From Fightnews.com
"We are here to fly the flag for British Boxing," says welterweight contender Junior Witter, who will meet Lovemore N’Dou in a WBC eliminator on Saturday's Hopkins-Eastman card. Contracts were completed this morning. Witter stated, "We are here to show that boxing in Britain isn’t just about mismatches and fringe titles. There are some of us who like to do things the traditional way. That means mixing it on the genuine world stage, whenever and wherever necessary against the likes of N’Dou......The British fan has been sold short for too long. You have promoters getting their MC’s at certain shows to announce fights as being for world titles when they are no better than area clashes. You have the general press getting behind mismatches but not respecting those who choose to do things the hard and proper way. The trade press aren’t much better; they rarely criticise any of our so called ‘world’ champions who hide behind a title that doesn’t even make you fight a mandatory contender. You have broadcasters hyping up untested prospects with padded records or falling over themselves just to show the latest fad. They should all know better. They all have a responsibility to help re-establish British boxing by getting behind the right kind of fighter. When boxing is done right nothing can touch it for popularity. We have all seen that in the past. The Brit Pack are going to bring those good days back by bringing home genuine major titles. You could see me challenging for the WBC title later this year."
Well I certainly agree with the "So Called" World Champions and I do prefer the traditional route. Good on Witter, I hope he does well. This fight with Ndou will really show us all something. If he can stop Ndou that would be something.
Witter rips British press!
No need to be pissy he is showing ambition and he has built up the possibility of this shot through going down the British to Europian and commonwealf and now taking a 12 round fight against a tricky opponent.stujones wrote:Wow - One big fight at the age of 32 for the former WBF Light Welterweight champion.
Pot calling the kettle black? Ask Jay Larkin what he thought of Witter's opponents between 2000 and 2005.
I wish him all the luck in the world and it dose appear that Hennasy's fighters seem to be going into real title fights. Also it seems that the actions of such fighers and promoters seems to have caused some of the other promoters to put their fighters into big fights to compete.
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Jedi Knight
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 151
- Joined: 04 Jun 2003, 16:17
Well said, he deserves his chance and has done everything right so far. His move of promotional camps has paid off so far and I always thought it has highly unfair the way he was treated after the Judah fight by Showtime etc. What did some people expect, he was given nine days notice and put in at the deep end against a hot young world champion in Judah.knockout wrote:since 2000 he has:
1) been trying to get a shot at the british title (but warren wouldnt make the fight with Hatton)
2)he was winning and defending the british, commonwealth and european titles.(genuine titles)
3) he certainly hasnt been vacating genuine belts (lonsdale) to fight for WBU titles
I do like what I'm seeing now, won geniune major titles and is fighting in the States now as well. This is something we have not seen in a while and is great to see, its a pity his fight with Ndou is not live in the States for he's a different fight now than the Witter than fought Zab Judah.
There is a slight correction though.
He's never defended the British title - won yes, never defended.
He made 1 Defence of the Commonwealth title.
And one Defence of the European Title.
All in that four year period.
Its great that he is thinking "old fashioned" and has gone that route, but look at the opponents since Judah. Steve Conway could concievably be the best of them.
He's done nothing to PROVE he is any better than the Judah fight. I think he is, don't get me wrong. However, I can see Jay Larkin's frustration.
He's never defended the British title - won yes, never defended.
He made 1 Defence of the Commonwealth title.
And one Defence of the European Title.
All in that four year period.
Its great that he is thinking "old fashioned" and has gone that route, but look at the opponents since Judah. Steve Conway could concievably be the best of them.
He's done nothing to PROVE he is any better than the Judah fight. I think he is, don't get me wrong. However, I can see Jay Larkin's frustration.
Witter should beat N`Dou without a doubt if he really is world class, but I think to really impress that would take a stoppage win and nothing less.
Despite N`Dou`s 25ko wins I do not see him as a puncher like Zab Judah, this I think will make Witter braver with N`Dou than he was with Zab.
