BoxRec

Telegraph & Argus, Bradford
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk

I'll fight Hatton for 'peanuts' - Witter

Exclusive By Simon Parker

Junior Witter today declared he would willingly take Ricky Hatton's "peanuts" offer for a May showdown in Manchester.

Bradford's WBC light-welterweight world champion hit back after claims that he had rejected the chance to face the Hitman for £100,000.

Hatton's manager, dad Ray Hatton, said yesterday they had offered Witter "the highest purse he'd ever had". But it had been turned down and the cash was no longer on the table.

But Witter is furious and wants to pin down his deadly rival after years of ducking and diving - saying the fight is his only motivation not the wealth.

"This is not about the money - it's personal," he blasted. "The pay-day is not even close to what I was getting for going out to America.

"I would have got well over twice as much to fight Demetrius Hopkins over there. But I'm prepared to take it just to knock Hatton out for his cheek.

"It might be all about greed with some people but not me. If that's what they think I'm worth then fine I'll take it just for the chance to finally put Hatton into retirement."

Hatton is expected to face Texan Juan Lazcano in his comeback fight after losing to Floyd Mayweather in December.

Lazcano has been out of action for a year since a defeat against Vivian Harris, who Witter viciously KO'ed in seven devastating rounds five months ago.

Ray Hatton claims a "gentleman's agreement" is in place although Witter's promoter Mick Hennessy understood Lazcano had not signed his contract.

Hennessy said: "I spoke to Golden Boy Promotions in the early hours today and they told me that the Lazcano deal was not done yet.

"So my understanding is there is no contract signed between the two; the venue is not sorted as of today; HBO (American TV giants) have not confirmed they are covering it and it's not the fight the paying public want to see - which is Witter v Hatton.

"Junior is happy to jump in and take up their peanuts offer because he isn't greedy."

Hennessy claimed Hatton's lawyer Gareth Williams had said that if the fight did ever come off, Witter "would not get a penny over £100,000 because that is all he is worth."

Witter's manager John Ingle spoke to both Williams and Ray Hatton today.

Williams confirmed that the offer mentioned was for May 24 but Hatton said it was never for that date.

"Maybe Floyd Mayweather hit Ricky Hatton that hard even his dad and lawyer are confused," laughed Witter, who is currently warm-weather training in Gran Canaria.

Witter was due to defend his title in California next month against Hopkins but that fell through after the American pulled out for no apparent reason.

Now he is desperate to take out his frustration on the man he has been stalking throughout his career.

Ingle said: "I can understand their reluctance to take the fight because (trainer) Billy Graham's record against us in major contests isn't very good.

"Alan Bosworth beat Matthew Hatton, Johnny Nelson finished off Carl Thompson's reign as champion and Andrew Facey took Matthew Macklin's unbeaten record.

"The only major win Billy has got over us was Ricky Hatton against Jon Thaxton. But Thaxton has proved since then that he's not a real light-welter by going back to lightweight.

"Ray Hatton says they are tied up for the next 12 months with a deal with HBO, who've got a list of opponents. But how can Junior not be on that list?

"We've been told that he is and that's the fight that HBO want to see. It's a travesty if it doesn't happen."

Just as I thought when I read that BS from the Hatton camp yesterday.

if they genuinely offered Witter only 100,00 grand while Hatton pockets a few mil in a fight that's 80 - 20 against him then the lot of em should be publicly named and shamed. Witter rightly avoided it and the lawyer sounds like a smug tw*t.

I don't know why the Americans are keen as Hatton failed to impress for a world rated fighter, versus Collazo, likewise against Urango and likewise versus Mayweather IMO.

Witter Wiitter!



Hatton STILL running scared - will Hatton take the fight?


NO.


Wanker!

Terry D wrote:Both sides come off looking bad. Witter said he would do it for free then turns down 100K (which is stated as a fact in this release) despite not having a fight on the horizon.

I think it shows on both sides that if you play with hyperbolic statements you will be burned.

Before DG starts I would not have taken 100K either but then I never offered the guy and said I'd take nothing in the first place. Witter set his price at 0 and got a derisory offer in return.

Terry D, read the article again.

"This is not about the money - it's personal," he blasted. "The pay-day is not even close to what I was getting for going out to America.

"I would have got well over twice as much to fight Demetrius Hopkins over there. But I'm prepared to take it just to knock Hatton out for his cheek.





Witter has accepted it - but Hatton now says it was not for the May Fight BUT his Lawyer and DAd said it was!!

If Witter was offered the fight (albeit for a fairly derisory sum) why didn't he take it then, rather than accepting it now, when the offer is 'off the table"?

In fact, why are both camps mentioning this offer now? Why didn't we hear about it at the time?

