Witter: I'll stop Hatton in 5

[Chambers2]

I'd stop Hatton in five - Witter
by Ciaran Baynes, setantasports.com 28 February 2008

I'd stop Hatton in five - Witter

WBC light welterweight champion Junior Witter told setantasports.com that Ricky Hatton is cheating his fans by not agreeing to fight him and claims he would knock out the 'Hitman' in five rounds.

'The Hitter' from the famous Ingle Gym in Sheffield insists that even if Hatton does not fight him he is set to earn big money this season, with a defence a unification bout with Paul Malignaggi in the offing before the end of the year.

What Witter, and many British boxing fans, really want is a bout with the Mancunian fighter, who still holds the Ring magazine version of the light welterweight title.

Hatton has always said he has no plans to face Witter because of the disrespect the Bradford-born fighter has shown him, but the WBC champion dismisses this.

"The comments and the quotes he's coming out with for not wanting to fight are quite pathetic," Witter said on setantasports.com's boxing podcast. "He must really be scared.

"It is the biggest fight in Britain for a long, long time and he needs to be forced into doing it. I know he's got a lot of fans and they really like it but they're screaming for the fight.

"They made him. The people he's really hurting are those who really like him and made him have the money he's got.

"I think he knows I've got the style to beat him. I switch, I hit hard, I'm a big puncher and I just think he realises when he gets in with me, he's going to get a beaten, get humiliated and get knocked out.

"I think he realises that I hit as hard if not harder than Mayweather.

"I think it would be about five rounds. I like to set myself a challenge. I know I can do it. He's good. I'm not saying he's not good, but he hasn't got the style or the ability to beat me. I've got the determination and the drive. It's just a case of people need to make him do it.

"If he is to stay at this weight and claim to be any sort of champion, he has to fight Junior Witter."

As for his immediate future, Witter admitted to still being unsure whether Demetrius Hopkins would be his opponent in California on March 22, due to his fall-out with famous uncle Bernard, but will definitely defend his title on the bill, before looking to unify the title.

"Demetrius Hopkins is a little bit in the air, if he's going to step up to the plate as he said he was, but HBO have guaranteed me I will fight on this bill and they're looking out other fighters and other options," Witter added.

"Malinaggi said the other day he wants to fight me so we are in talks about that fight. They mention Madison Square Garden which sounds perfect for me. I'm well up for that, so by the end of this year I want to fight Paul Malinaggi.

"Gavin Rees is still unproven to me. He holds the WBA title, which is a good belt, but he's got to come through his mandatory. He'll probably want an easy fight after that. After that we can talk.

"I'm not saying [Hatton's] not a big fight. I'm not saying there's not money in there, but there's plenty of other ways for me to make money and plenty of other good fights for me."

Excellent news that HBO have guarenteed Junior a defence on the May bill, it doesn't look as though HBO are so downbeat on Witter as Team Hatton would like to suggest.

Everybody but Hatton wants this fight

[STP]

And HBO are only still interested in Hatton because that 24/7 series made him quite popular to 'blue-collar' people over there.

[hitman_hatton1]

"I think he realises that I hit as hard if not harder than Mayweather.

yeah but he can't fight the same pace that floyd did.

we saw in that fight.

to beat hatton u gotta go with him and keep chopping on him.

can witter do that?

can he f*ck.

[states]

Interesting to hear that HBO are going to put him on a bill, after Dan Rafael claimed they'd already knocked back Ngoudjo and a few other names.

[Chambers2]

"I think he realises that I hit as hard if not harder than Mayweather.

yeah but he can't fight the same pace that floyd did.

we saw in that fight.

to beat hatton u gotta go with him and keep chopping on him.

can witter do that?

can he f*ck.

I wouldn't mind finding out but it doesn't look like Ricky's got the minerals.

Hatton would be dumbfounded after spending any amount of time in the ring with Witter IMO

[observer1]

"I think he realises that I hit as hard if not harder than Mayweather.

yeah but he can't fight the same pace that floyd did.

we saw in that fight.

to beat hatton u gotta go with him and keep chopping on him.

can witter do that?

can he f*ck.

we'd all like to find out....

