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Witter set for the limelight
Junior Witter is hoping that victory over unbeaten American Timothy Bradley will move him a step closer to finally facing Ricky Hatton.
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Comments (75)
Grant Kane says...
i myself have witnessed hatton on sky sports saturday fight nights(and that was a while ago)saying to witter he will fight him when he brings more to the table-well what more could you bring to the table than the most desired and respected belt of them all the wbc belt-hatton dont need the money now so to give junior witter "his biggest payday" will only be giving him what he deserves,i like ricky but he aint no undisputed lww champ if he aint beat the best the division has to offer,and his legacy will be a blited one,im sorry but if hatton reckons hes the best then he needs to prove it and that means witter.
Posted 18:55 30th April 2008
Philip Wright says...
Hatton should come clean. It is logical for him to take big money fights that he knows he can win - & in some respects he deserves this for his past record. Why should he fight domestically for less money in a fight that he may well lose ?? It makes sense to avoid Witter - but just tell the truth Ricky - it's nothing to do with being badmouthed - it's just bad business. I've always respected Hatton but his reputation comes from 'putting on a show' - Witters is based solely on ability.OK we all want to see aa good fight but at the end of the day it should all be about who is the best boxer. At the moment Hatton can claim his only defeat was against the best P4P fighter in the world - nobody really expected him to win that one - but neither did we expect to see him get knocked out - Myweather is not a fearsome puncher. He knows now he has to pick his fights & another defeat could well be the end of his career - & defeat to Witter would end his career without him even being able to claim he is the best fighter in Britain - he won't take that risk. Hatton/Mayweather/DeLaHoya want to stay in the loop fighting each other for big money - otherwise one of them might just have to step out of this comfoort zone & fight Cotto. !!
Posted 17:03 30th April 2008
Steve Jackson says...
What many people dont know is that Hatton used to claim he'll fight witter, once when he signed a new contract with Frank Warren and stated "my new contract has a clause that warren has to get me the witter fight within 3 fights otherwise my contract with warren is void" He promised his fans a fight against witter.. After that he claimed fighting witter would be taking a step down in class as witter had no belts or big wins. Once Witter became the WBC champ hattons excuse was that he doesnt want to give him a pay day. In reply witter offered to take only £100,000 for the fight, Hatton did not respond. So why did Hatton fight mayweather and kosta but wont fight witter? simple, kosta and mayweather are regarded as legends, there is no shame in losing to them, the likes of Dela Hoya, Zab Judah and Corrales have lost to Kosta/mayweather and still been regarded as great fighters. However, losing to witter would make hatton become a nobody, hence hatton has too much to lose from fighting him. Witter has a style most experts will tell you that can beat hatton, hatton knows this also, hence why he wont risk it. THAT MY FRIENDS IS WHY HATTON WILL NOT FIGHT JUNIOR WITTER!
Posted 16:50 30th April 2008
Micky Colwell says...
Witter isn't even in the same class, and why should Hatton fight him when he has no respect for him as a fighter or aa a person! In my eyes Hatton is a legend, bring on his next fight so we can see him explode and show the world what he is made of again...
Posted 15:24 30th April 2008
Stuart Sidebotham says...
i think the fight should go ahead. at the end of the day all our fighters are just going to america, and fair enough they do have the best fighters in the world, but how about for once we have a british showdown, which includes fierce rivalry that can be shown on british time, rather than having to stay up until 3am because the americans contol it. we have a british board of control so why don't they sanction this fight for the good of the sport in britain
Posted 14:06 30th April 2008
Mark Crabtree says...
Come on Ricky just fight him and shut the muppet up by putting him in hospital.. so what if he gets the biggest payday of his life judging by your boxing skills you should make it his last payday...
Posted 13:17 30th April 2008
Darren White says...
