BoxRec

Terry D wrote:I'd like a Tszyu rematch but that's just me. Junior also, but I just don't see it happening, more likely that other run, although Manny is shortly to be defeated by Marquez.

One thing that does puzzle me about a proposed Witter-Hatton fight in the UK, as much as the fight not happening puzzles you Witter advocates, is that there is this avalanche of noise for the Witter bout but no one actually turns out for his UK-based fights. 3 title fights for the WBC title in recent times and it seems, if we can extrapolate larger numbers from this online fanbase (in which case I think he has roughly 5 billion fans), people are not actually supporting the guy. If his fans only pay lip service, over the 'net, about how unjust boxing is towards Witter why don't they go out and put money in his purse.

It is no pop or counter-pop. Just a question. Right now Witter must be the best supported fighter in the UK, if one was to go by Boxrec and the 'net, so what happens when he fights? Are you all washing your hair at those times?

Boxing is a tough and pragmatic sport and, say, Witter does lose his title in the USA, bang goes his title and his earning capability with only a small amount of time left in his career.

If the Hatton fight does not come off Witter fans are going to look back with dual regret. 1: I wish he could have fought Hatton 2: I wish I could have been arsed going to watch him fight.

Captain Hook wrote:The point is we would like to see Witter v Hatton but don'tr think witter is fecking king Kong like most on here.

Hatton is getting slated while Witter gets praise. It's bullshit. And I agree the recent threads have been the same...

Terry D wrote:(and online you have to be aware that some make rather liberal use of Boxrec in order to appear knowledgeable)

Terry D wrote:

oliverfennell wrote:

Terry D wrote:I'd like a Tszyu rematch but that's just me. Junior also, but I just don't see it happening, more likely that other run, although Manny is shortly to be defeated by Marquez.

One thing that does puzzle me about a proposed Witter-Hatton fight in the UK, as much as the fight not happening puzzles you Witter advocates, is that there is this avalanche of noise for the Witter bout but no one actually turns out for his UK-based fights. 3 title fights for the WBC title in recent times and it seems, if we can extrapolate larger numbers from this online fanbase (in which case I think he has roughly 5 billion fans), people are not actually supporting the guy. If his fans only pay lip service, over the 'net, about how unjust boxing is towards Witter why don't they go out and put money in his purse.

It is no pop or counter-pop. Just a question. Right now Witter must be the best supported fighter in the UK, if one was to go by Boxrec and the 'net, so what happens when he fights? Are you all washing your hair at those times?

Boxing is a tough and pragmatic sport and, say, Witter does lose his title in the USA, bang goes his title and his earning capability with only a small amount of time left in his career.

If the Hatton fight does not come off Witter fans are going to look back with dual regret. 1: I wish he could have fought Hatton 2: I wish I could have been arsed going to watch him fight.

It's a fair question, but I think the answer lies in Hatton's "pop culture" appeal. He transcends the sport and gets the according viewing figures. Witter does not.

I think Witter's fan base is comprised entirely of "knowledgeable fans", and as boxing is, in general, a bit of a niche sport these days, that's why we don't generally get very big crowds for anyone other than Hatton, Calzaghe and Haye-Maccarinelli.

In fact, David Haye himself got a very poor live gate for Bonin, a very small band of travelling support to France, and only three fights ago was still in the York Hall. But put him in the right fight and bingo, a 20,000 sell-out.

I have been a paying fan at Witter fights and I'm sure many on here have been too. But you can bet even those who haven't been would go to a Witter-Hatton fight.

That is just a very much more eloquent version of the 'Hatton fans are lager lout idiots' answer that has come up this week.

I know people who have paid great amounts of money to watch Hatton over the years. They may not fit into your criteria of 'knowledge fans' (and online you have to be aware that some make rather liberal use of Boxrec in order to appear knowledgeable) yet those paying fans, who keep the sport going also, seem to be seen as worthy of ridicule as not knowing their stuff. They may not be able to tell you the scorecards of Ali-Norton III but to dismiss them as non-fans is nonsense. They know what they want from boxing, and it has proven to not be Witter.

Basically it seems you are saying the 'knowledge' fans are akin to the types of people (like Rio Ferdinand) who start turning up at football club when they begin to win things. You demand a Witter-Hatton fight on the proviso that you don't have to attend other Witter fights.

Hatton-Witter should happen, should have happened years ago but the non-support, consistent non-support throughout the levels, of Witter has hardly pushed the issue at any point.

You reap what you sow and Witter is only able to reap the minor fruits of his fans lethargy. For Witter there was a long-standing sense of entitlement, he has dropped it but it is sticking with his fans. Witter is now going out to put the spadework in, any chance his agrophobic fans might do the same?

Terry D wrote:Ps David Haye. May be a poor seller but you watch his fights and don't think "I'd pay not to watch him fight" whereas some people still think that with regards to Witter.

oliverfennell wrote:The Haye comparison is perfectly valid. He's usually explosive. Witter sometimes is, sometimes isn't. Both of them have attracted similar sized crowds. This is because of their name recognition, no more, no less.