A points win would be good but the KO will get him up there and impossible to ignore…. something he really needs.
Despite N`Dou`s 25ko wins I do not see him as a puncher like Zab Judah, this I think will make Witter braver with N`Dou than he was with Zab.
A points win would be good but the KO will get him up there and impossible to ignore…. something he really needs.
I can see your point. I also understand Jay Larkin's frustration after Judah, but what Im getting at is the Judah fight was in June 2000, 5 years ago this summer. That is a lot of frustrationstujones wrote:There is a slight correction though.
He's never defended the British title - won yes, never defended.
He made 1 Defence of the Commonwealth title.
And one Defence of the European Title.
All in that four year period.
Its great that he is thinking "old fashioned" and has gone that route, but look at the opponents since Judah. Steve Conway could concievably be the best of them.
He's done nothing to PROVE he is any better than the Judah fight. I think he is, don't get me wrong. However, I can see Jay Larkin's frustration.
Thats what I mean by him being a little hard done by and the fact that it was nine days notice, surely he could have been given another chance a year or two later and he's certainly more eye pleasing for TV than that fight. Witter could have been very marketable if protrayed correctly and there has been many a dull fight on US networks in the past and often the boxers are on again.
Hopefully tonight will open a new chapter and he can move forward more positive and land more creditable contests.
Yes, regardless of whether the fight is on US TV - it is a fight that any type of win (unless controvesial) will do Witter an awful lot of good in the US. N'dou is a name there and that what counts - TV execs will see on Boxrec the letter W next to Witter and that will do him alot of good.
To be fair to US TV, they have shown Witter since the Judah fight - but due to the opponents being poor they were also lose-lose situations. I remember Darke interviewed Larkin about that and those were pretty much his sentiments - "Good performance, but an opponent not worthy".
To be fair to US TV, they have shown Witter since the Judah fight - but due to the opponents being poor they were also lose-lose situations. I remember Darke interviewed Larkin about that and those were pretty much his sentiments - "Good performance, but an opponent not worthy".
Yes the guys he has been fighting have not been as high a standard up to now as say Ricky Hatton even through geniune titles. With Hattons named boxers most of his have been beaten names of the past and Hatton was knocked for not fighting good enough fighters for Showtime. So I guess that point can be taken on board.
Looking forward to the PPV, I'd better say awake and get the coffee on
Looking forward to the PPV, I'd better say awake and get the coffee on
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jamesmcdonnell
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 45229
- Joined: 12 Nov 2003, 06:11
It has to be said that the British, commonwealth and even European titles are far less meaningful than they once were. At one time the European champion in almost any weight division would have been a genuine world title contender, these days that just isn't the case anywhere near as often.
Look at the history of the European middlweight champion and the names that held the belts, many of them are hall of fame fighters.
The proliferation of 'world' title belts has definetly thinned the ranks a bit, though the European title does seem to be having a resurgence lately which is good.
Look at the history of the European middlweight champion and the names that held the belts, many of them are hall of fame fighters.
The proliferation of 'world' title belts has definetly thinned the ranks a bit, though the European title does seem to be having a resurgence lately which is good.
I totally aggree in earlier eras the would have been clashes between Witter and Hatton for the British and Europian belts. But that is part of what witter is critisising.
However now much of easten Europe are compeeting for the Europian title there are a lot of hard buggers who still fight for it from over their who have the added problem that no one has ever heard of them and their is no credit for beating them Sergey Tatevosyan springs to mind also Roman Karmazin who David Walker was givern a hiding by.
However now much of easten Europe are compeeting for the Europian title there are a lot of hard buggers who still fight for it from over their who have the added problem that no one has ever heard of them and their is no credit for beating them Sergey Tatevosyan springs to mind also Roman Karmazin who David Walker was givern a hiding by.
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jamesmcdonnell
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 45229
- Joined: 12 Nov 2003, 06:11