If he is not worthy, that surely he can take Witter in a Comeback Fight rather than Lazcano..

[Poncey]

Witter couldn't stop Hatton earlier than Mayweather. Floyd had more power at 140, and is possibly the most accurate puncher I've ever seen (seriously, how often does this guy miss).

Witter could get a UD, but not a stoppage.

[Roper]

Is this another interview or a rehashed one? He's doing interviews every day about Hatton. I've never seen anything like it. I wonder if the persistence will pay off, or just hack some people off.

[hitman_hatton1]

"I think he realises that I hit as hard if not harder than Mayweather.

yeah but he can't fight the same pace that floyd did.

we saw in that fight.

to beat hatton u gotta go with him and keep chopping on him.

can witter do that?

can he f*ck.

I wouldn't mind finding out but it doesn't look like Ricky's got the minerals.

Hatton would be dumbfounded after spending any amount of time in the ring with Witter IMO

a bit like kotelnik was.

a basic slugger like that lost a razor thin decision.

[Chambers2]

yeah but he can't fight the same pace that floyd did.

we saw in that fight.

to beat hatton u gotta go with him and keep chopping on him.

can witter do that?

can he f*ck.

I wouldn't mind finding out but it doesn't look like Ricky's got the minerals.

Hatton would be dumbfounded after spending any amount of time in the ring with Witter IMO

a bit like kotelnik was.

a basic slugger like that lost a razor thin decision.

Surely you can see the difference in Hattons and Kotelniks styles. Kotelnik has a very tight defence and doesn't commit himself where as Hatton..... is a come-forward fighter who sometimes fights with his face.

Hatton doesn't like the style match-up that's why the fight's not happening

[Chambers2]

Is this another interview or a rehashed one? He's doing interviews every day about Hatton. I've never seen anything like it. I wonder if the persistence will pay off, or just hack some people off.

It may hack off Team Hatton, but why should Junior give a fcuk!! Hatton's not willing to fight him either way

[Roper]

Is this another interview or a rehashed one? He's doing interviews every day about Hatton. I've never seen anything like it. I wonder if the persistence will pay off, or just hack some people off.

It may hack off Team Hatton, but why should Junior give a fcuk!! Hatton's not willing to fight him either way

Yeah, it will definitely hack them off but I can imagine Team Hatton digging their heels in even more.

[Autobarn]

Witter couldn't stop Hatton earlier than Mayweather. Floyd had more power at 140, and is possibly the most accurate puncher I've ever seen (seriously, how often does this guy miss).

Witter could get a UD, but not a stoppage.

Witter could stop him. Those shots that fly in from weird angles, His hands are quite heavy. Hatton is easy-ish to hit and has been hurt badly by southpaws Magee and Collazo. I'e predicted a Junior KO for a while and it could be inside 10 or after.

[Max Molyneux]

Witter couldn't stop Hatton earlier than Mayweather. Floyd had more power at 140, and is possibly the most accurate puncher I've ever seen (seriously, how often does this guy miss).

Witter could get a UD, but not a stoppage.

Floyd does not have more power, he has speed accuracy and good timing thats why he stopped Hatton.

If he had power at 140 or 147 he wouldn't be backing up so much pot shotting and relying on his speed and skills.

[Chambers2]

Is this another interview or a rehashed one? He's doing interviews every day about Hatton. I've never seen anything like it. I wonder if the persistence will pay off, or just hack some people off.

It may hack off Team Hatton, but why should Junior give a fcuk!! Hatton's not willing to fight him either way

Yeah, it will definitely hack them off but I can imagine Team Hatton digging their heels in even more.

Can they dig their heels in any more than they have done, Junior may as well get some satisfaction out of the situation by calling Hatton every coont under the sun

[jamesmcdonnell]

yeah but he can't fight the same pace that floyd did.

we saw in that fight.

to beat hatton u gotta go with him and keep chopping on him.

can witter do that?

can he f*ck.

