Junior Witter: The Cult Goes Mainstream

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 15 Feb 2005, 04:27

http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-a ... ainstream/

Look out for an interview with Lovemore N'Dou tomorrow.

Jedi Knight · Post by **Jedi Knight** » 15 Feb 2005, 06:03

A very well written article David and I to am glad that Witter faces N'dou in surley his stiffest test.

However...

To say Witter is world class is premature at the moment considering who he has faced to date. I will not dwell on the Judah fight, that's been discussed to death but the fact Witter has not been passed 5 rounds since is no accident.

His opponents have not been contendors or even fringe world class but you could argue that his last win against Battaglia was credible considering the Italian lost a close decision with Urkal. But in my mind Urkal is only a contender himself so for Battaglia to lose it's would be a bold statement to say he was also a contender.

This is the best Witter has faced post Judah which, in my mind, proves very little. I agree people haved ducked Witter (maybe even Hatton) but this fact does not elevate him to world class or fringe world class.

Like it or not Witter has been at European level for a while and yes he probably deserves a shot at a top ten name in the division but can only be judged at that standard.

I actually beleive N'dou will cause Witter problems and may frustrate him when he doesn't flake like many of Juniors undermatched opposition.
Like Witter you can only judge N'dou by previous encounters and N'dou has proved he can take world class power.

In other words if Cotto can't finish N'dou I cannot see how Witter will, in fact N'dou may be the stronger of the two which may show on Saturday.

I wish Junior luck but I fear that his prolific winning streak may come to a dramatic halt...

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 15 Feb 2005, 06:11

Depends on your definition of world-class I suppose, and this fight is in truth the real test of his validity as a top-contender.

However, would you say Leonard Dorin, Gianluca Branco, Henry Brusseles, Michael Stewart, Kelson Pinto WERE world class when they fought for portions of titles or in eliminators. They had little substance to their records either.

Junior has done everything asked of him.

Holds victories over Bergman, Lauri and Battaglia and is in a rich vein of form, he's as valid as some of the other guys getting shots and in facing Lovemore has the perfect gatekeeper fight to the top 5-10.

Jedi Knight · Post by **Jedi Knight** » 15 Feb 2005, 06:19

My definition of world class is clear, all the guys you've mentioned, apart from Dorin, were not and are still not world class. Dorin has to be considered world class cuz he is an ex lightweight champ..

I agree N'dou is a gatekeeper to bigger and richer fights but my point is Witter hasn't mixed in even B+ opponents yet and so it's impossible for anyone to judge or predict how he'll handle the pressure.

I would be glad to be proved wrong as it would be good for british boxing to have another potential contendor from the 140 division which, apart from Hatton, we seem to be lacking.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 15 Feb 2005, 06:32

I agree with this. Witter APPEARS world class, because of the ease with which he handles the European level fighters he's been fed. However, just because someone goes the distance with Urkal, himself only a contender, doesn't make them a world class opponent.

Witter may well be world class, we shall know much better after this fight.

Personally, I hope he is, becuase we could have two belt holders in the next year at LW if he is. If Hatton loses, then Witter is our next best hope.

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 15 Feb 2005, 06:37

As I said, Junior has his work cut out here. And that is how it should be.

He shouldn't be earning WBC shots without actually EARNING them.

However, I would counter, is beating Michael Stewart enough to be mandatory for Tszyu?

Its going to be a great fight, a great spectacle and we'll know more about Junior in 6 minutes of this fight than we learned in five years since Judah.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 15 Feb 2005, 07:50

That's a good point, no way should Mike Stewart have been a mandatory, he'd just lost to Mitchell, so how does beating him get Hatton a shot? As we all know, there are lies, damned lies, and then sanctioning bodies' rankings, so there's nothing new there. At the end of the day, the IBF smelt a fat sanctioning fee for Hatton to challenge Tszyu, and so obliged with their rankings.

N'dou is much more of a test, insofar as he can punch, is strong, and is hungry, he's unlikely to fold when the going get's tough, and is much more dangerous than Stewart who was a survivor rather than a danger in both fights with Hatton and Mitchell.

If Witter get's through this fight, and has some tough moments, it's going to stand him in very good stead, if he goes one better and stops N'dou, which I believe is not beyond the realms of possibility, then his confidence is going to be sky high.

This is genuinely exciting I have to say, three British fighters on a big bill. Wonder who Froch is getting?