BoxRec

Why did this never happen??? Especially in the period in 2006 where Ricky was IBF champ and Junior was WBC champ.

Pettiness and fear.

Yes, a Hatton v Witter thread

and welcome back David Payne, it's officially just like the old days

High risk and low reward I think. I think Ricky believed that Witter's style would of given him problems which likely true and on top of that he didnt bring much financially to the table.

columbo wrote:High risk and low reward I think. I think Ricky believed that Witter's style would of given him problems which likely true and on top of that he didnt bring much financially to the table.

I think this is exactly how it was

Same reason pacman vs mayweather probably won't happen, too many politics and possibly one being worried about losing to the other. It would have made a lot of money over here even though Ricky always said he couldn't sell out his front room.

columbo wrote:High risk and low reward I think. I think Ricky believed that Witter's style would of given him problems which likely true and on top of that he didnt bring much financially to the table.

Whilst Hatton could sell out fighting my nan and Witter struggled to get his own family all that interested watching him, I reckon a grudge match between the two with a good couple of months of hype would have been huge. Witter wasn't exactly unknown

aye, 'Junior doesn't bring any fans' is a poor reason given that 18,000 or whatever would turn up to watch Hatton against Stewart or Vilches

Lenny wrote:

columbo wrote:High risk and low reward I think. I think Ricky believed that Witter's style would of given him problems which likely true and on top of that he didnt bring much financially to the table.

Whilst Hatton could sell out fighting my nan and Witter struggled to get his own family all that interested watching him, I reckon a grudge match between the two with a good couple of months of hype would have been huge. Witter wasn't exactly unknown

I agree. That seemed to be the mentality though for some reason which was unfortunate for us fans!

Lenny wrote:Yes, a Hatton v Witter thread :yay:

and welcome back David Payne, it's officially just like the old days

If you say Spud into a mirror three times.....

Its a fleeting visit, hello Lenny!

The story is simple, and has been told many times.

Witter bored the hell out of USTV when he fought Judah, and though losing, he made Judah look bad in an awful fight.

Showtime wouldn't touch him...the tin foil hat brigade can think Ricky was scared all they want

thepocketrocket wrote:The story is simple, and has been told many times.

Witter bored the hell out of USTV when he fought Judah, and though losing, he made Judah look bad in an awful fight.

Showtime wouldn't touch him...the tin foil hat brigade can think Ricky was scared all they want

Not scared. But I don't remember Vilches being a big hit over there either or Pederson etc.

They could have fitted Witter in and I maintain - Hatton v Witter for the comeback would still have been fun. In a weird, car-crash way.......

true. they brought fkk all.

The thing I dont get is why people even care the fight wasnt made. Not all that interesting. Witter had nothing like the career Hatton had and thats because he just wasn't as good.

thepocketrocket wrote:Showtime wouldn't touch him...the tin foil hat brigade can think Ricky was scared all they want

You're the one who believes Showtime conspired against Witter.

Horse wrote:

thepocketrocket wrote:Showtime wouldn't touch him...the tin foil hat brigade can think Ricky was scared all they want

You're the one who believes Showtime conspired against Witter.

OK, they didn't...sorry Horse

Trojans44 wrote:The thing I dont get is why people even care the fight wasnt made. Not all that interesting. Witter had nothing like the career Hatton had and thats because he just wasn't as good.

No, neither were the mugs Hatton was fed for 12-24 months before Kostya Tszyu - only Stewart made sense as an eliminator, the rest were just fillers, Witter would have stoked up Hatton when he was losing momentum and becoming frustrated and been a huge shot in the arm for british boxing.

This was, after all still the Calzaghe v muppet years and we were still swamped with WBU/IBA/IBU/WBF bollacks everywhere we looked.....except Hennessey who stuck religiously to British, Commonwealth, EBU and WBC.

Dead Mouse wrote:

DavidPayne wrote:true. they brought fkk all.

That's not a bad thing. They turned up to the party with empty hands. Junior turned up with his Russ Abbot record and a single minded determination to force everyone to drink tea and play charades.

The truth, be it sad or pragmatic, is that Witter was poison for someone who was trying to establish themselves as an attractive option for the American audiences.

Poison because he had a style to cause problems for Hatton....in the ring, not just for TV Executives.

I think that's the point. I don't think they were just out to get Witter, just aware that he might cause Hatton to look pretty clumsy and potentially/possibly/who knows, even beat him. Then they lose out on a massively popular come forward fighter and are left with a guy who once had a 3 minute staring competition with Demarcus Corley.

But I do believe we as fans missed out as a result.

Lenny wrote: a 3 minute staring competition with Demarcus Corley.

and to think some people wasted up to 300 words describing this fight

Witter was awful against Corley and that made him easy to avoid.

If I remember rightly, Hatton's story at the time was just that Witter had pissed him off in the past and he didn't want to give him the payday. I remember reading an interview with Hatton where he was like, "well he's doing alright for himself seeing as he's got a world title so maybe it'll happen" although it never did.

I never liked that and it DID seem like Hatton was ducking him. Of course, Witter did his rubbish snake hand lead thing against Timothy Bradley (who I remember thinking at the time looked like he'd be in trouble against Hatton) and lost the title. So that killed it stone dead. Bradley obviously sank without trace...

I just don't think Ricky fancied it. If you dislike someone that much, get in the ring and kick his arse.

The last excuse I heard Hatton give was that Witter shook his hand at the BBC Sports Personality award and said "one day".

rossij8 wrote:

columbo wrote:High risk and low reward I think. I think Ricky believed that Witter's style would of given him problems which likely true and on top of that he didnt bring much financially to the table.

I think this is exactly how it was

Yes hatton didn't need witter Witter needed hatton so he could get a payday but I believe witter would have won but would have been a horrible fight to watch

Lenny wrote: a guy who once had a 3 minute staring competition with Demarcus Corley.

chop chop tried that sh1t on a beach with Kell......

http://vimeo.com/77888434