Warren hits back at Witter

[bennie]

Promoter allegedly has launched a scathing attack on Junior Witter and his camp after the Yorkshire fighter accused Ricky Hatton of being "a coward".
Hatton and Witter will appear on the same card for the third time in succession at the MEN Arena on December 13 - but once more against different opponents rather than each other.
Hatton defends his WBU light-welterweight belt against tough-as-teak Ghanaian Ben Tackie as he looks to enhance his reputation on the world scene.
Witter will face big-punching Brazilian Kelson Pinto for the right to face WBO champion Zab Judah.
Witter claimed Hatton is running scared from a much-anticipated domestic dust-up following a two-year feud between the two.
"It is disgraceful for Junior to make such a comment," said Warren. "It is not the sort of thing I would expect Junior to do and I can only believe he has been put up to it.
"The simple fact is that for this fight to go ahead it needs the backing of American TV network Showtime and, at the moment, they just don't want to know Junior.
"Unfortunately, Junior has only appeared twice on Showtime and both times they have not been impressed by him. So he has to convince them he is a credible opponent.
"Kelson Pinto has done well on Showtime so this is Junior's chance to push himself forward and if he wins in good style it will be very hard for Showtime to stand in his way."
Warren himself came under fire from Witter's co-trainer John Ingle, who disputed whether Showtime's money was needed to put on a Hatton-Witter showdown.
"If American TV don't want it, SKY still want it and there will be 15,000 people willing to turn up, so there's still enough money to do it, it's just an excuse for Hatton," said Ingle.
However, Warren countered: "I'm sick of John Ingle's two-faced whinging. If he thinks there is enough to put on the show, why doesn't he get his promoter's licence and do it himself.
"Junior Witter just hasn't done enough to make himself marketable yet. There was talk of him fighting Eamonn Magee but when it went to purse bids there wasn't one bid.
"When I put forward the Pinto fight to them, they wanted to back out. But I told them they have to fight someone dangerous enough to boost Junior's profile.
"They should be thanking me for paying Junior to fight his last two opponents, who I hadn't seen beforehand but both turned out to be well below standard.
"However, I'm not here to hand out charity or pay people's pensions and Junior has to earn the right to fight Ricky."

[MightyWarrior]

Hmmm...trouble at mill? Hope it doesn't jepordise the Pinto fight - his own promoter accusing him of trying to duck the fight?! Below the belt I'd say...

Don't think warren would ever put Hatton in with a dangerous banger like Pinto...

[Guest]

It was wrong of Witter to label Hatton a coward, but his frustrations at allegedly is understandable in my opinion.

And, unless Frankie get so annoyed with Witter's lip that he gives him the push, I forsee Witter remaining a Sports Network fighter until he hangs up his gloves. Warren always plays the "Showtime don't want to know" line. It beggars belief. How did poor Sports Network survive when Showtime elected not to screen some of his more mundane WBU title defences?

[bennie]

Hmmm...trouble at mill? Hope it doesn't jepordise the Pinto fight - his own promoter accusing him of trying to duck the fight?! Below the belt I'd say...

Don't think warren would ever put Hatton in with a dangerous banger like Pinto...

Good post. Hatton's match with Tackie is a good one, but Witter faces the real dangerman on the night.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Bennie, Pinto is totally unproven, he hasn't really faced any top flight fighters, his best win is against Emmanuel Augustus, who lost two back to back before that, and whilst Augustus is tought and durable, he is hardly world class.

There are question marks over Tackie's desire, but he's not some old man, he's only 30, and hasn't ever been battered, and he has certainly faced a better level of competition than Pinto, and he's beaten better fighters than Augustus too.

Pinto has youth and the fact that he is an up and coming prospect on his side, rather than Tackie, who is perhaps on the way down, but in no way would I say that Pinto is 'the real danger man.'

If Tackie turns up for a payday, then sure, but I feel that Tackie will try his heart out against Hatton, because if he beats Ricky, he is right back in the top 5. He cannot in my opinion beat anyone in the top 5, but he will get a good payday out of it.

