Junior Witter: I Had a Very Good Chance of Beating Mayweather in 2006

[Ruthless-RKO]

Former WBC junior welterweight champion Junior Witter, who is now a trainer, believes he would have did very well against Floyd Mayweather - had they met in their primes.

Mayweather retired from the sport in 2017.

The 46-year-old Witter, who last fought in 2015, officially closed the book on his pro career in 2018. He walked away with a record of 43-8-2 with 23 knockouts.

In 2005, Witter became the WBC's mandatory challenger to junior welterweight belt - which at the time was held by Mayweather.

The World Boxing Council never forced that mandatory fight to take place. Mayweather vacated the title in 2006 and moved up to the welterweight division.

Witter beat DeMarcus Corley to capture the vacant belt in September of the same year in London.

“The WBC title was a whole different level of achievement and that is the one people remember me for, it took so long to get there. I was the mandatory (challenger) for a year, and I should have boxed Mayweather. That was the fight I wanted. He moved up in weight and he didn’t have to fight me. He wasn’t the fighter he has been in the last five or so years, but he was still one of the biggest names in boxing," Witter told the Wakefield Express.

“It was a fight I looked at and thought I had a very good chance of winning it. Styles make fights, and knowing how I boxed and how he boxes, it suited me brilliantly and I think that is why the fight didn’t happen. They probably looked at it and thought it was too much of a risk for too little gain, so he moved up and I won the WBC title against DeMarcus Corley. It was surreal.

“He was a former world champion himself and was fighting as the favourite and that night I just performed again. It wasn’t the most entertaining fight, it was more of technical battle. That feeling was second to none because that was a true achievement. That was the night it all came together.”

From Boxing Scene

[Ruthless-RKO]

So that's Hatton and Mayweather that Witter never fought in their primes.

[Boxerbeetle]

Was that article originally published on 1st April?

[Glass Joe]

Witter was gifted a vacant title shot against Corley, Corley lost his last 3 of 6 fights going into the fight, granted they were against HOF boxers but that soften up Corley.

[Deserter]

Can you put this in the Boxing Myths thread please

[Ruthless-RKO]

“It was a fight I looked at and thought I had a very good chance of winning it."

What he said..

Thought!!

[jameswilson]

Witter was the WBC mandatory after Mayweather.

Mayweather beat Arturo Gatti and then from memory swiftly moved up.

I should maybe stick this in the unpopular opinions thread but I believe had Witter got to Gatti first I believe he would have won by KO. Gatti was hugely over rated at that time and for some reason was almost always going into his fights (not the Mayweather fight obviously) as a big favourite. This is despite the fact that from this period of his career onwards he made the weight horrendously. I remember having £500 that Carlos Baldomir would beat him by KO. If I told people before that fight that I was doing that they’d have thought I was on drugs but it was obvious Gatti was going to gas after 4 rounds and be out of his depth against the bigger guy.


I feel people tar witter a little bit because of his late career and the Judah fight. He was for a period very good.

[Old bones Ian]

Of course he would of beat Mayweather, anyone that watched his amazing and dynamic win over Arturo Morua would agree.

That won me the Sarcasm Southern area title

[Coco]

Of course he would of beat Mayweather, anyone that watched his amazing and dynamic win over Arturo Morua would agree.

That won me the Sarcasm Southern area title

I thought it was more British Masters standard!

[banjo]

Gained a reputation as a murderous puncher based on a string of KO's over journeymen, whenever he took on anyone remotely quality he looked very ordinary. It's a shame Hatton didn't fight him because Ricky would have made this poundland Prince Naz look very silly.

[THEBUTCH]

Witter developed into an accomplished switch hitter but don't see any way he'd have stood a chance of beating Mayweather.

I know it was early doors in his career and he took it at short notice but his performance against Zab Judah really stunk the joint out. He made absolutely no attempt to win and just didn't want to get hit. He sole purpose seemed intent on making Judah look bad, but backfired and completely wasted a world title opportunity.

[TheLeprechaun]

He went from fighting a journeyman to one of the consensus best in the division in Judah. I didn't think he performed too badly in there. He hadn't been past the 8th round before the fight and his fight before the Judah fight was against a guy with 7 wins and 31 losses. Quite a big step up. He frustrated Judah a fair bit and did land some shots but it was too negative. That fight woke him up and he improved from the fight. He went on a KO streak for his next 15 fights and then had close but clear decision wins over Ndou, Kotelnik, Lynes and Corley. All durable guys but it did show up his supposed KO power. Having close enough fights with these guys doesn't suggest you have the beating of Floyd Mayweather. However, the Witter of this period might have beaten Judah, who knows.

I was sad for him when he lost to Bradley because I thought he was finished as he was in the who-needs-him club. He got his shot at Devon Alexander and from memory looked awful in the fight and retired with a hand injury. I may watch that one again tonight actually. Oh and I agree with the poster who said he would have done Gatti.

[black panther]

Gained a reputation as a murderous puncher based on a string of KO's over journeymen, whenever he took on anyone remotely quality he looked very ordinary. It's a shame Hatton didn't fight him because Ricky would have made this poundland Prince Naz look very silly.