Chris Eubank was in a number of stinkers, but the fans kept coming, 10-20,000 a time, every two months, because he was a household name. It's the "pop culture" I referred to.

You slap the words "Hatton", "Calzaghe" or "Eubank" on a poster, and the man in the street stops to look at it. "Witter" and "Haye" does not have this effect. This has nothing to do with how excitig they are or aren't, it's to do with name recognition.

oliverfennell wrote:Getting back to the original question, only Terry has even tried to answer it.

Is there a better opponent out there?

And yes, I know Witter's signed to fight D-Hop, making it a moot point for now, but he could hardly be expected to wait for Hatton, could he?

Captain Hook wrote:

oliverfennell wrote:The Haye comparison is perfectly valid. He's usually explosive. Witter sometimes is, sometimes isn't. Both of them have attracted similar sized crowds. This is because of their name recognition, no more, no less.

Chris Eubank was in a number of stinkers, but the fans kept coming, 10-20,000 a time, every two months, because he was a household name. It's the "pop culture" I referred to.

You slap the words "Hatton", "Calzaghe" or "Eubank" on a poster, and the man in the street stops to look at it. "Witter" and "Haye" does not have this effect. This has nothing to do with how excitig they are or aren't, it's to do with name recognition.

Eubank, Hatton, Benn etc capture/d the imagination, we care about them. They are and were characters. A lot of beer-swilling morons turn up for Hatton fights and these people really annoy me, as you know as we've been to fights together.

We were both at the Rowland/Hatton fight for example and a lot of people there that night were just out to start a scrap and get drunk. Their reaction to Takaloo's victory was testament to that.

But Witter is just a tosser and dull. Good fighter, but he's not as deserving of praise as Ricky is IMO.

And Haye's not even been fighting for half as long as Junior in fairness, plus he doesn't always fight in the same area, like Carl is always at Nott Arena for instance.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

Captain Hook wrote:

oliverfennell wrote:The Haye comparison is perfectly valid. He's usually explosive. Witter sometimes is, sometimes isn't. Both of them have attracted similar sized crowds. This is because of their name recognition, no more, no less.

Chris Eubank was in a number of stinkers, but the fans kept coming, 10-20,000 a time, every two months, because he was a household name. It's the "pop culture" I referred to.

You slap the words "Hatton", "Calzaghe" or "Eubank" on a poster, and the man in the street stops to look at it. "Witter" and "Haye" does not have this effect. This has nothing to do with how excitig they are or aren't, it's to do with name recognition.

Eubank, Hatton, Benn etc capture/d the imagination, we care about them. They are and were characters. A lot of beer-swilling morons turn up for Hatton fights and these people really annoy me, as you know as we've been to fights together.

We were both at the Rowland/Hatton fight for example and a lot of people there that night were just out to start a scrap and get drunk. Their reaction to Takaloo's victory was testament to that.

But Witter is just a tosser and dull. Good fighter, but he's not as deserving of praise as Ricky is IMO.

And Haye's not even been fighting for half as long as Junior in fairness, plus he doesn't always fight in the same area, like Carl is always at Nott Arena for instance.

Have to say, when I went to Hatton v Pendleton the crowd there was very unpleasant, loads of skinheads with scars on their faces pissed out of their minds looking for a ruck. When I left the Arena there were people fighting outside the arena all over the place. Was like the wild west.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

Captain Hook wrote:

oliverfennell wrote:The Haye comparison is perfectly valid. He's usually explosive. Witter sometimes is, sometimes isn't. Both of them have attracted similar sized crowds. This is because of their name recognition, no more, no less.

Chris Eubank was in a number of stinkers, but the fans kept coming, 10-20,000 a time, every two months, because he was a household name. It's the "pop culture" I referred to.

You slap the words "Hatton", "Calzaghe" or "Eubank" on a poster, and the man in the street stops to look at it. "Witter" and "Haye" does not have this effect. This has nothing to do with how excitig they are or aren't, it's to do with name recognition.

Eubank, Hatton, Benn etc capture/d the imagination, we care about them. They are and were characters. A lot of beer-swilling morons turn up for Hatton fights and these people really annoy me, as you know as we've been to fights together.

We were both at the Rowland/Hatton fight for example and a lot of people there that night were just out to start a scrap and get drunk. Their reaction to Takaloo's victory was testament to that.

But Witter is just a tosser and dull. Good fighter, but he's not as deserving of praise as Ricky is IMO.

And Haye's not even been fighting for half as long as Junior in fairness, plus he doesn't always fight in the same area, like Carl is always at Nott Arena for instance.

Have to say, when I went to Hatton v Pendleton the crowd there was very unpleasant, loads of skinheads with scars on their faces pissed out of their minds looking for a ruck. When I left the Arena there were people fighting outside the arena all over the place. Was like the wild west.