By Mark Vester
Ricky Hatton's father and manager, Ray Hatton, told The Daily Mirror that Junior Witter blew his chance for a potential fight when he dropped a split-decision, and his WBC junior welterweight title, to Timothy Bradley last weekend.
Ray claims that his son was prepared to fight Witter in the near future. Due to the loss, Witter will now have to wait until the end of 2009 or early 2010. He admits that some of the insults Witter threw at Ricky during the pre-fight press for the fight with Bradley, weighed heavily in Ricky's decision to place Witter at the far end of list of potential future opponents.
"Four weeks ago Ricky said to me he was willing to fight him, but then Junior Witter said that because he was fighting on ITV, he would get the whole country behind him and force Ricky to fight him," Ray said. "Witter stupidly calling him out like that was too much for Ricky. Now Ricky is tied up until August next year with his next four fights."
Witter had been calling Hatton out for several years and attacking him in the UK media at every turn. Most expected the fight to take place by 2009, but after he was outhustled by Bradley, the prospect of the fight every taking place is slim.
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