I wouldn't mind finding out but it doesn't look like Ricky's got the minerals.

Hatton would be dumbfounded after spending any amount of time in the ring with Witter IMO

a bit like kotelnik was.

a basic slugger like that lost a razor thin decision.

Kotelnik isn't a slugger

Kotelnik is a well schooled European fighter with a hard jab and a high guard. Junior looked awful in that fight, but Kotelnik has a much better defence than Hatton.

I can see Junior giving Hatton problems, and while he is not as accurate as Mayweather, I've no doubt he hits harder.

I've always favoured Hatton's workrate to be too much for Witter, but wonder whether he has slowed enough now that Witter might catch him coming in and stop him.

[Max Molyneux]

His workrate wasn't too much for Callazo but his workrate was the only reason why he won that fight In a close one.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Yes, without a doubt, Hatton has a higher output than Witter, but Mayweather showed you don't need to throw bundles of punches to beat or even hurt Hatton.

Witter's style is very awkward, and Hatton doesn't really have the tools to box Junior to a standstill like Kotelnik. Hatton's skills if anything have erodes since the highlight of the Tackie fight where he showed a cracking jab and straight right.

[hitman_hatton1]

Yes, without a doubt, Hatton has a higher output than Witter, but Mayweather showed you don't need to throw bundles of punches to beat or even hurt Hatton.

Witter's style is very awkward, and Hatton doesn't really have the tools to box Junior to a standstill like Kotelnik. Hatton's skills if anything have erodes since the highlight of the Tackie fight where he showed a cracking jab and straight right.

nonsense.

he threw plenty against hatton.

in the 8th rd he threw more than witter has done in some fights.

[jamesmcdonnell]

By the 8th round, Mayweather was opening up, at no point in the fight did Mayweather throw a huge amount of shots.

You can try and spin it any way you like, but Mayweather throws nowhere near as many shots as Hatton usually does, or did a few years back. He is an accurate counter puncher who picks his shots.

Witter does the same, unless he has his opponent in trouble.

I'm not saying Witter wins, I'm not sure who I would back, but Hatton can definetly be hurt by counterpunches when he comes steaming in. It's quite possible that Witter might frustrate Hatton and force some mistakes he could exploit. It's also possible that Witter won't be able to cope with Hatton's speed across the ring. I'm just not sure.

[tonyevs]

Move on ... it just isn`t going to happen

[Goz]

Excellent news that HBO have guarenteed Junior a defence on the May bill, it doesn't look as though HBO are so downbeat on Witter as Team Hatton would like to suggest.

Everybody but Hatton wants this fight

Where does it say that?

[Chambers2]

Excellent news that HBO have guarenteed Junior a defence on the May bill, it doesn't look as though HBO are so downbeat on Witter as Team Hatton would like to suggest.

Everybody but Hatton wants this fight

Where does it say that?

"Demetrius Hopkins is a little bit in the air, if he's going to step up to the plate as he said he was, but HBO have guaranteed me I will fight on this bill and they're looking out other fighters and other options," Witter added.

Sorry, it doesn't say it will be a defence, but according to that he is 'guarenteed a fight on the bill'

[Chambers2]

Move on ... it just isn`t going to happen

You're probably right, but it pisses me off that much I can't stop

[Goz]

Excellent news that HBO have guarenteed Junior a defence on the May bill, it doesn't look as though HBO are so downbeat on Witter as Team Hatton would like to suggest.

Everybody but Hatton wants this fight

Where does it say that?

"Demetrius Hopkins is a little bit in the air, if he's going to step up to the plate as he said he was, but HBO have guaranteed me I will fight on this bill and they're looking out other fighters and other options," Witter added.

Sorry, it doesn't say it will be a defence, but according to that he is 'guarenteed a fight on the bill'

You mean the March bill that he was originally scheduled to fight on?

For a minute I thought you meant the Hatton May bill which would be very good news.