DG. wrote: Witter has accepted it - but Hatton now says it was not for the May Fight BUT his Lawyer and DAd said it was!!

No, Hatton's Dad said it wasn't for May. Hatton hasn't said anything.

I call it the "Thaxton Syndrome". Offer to fight your domestic nemesis for free, then turn down an offer.

I agree with Terry, both fighters come off badly here.

Hatton for offering a low sum of money whilst he pockets an excessive amount (Warren offered Thaxton £75k FFS and that was for a domestic title, not the most prestigous belt in the division!). Witter for turning down a higher sum than 0 as per the above.

I just can't see this fight happening now, which is a real shame.

The Americans (HBO) are only still interested in Hatton because that 24/7 series made him quite popular to 'blue-collar' people over there.

Terry D wrote: I read it twice, then twice again. It says an offer was turned down so Witter could get more money abroad. Fair enough to Witter.

Not fair enough. All we've heard for 8 (EIGHT) years is how he wants to bust Hatton up. Then he gets offered it and decides that he'd rather fight Hopkins in the US?

Anyone think he's made the same mistake as Thaxton? I do and they only have themselves to blame for listening to bad advice.

The offer MUST have come AFTER Witter had signed to fight Hopkins!

Witter was fighting in MARCH!!!!

HOW COULD BE PULL OUT OF A FIGHT HE HAD SIGNED FOR??

Hatton had his bluff called,imo.

DG. wrote:The offer MUST have come AFTER Witter had signed to fight Hopkins!

Witter was fighting in MARCH!!!!

HOW COULD BE PULL OUT OF A FIGHT HE HAD SIGNED FOR??

Hatton had his bluff called,imo.

As i UNDERSTAND it.

Hopkins NEVER signed into the fight. Therefore Witter COULD have retracted the contract at ANY moment.

Big Pussy wrote:

DG. wrote:The offer MUST have come AFTER Witter had signed to fight Hopkins!

Witter was fighting in MARCH!!!!

HOW COULD BE PULL OUT OF A FIGHT HE HAD SIGNED FOR??

Hatton had his bluff called,imo.

As i UNDERSTAND it.

Hopkins NEVER signed into the fight. Therefore Witter COULD have retracted the contract at ANY moment.

The Hopkins 'FIGHT' has only recently been officially off.

Witter STILL had A CONTRACT to fight on March 22 in the States.

Now that the fight is OFF - Hatton brings this out.

WITTER WAS NEVER IN A POSITION TO SIGN FOR ANYTHING UNTIL GBP RELEASED HIM FROM HIS SIGNED FIGHT.

Witter was following the money to fight Hopkins, rather than take a fight with Hatton for the 100k.

At least it proves that an offer was on the table, even Witter has confirmed it.

I have been dwinking but I don't see that Witter has turned down 100k in that press release?

Spoke to someone very close to this situation, here is what really happened....

Hatton’s camp never ever made an offer for Witter to fight Hatton!

Witter’s promoter called the Hatton lawyer on Saturday Feb 16th,
Only to find him pissed out of his brains in a Las Vegas bar at five thirty in the morning. Apparently Mick offered to meet Ray Hatton and the lawyer the following week, the lawyer went on to say "I am telling you now if we meet Ricky holds all the Aces and if they ever do fight the most Witter would be offered was 100,000 pounds. Because nobody gives a fornicate about Witter and he brings fornicate all to the table".
There was never a specific date or a specific offer, just a drunken comment about what would be offered if they ever did meet.

Mick told him not to disrespect a great fighter like Witter, who has done things the hard way and has never turned down a challenge from anyone. Needless to say the conversation went downhill from there.

Then the Hatton’s and that lawyer chose to take that drunken pissed up bar room conversation and flog it to the media and public as if they made a legitimate offer and it was refused by Witter’s camp.

What a load of absolute shite!!!
To make a genuine offer you put it in writing and send it through by Fax, it’s that simple!

If you could hear the rumors going around the U.S. at the moment about what happened that particular night and the following afternoon with this big-mouthed lawyer,
You would realize how bullshit this whole situation really is and would agree this guy is a fool of the highest order. I am sure the story will come out soon enough.

So basically Witter has just reacted to the bullshit they put out in the press, because he knows there was nothing definite about the Lazcano fight. Witter will defiantly take the fight on May 24th at that price, because he is a proper fighter and is not a greedy whore.

^^

Oh look the 'Max Molyneux' of Hennessey has posted

Goz wrote:I have been dwinking but I don't see that Witter has turned down 100k in that press release?

He didn't!