[jamesmcdonnell]

It's funny how everyone seems to describe Tackie as 'teak-tough', I've even used it in articles myself....

[bennie]

Bennie, Pinto is totally unproven, he hasn't really faced any top flight fighters, his best win is against Emmanuel Augustus, who lost two back to back before that, and whilst Augustus is tought and durable, he is hardly world class.

There are question marks over Tackie's desire, but he's not some old man, he's only 30, and hasn't ever been battered, and he has certainly faced a better level of competition than Pinto, and he's beaten better fighters than Augustus too.

Pinto has youth and the fact that he is an up and coming prospect on his side, rather than Tackie, who is perhaps on the way down, but in no way would I say that Pinto is 'the real danger man.'

If Tackie turns up for a payday, then sure, but I feel that Tackie will try his heart out against Hatton, because if he beats Ricky, he is right back in the top 5. He cannot in my opinion beat anyone in the top 5, but he will get a good payday out of it.

All true. But if Warren had the choice, which he clearly does, would he match Hatton with Pinto?

[MightyWarrior]

Bennie, Pinto is totally unproven, he hasn't really faced any top flight fighters, his best win is against Emmanuel Augustus, who lost two back to back before that, and whilst Augustus is tought and durable, he is hardly world class.

There are question marks over Tackie's desire, but he's not some old man, he's only 30, and hasn't ever been battered, and he has certainly faced a better level of competition than Pinto, and he's beaten better fighters than Augustus too.

Pinto has youth and the fact that he is an up and coming prospect on his side, rather than Tackie, who is perhaps on the way down, but in no way would I say that Pinto is 'the real danger man.'

If Tackie turns up for a payday, then sure, but I feel that Tackie will try his heart out against Hatton, because if he beats Ricky, he is right back in the top 5. He cannot in my opinion beat anyone in the top 5, but he will get a good payday out of it.

All true. But if Warren had the choice, which he clearly does, would he match Hatton with Pinto?

No I don't think he would: too many intangibles. At least they know what to expect with ( teak tough ) Tackie: he'll be rolling forward all night, taking everything thrown his way, not too difficult to outbox...Ricky will probably stick to a formula similar to the one used with Magee.

But Pinto is hard to predict: how hard does he punch exactly? How good is he? The answers might prove the downfall of warren's Big Hope.

Beating Cotto and also being backed by ODH point to a fighter with real talent. And beating Augustus is a sign he could be headed for the top - any weakness would usualy be exposed by Augustus, who seems to have inherited the role of Gate-keeper to the top ten.

[Twinkle Toes]

All true. But if Warren had the choice, which he clearly does, would he match Hatton with Pinto?

Why would he want to though?

Pinto isn't rated highly by any other body apart from the WBO. Witter/Pinto is a natural fight to make. The only person to benefit from a Witter/Hatton fight is Witter, and the few of us who would like to see it happen ;)

[knockout artist]

Warren is right.

If John Ingle knows the numbers and thinks the fight can make money, he should put it on. Jesus, his family have got enough money to back the show.

Calling Hatton a coward is very unprofessional and Junior will regret doing so, physically or financially or both.

[Guest]

Warren is right.

If John Ingle knows the numbers and thinks the fight can make money, he should put it on. Jesus, his family have got enough money to back the show.

Calling Hatton a coward is very unprofessional and Junior will regret doing so, physically or financially or both.

Contracturally, is that possible though? And, if Warren is leaving the door open for Ingle to promote the fight, then presumably he's cool with Hennessy or Hearn making a loss on this one too?

[bennie]

All true. But if Warren had the choice, which he clearly does, would he match Hatton with Pinto?

Why would he want to though?

He wouldn't. When was the last time allegedly matched Hatton with an unbeaten fighter? Tommy Peacock in February 1999. It remains the only time Hatton has faced an unbeaten opponent.