Whether people like it or not Hatton IS avoiding Witter. Now, his reasons are a different thing. Hatton isnt frightened of Witter but he still will not fight him. Ive been watching Witter for years and have always thought he had a realchance of beating Ricky. Hatton says he only wants mega fights at this stage of his career yet here he has a world champion is his own weight division that everyone wants to see him fight and who is he fighting?? he is 1/33 to win against Lazcano. What could be more of a homecoming superfight than a match up with Witter?? For Ricky to say he will never fight Witter is wrong and mocks his 'ill fight anybody' comments. Fact is Witter is one of the best light welters out there and deserves a shot at Ricky. C'mon Hitman, let the fans see the fight they crave.
Posted 12:40 30th April 2008
John Wood says...
We have seen from both of Ricky's fights at welterwieght that he is not going to take that division by storm. I think the greatest achievement for the hitman now is to completely dominate at light welter and to do that he will have to go after all the champions and Hitter holds the most prestigious belt of them all.
Posted 12:10 30th April 2008
Michael Ford says...
Junior should be thinking about moving weightclasses and into the Welterweight division, if Hatton won't fighht his rightful challenger what does Witter have in the 140lbs division, he should be thinking about taking on Kermit Cintron, I believe he has the frame and reach to fight at 147 who is bigger thab Hatton and has the skills so he has a better chance there than hatton and Witter early in his career fought at 147. Just let Hatton fraud the public it will come to an embarrasing end at some point and peopel need to stop saying Hatton fought Mayweather at his own weight, do people forget Mayweather spent most of his career at Super Featherweight, the excuses astound me, cause I don't remember Cortez delivering the left hook,
Posted 12:02 30th April 2008
Trev Haynes says...
hatton is right witter as made a living by calling him out and living in his shadow. hatton is by far a better boxer than "the hitter" who has fought second rate fighters. the only time he fought a quality fight he was smashed up just what hatton would do to him. hatton should fight witter on his terms smash him up and shut all the hatton haters up!
Posted 11:28 30th April 2008
Ian Tudball says...
Does anyone really think that Hatton is scared of Witter in the slightest?? If you do then get a grip. Hatton called out and fought the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet at the guys favoured weight. Yes, he was a little outclassed but this was Floyd Mayweather he was trying to defeat. Witter is a good fighter and nothing more. Yes, he has good hand speed and good power but lets face it Vivian Harris was way past his best when this fight happened. In his prime, Harris would have stopped Witter in 5 - 6 rounds. Hatton brings the best following in world boxing, he brings his opponent major pay days. Now, what has Witter done to deserve a mega pay packet?? Why haven't people across the pond taken to him?? The answer is because he's not a great fighter, just a pretty good one.
Posted 11:25 30th April 2008
Qasim Sharif says...
Hatton and Witter would be a disaster fight for Hatton only. Why? Because Witter is a LWW version of PBF his style is not that indifferent whatsoever. If they fought hatton would lose easily because Hatton is a come forward fighter that does not have lateral movement or head movement, he fights in straight lines, Witter is more flexible and is not easy to hit. If Hatton would lose this fight then he more to lose than Witter. Its a high risk fight, because there wont be as much money as the mayweather fight, if he loses then he loses the LWW king status, but also the credibility, that imo that has been fabricated, i dont rate the hitman at all, how has he got legendary status, he foughj an over the hill kosta, and over the hill castillo, and imo he lost to collazo. no other person on his cv is credible, he lost to the first classy operator he fought and was schooled and knocked out. Im sorry but that is the truth, now hes fighting Luczano who?, he needs to fight witter because witter is the wbc holder and thats what counts. You cant say that Witter is not due the fight because hes been bad mouthing him. What was Mayweather doing all the way through. Its excuse after excuse and a real hatton fan would tell you that hes ducking Witter and just going after paydays rather than challneges.
Posted 11:15 30th April 2008
Paul Regis says...
I'd love to see Hatton fight Witter but if he won't then Juinor should make him look bad by fighting everybody else in the top ten rather tha messing about with lower ranked fighters like Bradley (and when did 11 KOs out of 21 become a great knockout ratio).
