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Witter would have done to Ricky Hatton what Manny did
It's impossible not to feel sorry for Junior Witter. Nearly all his career he has toiled with flair and without applause, as better-placed rivals took the money, the belts and the headlines. The Bradford fighter was older than most of them, but junior in other ways, the original shadow boxer.
For years Ricky Hatton, wary of his slickness, speed and lack of box-office clout, refused to fight Witter – and then blew it against Manny Pacquiao as he began his descent towards retirement. Witter is certain he could have done the same had he been allowed to get to Hatton, and I think he's right. Ricky's chin started to "go" even before he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
Nine years ago, the mouthy Zab Judah threw a novice Witter a last-minute tilt at the IBF title in Glasgow and outboxed him over 12 rounds. If Witter had believed in himself that night, he might have been a star before Hatton.
Now his tormentor is Timothy Bradley, who ripped Junior's WBC light-welterweight title from him in Nottingham last year. Junior, knocked down briefly in the sixth, was slightly off his game that night, and Bradley made the most of it.
Bradley has since given up that belt, denying Witter a rematch; on 1 August at Agua Calient in Rancho Mirage, California, the tough young American instead defends his WBO version of the 10-stone title against Nate Campbell, which ought to be an easier assignment than going again with a desperate Witter.
But Witter, at 35, has been given one last shot: a spot on the undercard, to fight for the WBC title he once owned, against another unbeaten young American, Devon Alexander. Alexander is very much the "house" fighter, a Don King protege. If the Englishman is to win, he will have to do it in spectacular fashion. It is the sort of hard luck boxing story Hollywood used to love. Except this is real life.
He's not complaining. What's the point? His options are limited. Lose and there's nowhere to go. Win? Well, you can imagine how he would love to ring Hatton and ask him if he were still interested in a little action over 12 rounds. Or, more likely, call out the latest addition to the 10-stone ranks, Amir Khan.
Amir Khan's career has been the mirror opposite to Witter's – but he, too, knows defeat in his next bout will leave him with seriously reduced chances in the immediate future, at least.
If he were to lose to Andreas Kotelnik in Manchester on 18 July, challenging for the Ukrainian's WBA version of the light-welter title, it would have to be close and on points for him to avoid the wrath of the tabloids. If his chin were to give up on him as it did with such spectacular horror against Breidis Prescott last year, there wouldn't be much cache left in his media account. And how Witter would regret that.
Freddy Roach, Pacquiao's trainer and biggest fan, says the champ won't fight Cotto for anything less than a 70-30 split of the purse (which is not that far off reasonable, but bound to wind up Cotto); and Bob Arum, the promoter of both fighters, says Cotto won't come down to 143lbs to accommodate the demands of the smaller man.
Yes he will. And bet on the split being closer to 60-40. They could fill the Albert Hall with enough hot air to fly to the moon, these guys.
Cotto will be the opponent because Roach's next best ticket-selling option, Shane Mosley, is bigger, stronger and quicker than the Puerto Rican.
Roach, who was happy to take Oscar De La Hoya and Hatton on the slide for Manny, is, without doubt, the best matchmaker in the business at the moment. I think he also would not be that worried about Floyd Mayweather Jnr, whose injury after so long away from the ring suggests either his body is breaking down or the early ticket sales for his aborted comeback against Juan Manuel Marquez were even worse than we expected them to be.
For years Ricky Hatton, wary of his slickness, speed and lack of box-office clout, refused to fight Witter – and then blew it against Manny Pacquiao as he began his descent towards retirement. Witter is certain he could have done the same had he been allowed to get to Hatton, and I think he's right. Ricky's chin started to "go" even before he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
Nine years ago, the mouthy Zab Judah threw a novice Witter a last-minute tilt at the IBF title in Glasgow and outboxed him over 12 rounds. If Witter had believed in himself that night, he might have been a star before Hatton.
Now his tormentor is Timothy Bradley, who ripped Junior's WBC light-welterweight title from him in Nottingham last year. Junior, knocked down briefly in the sixth, was slightly off his game that night, and Bradley made the most of it.
Bradley has since given up that belt, denying Witter a rematch; on 1 August at Agua Calient in Rancho Mirage, California, the tough young American instead defends his WBO version of the 10-stone title against Nate Campbell, which ought to be an easier assignment than going again with a desperate Witter.
But Witter, at 35, has been given one last shot: a spot on the undercard, to fight for the WBC title he once owned, against another unbeaten young American, Devon Alexander. Alexander is very much the "house" fighter, a Don King protege. If the Englishman is to win, he will have to do it in spectacular fashion. It is the sort of hard luck boxing story Hollywood used to love. Except this is real life.
He's not complaining. What's the point? His options are limited. Lose and there's nowhere to go. Win? Well, you can imagine how he would love to ring Hatton and ask him if he were still interested in a little action over 12 rounds. Or, more likely, call out the latest addition to the 10-stone ranks, Amir Khan.
Amir Khan's career has been the mirror opposite to Witter's – but he, too, knows defeat in his next bout will leave him with seriously reduced chances in the immediate future, at least.
If he were to lose to Andreas Kotelnik in Manchester on 18 July, challenging for the Ukrainian's WBA version of the light-welter title, it would have to be close and on points for him to avoid the wrath of the tabloids. If his chin were to give up on him as it did with such spectacular horror against Breidis Prescott last year, there wouldn't be much cache left in his media account. And how Witter would regret that.
Freddy Roach, Pacquiao's trainer and biggest fan, says the champ won't fight Cotto for anything less than a 70-30 split of the purse (which is not that far off reasonable, but bound to wind up Cotto); and Bob Arum, the promoter of both fighters, says Cotto won't come down to 143lbs to accommodate the demands of the smaller man.
Yes he will. And bet on the split being closer to 60-40. They could fill the Albert Hall with enough hot air to fly to the moon, these guys.
Cotto will be the opponent because Roach's next best ticket-selling option, Shane Mosley, is bigger, stronger and quicker than the Puerto Rican.
Roach, who was happy to take Oscar De La Hoya and Hatton on the slide for Manny, is, without doubt, the best matchmaker in the business at the moment. I think he also would not be that worried about Floyd Mayweather Jnr, whose injury after so long away from the ring suggests either his body is breaking down or the early ticket sales for his aborted comeback against Juan Manuel Marquez were even worse than we expected them to be.
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