Witter was contracted to fight in March and was never offered the fight with Hatton before then,therefore Junior didnt take the bigger money offer for Hopkins over the smaller offer from the Hattons simply because there wasnt one.In fact Junior was offered a similar figure by sports Network when both fighters were under contract to them years ago.Junior signed the contract and Hatton didnt.

Ray Hatton and Hattons solicitor still havent worked out a solution to the problem that is Junior Witter.They are simply managing the product "Ricky Hatton" While they may be able to con the loyal Manchester fans the excuses are wearing thin with the rest of the knowledgable boxing population.The tide is slowly turning against Ricky.And all we are hearing are poor excuses.Believing that 20,000 ppl plus will turn up to the City ground to watch Hatton against a 3rd rate opponent is ridiculous.

Juan Lazcano as an opponent is a joke he was easily beaten by Harris who Witter smashed to bits and before we go down the road of "Well Hatton ko d Maussa who ko d Harris" Maussa was beaten easily by Arturo Morua ,Morua turned down the fight with Harris thats when Maussa stepped in.Junior hammered Morua last year.

We are led to beleive by the Hattons that there are bigger fights out there for Ricky,if so,WHO?
Oscar? Manny? Mayweather again? these names have been thrown around,but in reality they will never happen,Oscar wont go down to the weight Manny wont go up and Hatton could box Mayweather 100 times and the result would always be the same.

I called the City ground today for tickets for the fight,I was told there were none the date or opponent hadnt been confirmed and the venue had not yet been booked for the date (why dont a few of you try it?)leaving it a bit late dont you think? with around 10 weeks to go.There is no bigger available fight for Hatton at this moment in time than Junior Witter.Sky or ITV with the help of HBO would generate the money to satisfy the Hattons greed.Witter has said he will take 100 grand which is peanuts just to ko Hatton.

If Hatton has 3 or 4 fights lined up over the next 12 months then come on Ricky tell us who it is! How can Junior Witter not be in that line up,if HBO bought into Kessler Calzaghe,then with your high profile in the US being bigger than theirs, the match up with Witter wouldnt be a problem.He is the WBC Champion HBO wanted him against Hopkins I am sure they would love you and Witter.

Get some balls Ricky,stop hiding behind your dad and solicitor and fight your biggest rivial,the excuses are wearing thin on the ground.Your fans will turn against you.

The bottom line is that if Hatton was so sure he'd pummel Witter he'd fight him. Junior will get the pissy end of the deal, Ricky makes millions, gives the fans 'the fight their loyalty deserves' and settles a domestic dispute that otherwise threatens to hang over his whole career.

But Ricky isn't confident about it is he?

Ricky Hatton self styled man of the people using smoke and mirrors to avoid Witter yet again.

Team Hatton are full of shit that much is clear.

Put yourself in Hatton's shoes - I wouldn't want to fight Witter! I'm a short-armed lad with limited skills getting inside and looking to unload hooks up and down... Junior is a switch-hitting, awkward power-hitter, an attacking counter-puncher who punches awkward angles and can smack me down. I won't even be able to grab his arms, he's so awkward. Get knocked out again and not only is my career dead and buried, but I'm forever seen as a fraudster.

If he admitted it, it wouldn't be so bad.

sorry but I have lost all respect for Hatton..

Becoming a disgrace

The first 40 odd fights of Hatton's career were a joke. Fake title, same location, same ref for what seemed like every fight. Eventually goes to America after getting Tszyu at the right time, and sadly gets exposed twice by fighters in their prime (Collazo, Mayweather).

Is that really so legendary as Billy Graham would have it? Does Hatton really have such superstar material in him, when people tire of the "ge off my nob" chit chat?

I'd say Ricky "owes" British boxing more than a fight with Juan effing Lazcano, and should not treat Witter with such outright contempt. Someone knock Hatton out please, as the man leaves a bad taste in my mouth. They really do come off looking appalling.

Witter should just ignore Hatton. Hatton's not got much longer. Does anyone think US TV are going to put up with more than 3 more fights of clutch and hit? Let Hatton mania run its course, and then let's have done with it please.

So, I take it even the lawyer can't stay sober...that just about sums it up.

The sooner MH is out of british boxing the better. First he loses Thaxton a massive payday against Khan. Then he fails to get Witter a fight against anyone. Hattons next opponent may be an easy defence but at least he is fighting.
Carl Froch will win his next fight, then we get all this crap over again with MH calling out Calzaghe, while Froch loses all his opportunities.
If I was under the MH banner I'd be on the phone to another promoter now before I wasted anymore of my career. Even if you don't want to work with Warren, there is still Hearn and Maloney who will get you more opportunities than MH ever could.

I had high hopes for MH, but he has lost me, I can't help but feel that he is acting like a spoilt brat with all this he said she said bollox.