Tad harsh yes he wasn't elite and most likely would have lost to Hatton. But would have likely caused him some problems and could definitely dig a little - put Ndou down a couple of times I think? Something Cotto, Cintron, Alvarez and Brook couldn't do.

[banjo]

Gained a reputation as a murderous puncher based on a string of KO's over journeymen, whenever he took on anyone remotely quality he looked very ordinary. It's a shame Hatton didn't fight him because Ricky would have made this poundland Prince Naz look very silly.

Tad harsh yes he wasn't elite and most likely would have lost to Hatton. But would have likely caused him some problems and could definitely dig a little - put Ndou down a couple of times I think? Something Cotto, Cintron, Alvarez and Brook couldn't do.

He'd have posed no more problems to Hatton than Eamonn Magee did IMO probably less because I think Magee was the better fighter of the two.

[banjo]

He went from fighting a journeyman to one of the consensus best in the division in Judah. I didn't think he performed too badly in there. He hadn't been past the 8th round before the fight and his fight before the Judah fight was against a guy with 7 wins and 31 losses. Quite a big step up. He frustrated Judah a fair bit and did land some shots but it was too negative. That fight woke him up and he improved from the fight. He went on a KO streak for his next 15 fights and then had close but clear decision wins over Ndou, Kotelnik, Lynes and Corley. All durable guys but it did show up his supposed KO power. Having close enough fights with these guys doesn't suggest you have the beating of Floyd Mayweather. However, the Witter of this period might have beaten Judah, who knows.

I was sad for him when he lost to Bradley because I thought he was finished as he was in the who-needs-him club. He got his shot at Devon Alexander and from memory looked awful in the fight and retired with a hand injury. I may watch that one again tonight actually. Oh and I agree with the poster who said he would have done Gatti.

Absolutely, Gatti by that stage was years past his best but still drew viewers and big money purses due to his highlight reel career, I'm surprised Hatton didn't go for him instead of Luis Collazo, would have been an easier night and made more for it.

[black panther]

Tad harsh yes he wasn't elite and most likely would have lost to Hatton. But would have likely caused him some problems and could definitely dig a little - put Ndou down a couple of times I think? Something Cotto, Cintron, Alvarez and Brook couldn't do.

He'd have posed no more problems to Hatton than Eamonn Magee did IMO probably less because I think Magee was the better fighter of the two.

Yeah you're probably right there. Magee was one those massive ifs and buts fighter - amazing talent but so many issues outside of the ring.

[Terminator666]

I Remember Witter for a failed world title attempt against Zab Judah where he didn’t seem to really go for it.

[Pugilist-specialist]

It's a shame Hatton didn't fight him because Ricky would have made this poundland Prince Naz look very silly.

It was a shame that Hatton wouldn't fight him for a decade so we never found out.

[Pugilist-specialist]

I know it was early doors in his career and he took it at short notice but his performance against Zab Judah really stunk the joint out.

9 days notice after fighting Arv Mittoo. At the time Hatton was regarded as FW's top light-welter. Ever wondered why Hatton didn't take the fight on a FW show?

[THEBUTCH]

It would have been a very dangerous fight for Hatton, no doubt about it, and I'd have probably backed Judah at the time.

The huge difference is Hatton would have tried to win. Witter was truly awful.

And because Hatton had a better approach and style than Witter he went onto become a British legend, where as Witter is fast becoming a forgotten champion and very few even care.

[Delta Jay]

Did Floyd and Witter both fight Zab Judah?

2006 was definitely Floyd’s prime, but probably not his best year on paper was it? (Which year was?) Funny how quickly he worked up to Welter from SFW, maybe 7 years or so, then stayed about the same weight for 10 more years, only going up to LMW and still miles under that weight.

At any rate 2006 Floyd is about as good a boxer as you’re gonna get, there’s actually only a handful of fighters ever who I’d fancy over him.

[world ranked]

This dude lost to Bradley and Judah but somehow had a "good chance" beating Floyd. Dude

[banjo]

Did Floyd and Witter both fight Zab Judah?

2006 was definitely Floyd’s prime, but probably not his best year on paper was it? (Which year was?) Funny how quickly he worked up to Welter from SFW, maybe 7 years or so, then stayed about the same weight for 10 more years, only going up to LMW and still miles under that weight.

At any rate 2006 Floyd is about as good a boxer as you’re gonna get, there’s actually only a handful of fighters ever who I’d fancy over him.

Floyd fought Zab in Spring 2006, it was being billed as a mega fight until Zab lost to Carlos Baldomir 3 months earlier so the actual fight wasn't quite as big as it could have been.

[margaret thatcher]

Zab is a funny name

[banjo]

I know it was early doors in his career and he took it at short notice but his performance against Zab Judah really stunk the joint out.

9 days notice after fighting Arv Mittoo. At the time Hatton was regarded as FW's top light-welter. Ever wondered why Hatton didn't take the fight on a FW show?

Because he wasn't ready for it, you don't learn to run before you can walk.