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

[banjo]

Zab is a funny name

Zabdiel

I think it's Jewish.

[Ruthless-RKO]

FFS.. who voted for Witter?

[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.

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.

Then Floyd whooped Baldomir straight after Judah right? And Witter lost to Zab in 2000. Interesting. It all points to one winner in this hypothetical matchup.

[margaret thatcher]

There is no one under 60 who would have had a very good chance of beating the version of Mayweather from around that time

[Delta Jay]

There is no one under 60 who would have had a very good chance of beating the version of Mayweather from around that time

Under 160? Or born after 1960? Either way I agree

[margaret thatcher]

I meant under 60 years old---need to go back at least to a Tommy or Sugar Ray or Duran I think to beat Floyd

[THEBUTCH]

TBH the 2006 part is irrelevant. You could probably tie one hand behind Mayweather's back and he'd still beat Witter.

The guys (Castillo, De la Hoya, Maidana) who came closest to beating Flloyd put the pressure on him. Witter wasn't really known for for aggression or throwing lots of punches.

One thing I would say for Junior is he belongs in the other post on this forum for over achievers. British, EBU and WBC champion. Looked very unlikely for a while.

[ILikeBeer]

I always thought it was a shame that Hatton never fought Witter. It would've been big for British fans if nothing else.

I'm not specifically saying Hatton ducked Witter, because I think Hatton would've won it. Also Hatton was the bigger name/draw, so the only thing Witter brought to the table was another title and the fact that he was British. The second one might not sound much, but an all British unification fight would've sold well and made them both money.

I guess that's what happens when a boxer truly doesn't like another, as oppose to all this boring pre-fight talk they feel they have to do now. He doesn't want to help him financially. Hatton could've made money fighting a cheese sandwich, let's be honest. Witter needed him more.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I guess that's what happens when a boxer truly doesn't like another, as oppose to all this boring pre-fight talk they feel they have to do now. He doesn't want to help him financially. Hatton could've made money fighting a cheese sandwich, let's be honest. Witter needed him more.

Same thing that's happened with Khan and Brook..

Brooks needs a big name for a good pay day,

Khan got paid $5-6m just fighting Billy Dib.. Khan's not giving him the pay day.. Also, the loser will have to live with the fact that they lost to a very bitter rival.

[ILikeBeer]

I guess that's what happens when a boxer truly doesn't like another, as oppose to all this boring pre-fight talk they feel they have to do now. He doesn't want to help him financially. Hatton could've made money fighting a cheese sandwich, let's be honest. Witter needed him more.

Same thing that's happened with Khan and Brook..

Brooks needs a big name for a good pay day,

Khan got paid $5-6m just fighting Billy Dib.. Khan's not giving him the pay day.. Also, the loser will have to live with the fact that they lost to a very bitter rival.

Yeah.

It's reached the point where Brook is deluding himself if he think he's getting that fight. Why would Khan fight Brook when he can get a fortune for fighting dipsticks in Saudi Arabia on Channel 5? Khan has already been in a lot of tough fights, and will probably ease himself into retirement now. Don't necessarily blame him for that.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I guess that's what happens when a boxer truly doesn't like another, as oppose to all this boring pre-fight talk they feel they have to do now. He doesn't want to help him financially. Hatton could've made money fighting a cheese sandwich, let's be honest. Witter needed him more.

Same thing that's happened with Khan and Brook..

Brooks needs a big name for a good pay day,

Khan got paid $5-6m just fighting Billy Dib.. Khan's not giving him the pay day.. Also, the loser will have to live with the fact that they lost to a very bitter rival.

Yeah.

It's reached the point where Brook is deluding himself if he think he's getting that fight. Why would Khan fight Brook when he can get a fortune for fighting dipsticks in Saudi Arabia on Channel 5? Khan has already been in a lot of tough fights, and will probably ease himself into retirement now. Don't necessarily blame him for that.

As someone always states.. Boxers are PRIZE fighters, not PRIDE fighters.

[margaret thatcher]

obviously he didn,t , though his fight vs bradley was very close and that actually look pretty good now, wasnt the kd the differnece

[danconnollyeire]

Yeah same

[Bard of Boxrec]

I remember that post -Judah period where Witter was showcased on the BBC and he had that run of knockouts where he suddenly looked like a bonafide killer , albeit against overmatched lower-euro level guys

Then he beat Viv Harris in similarly impressive fashion (albeit a faded version). Didn’t Harris allege witter had loaded gloves or something ?

If Witter had fought Floyd he would have just looked at him all night.

[mickey1975]

I remember that post -Judah period where Witter was showcased on the BBC and he had that run of knockouts where he suddenly looked like a bonafide killer , albeit against overmatched lower-euro level guys

Then he beat Viv Harris in similarly impressive fashion (albeit a faded version). Didn’t Harris allege witter had loaded gloves or something ?

If Witter had fought Floyd he would have just looked at him all night.

Americans usually presume any stoppage to a Brit is due to loaded gloves.

[Steveh583]

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.

gatti is vastly overrated cos he was in exciting wars. hatton at him peak would have steamrollered him imo witter would frustrate fukk out of him.

[Ruthless-RKO]

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.

gatti is vastly overrated cos he was in exciting wars. hatton at him peak would have steamrollered him imo witter would frustrate fukk out of him.

Literally..

[leftrightleft]

Witter was a horrible guy to fight still remember his fight with colin Lynes put me to sleep. As boring as Witter was Mayweather would've struggled to look good against him but definitely would've won. It would've been interesting if Witter was fighting now in this era against guys like Danny Garcia, Thurman etc.

[TheLeprechaun]

Witter was a horrible guy to fight still remember his fight with colin Lynes put me to sleep. As boring as Witter was Mayweather would've struggled to look good against him but definitely would've won. It would've been interesting if Witter was fighting now in this era against guys like Danny Garcia, Thurman etc.

The Corley fight was another boring contest. I couldn't bring myself to watch the Frankie Gavin fight later in his career. I just checked the result afterward. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to muster up the courage to watch that one.

[TheLeprechaun]

Prime Witter is more or less around Kell Brooks level for me. I think he'd have had similar results to Kell in Kells biggest fights. There's no chance of Kell beating Floyd Mayweather at any time.

[DG]

Not sure if it was a very good chance - but it was a better chance than most at the time. I agree if worded as “ better chance out of the crop at the time”.

[Twinkle Toes]

Good chance of beating Mayweather means losing 120-106 or something like that.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Good chance of beating Mayweather means losing 120-106 or something like that.

Going the distance with FMJ isn't a huge achievement.. is it?

Going the distance with someone like Wilder, GGG is an achievement.

[Roco]

Were Witter and Magee going to fight each other at one stage?

Did Hatton and Witter ever come close boxing in the amateurs. Bradford and Manchester is not too far way and there they turned over around same time.

[nobleart1978]

1 word for Witter - DELUDED