Posted 10:15 30th April 2008
Daniel Webb says...
i dont understand it when people say hatton is scared of witter...mayweather would humiliate witter and hatton fought him! kosta tzyu would have obliterated witter (when hatton fought him) i genuinely don't think hatton is scared of him...he has fought better fighters! but i do think he should fight him mainly cause im sick of hearing bout it! ricky beat collazo all beit not very convincingly but he still beat him and we all know ricky doesnt perform well at welter but he still won a belt there. i think if witter and hatton fought its gonna be on hatton terms, the ref will favour hatton because of this and hatton will unleash hell on witters ribs and its will end in a KO for hatton in rounds 8 or 9!
Posted 10:11 30th April 2008
Jarrod Booth says...
Hatton has the support purely and simply because he is "one of the lads"... but when it comes to boxing ability Witter is a better fighter. Obviously a lot of people commenting on here have only recently jumped on the Hatton bandwaggon - and don't remember the questionable decisions against Thaxton when the fight should have been stopped. Witter might not have the personality of Hatton, however fights aren't popularity contests. Junior is a slick, quick counter puncher, who is equally dangerous in the orthodox and southpaw styles - that means Hatton's come forward style is made for him. Hatton is not stupid and knows this, hence why he has made excuses not to fight Witter. Don't believes this rubbish Hatton is coming out with about insults, etc... he knows it isn't a fight he would win. Witter's style might not be attractive but it wins fights - and you don't win the WBC title by being some bum.# As for people mentioning Zab Judah... Witter had 10 days notice to fight one of the best P4P in the world. He not only lasted the full 12 rounds, but he rattled and confused Judah.
Posted 10:11 30th April 2008
Adam Baker says...
In every interview Hatton ever does, he goes to great lengths to re-inforce this image of himself as being this down-to-earth man of the people, the peope's champion etc etc, but this is nothing more than cheap self-publicity- if he was, he'd do what every boxing fan in the country wants and accept the Witter fight. Instead of dissecting each other's records (and let's face it, both could be scrutinised) why not just get it on at Wembley or O2 arena. It would be a great night for British boxing and could warrant a re-match, like the famed Benn v Eubanks of the 90s. Having the supposedly top guy in the division and the WBC champ within 50 miles of each other and not getting a fight on is exactly the kind of nonsense that is going to make UFC more popular than boxing before long. But facts are facts, Hatton knows there's a big chance of him losing which would be the end of his career in the big time.
Posted 10:11 30th April 2008
Craig Bullock says...
I am a big fan of ricky, i went to vagas and have also seen him live in manchester. I must admit i have not sen much of Witter. I think that ricky should fight him as ricky says he wont cos of the bad mouthing, is that not how ricky got mayweather to fight him for his biggest pay day? i know it wasnt about money but its still a fact! I believe ricky would beat witter, not easy though, then we all know the score and Ricky can get on with uniting the division!!
Posted 09:56 30th April 2008
Cam Mcfarlane says...
im a hatton fan and i'm going on may 24, but i still think that witter would beat ricky, he is too slippery and has the power and accuracy to take ricky out, the fight will never happen though so we will never actualy know
Posted 09:39 30th April 2008
Aaron Avery says...
Ricky Hatton = Legend!! Junior Witter = Wannabe!! The only time i'v ever heard of Junior Witter is when he says Ricky Hatton is scared of him, and guess what, it's just before all his fights!! All he is doing is making people know he is fightin, and what better way to do it then using a real champions name in the build up. Hatton wont fight Witter because he isnt good enough. I do think he will fight him eventully, only to have his belt and unify the light welter division, no other reason. Hatton would make Witter look like an idiot! Pure and simple!!
Posted 09:29 30th April 2008
Grant Kane says...
Time to face facts people-witter would destroy hatton-hatton has been scared of him for around8 or 9 years and perhaps more-witter was calling hatton out way before hatton was a househod name and the answer has always been the same even though at that point hatton was not a big money fighter so him saying that he dosnt want to give witter "his biggest payday" is an absolute load of c^*p-he is scared of him pure and simple,you would think that now hatton has tasted defeat he wouldnt mind as much getting whupped for a second time.
Posted 08:17 30th April 2008