao overcome Oscar De La Hoya in his last bout, hit back at Mayweather's comments, saying: "Floyd can read some good poems - that's all he's good at that I know of.
"What has Floyd Senior achieved? His son (Floyd Junior) is a natural-born fighter. His brother Roger trained him anyway. Floyd never trained his son for a world-title fight.
"He tells me he's the greatest but what has he done? He trained Oscar De La Hoya after Oscar had already won four world titles. Floyd is a legend in his own mind."