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Junior Witter
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It’s 5 o'clock and Junior Witter is toying with a sparring partner in a tiny corner of the ring at the Ingle’s famous St Thomas’s gym in Sheffield, England. Arms down by his side, and smiling through his multi-coloured gumshield, Witter motions as if he’s about to throw a jab to the head but quickly delivers a right to the body. Pleased with his work, he takes two steps back and invites his willing foe to come onto him. Somewhat tentatively, the youngster advances but his pawing jabs are easily evaded by Witter who looks barely an ounce over 140lbs despite having no scheduled fight in the pipeline.
The days when TV cameras and reporters descended on this gym to speak to 'Prince' Naseem Hamed may have gone, but a quick glance around reveals a thriving environment, home to European champions in Witter and super-bantam Esham Pickering, as well as long-standing WBO cruiserweight king Johnny Nelson. Hot prospects Ameer Khan (light heavyweight 7-0) and light-welterweight amateur sensation Kel Brook (who turns pro on July 24) are proof that the Ingle production line shows no signs of slowing up.
Today I’m here to talk to the present. Ten days ago, rumours began to gather momentum that Witter had been offered an October date with bitter rival Ricky Hatton. It’s a fight that Witter and UK fight fans would dearly love to see. A guaranteed stadium filler, a reminder of the good old days when thousands used to flock through the turnstiles and millions used to switch on their television sets to watch Nigel Benn battle Chris Eubank and Lennox Lewis against Frank Bruno. At a time when British boxing is entering a tense and uncertain period following the almost complete withdrawal of terrestrial television, there is a growing feeling that marquee value fights like Hatton vs Witter must become the norm rather than the exception if the sport is to survive.
But Witter continues to play the waiting game, eternally cast to the shadows following his dreary decision loss to Zab Judah fours years ago after stepping in at nine days notice. Stung by criticism on both sides of the Atlantic, Witter vowed to abandon his safety-first style. The results have been devastating. 14 fights, 14 wins, 14 knockouts have seen the Bradford switch-hitter romp to British, Commonwealth, and European title successes. Last month, Witter blew away Salvatore Battaglia inside two rounds with a chilling demonstration of power punching. The Italian had previously extended former world-title challenger Oktay Urkal to a split-decision in Germany.
It’s a springboard the 29-1-2 (18) Witter hopes will finally elevate him to the big-money showdowns in a talent-ridden 140lbs division. However, as Doghouse Boxing discovered, Witter still yearns to entice the unbeaten Ricky Hatton into the ring to settle Britain’s biggest domestic feud in recent memory.
BC: There were recent rumours that you had been offered a fight against Ricky Hatton in October for £150,000 (approx $US275,000). Could you clarify what the score is?
JW: I’d take £150,000 for it but I’ve not been offered the fight. I put a piece in last week’s Boxing News (UK weekly trade newspaper) saying I’d take that amount but no one has got back to me or my management team. We’ve heard nothing from them (Hatton’s promoters, Frank Warren’s Sports Network). I’ve been calling Hatton out for 4 years but I still want the fight. It would help me prove to a lot of people how good I actually am because people do rate Hatton – he is a good fighter. But I know I can deal with him and I can do it fairly easily.
BC: It now appears likely that Paul Spadafora will get the call ahead of Vivian Harris. However, Spadafora has legal issues hanging over his head and sceptics wonder if he will be granted entry into the UK come fight time. If that proved to be case would you be prepared to step in to fight Hatton?
JW: I’ve thought about it and I wouldn’t be prepared to step in at short notice. It is a dangerous fight in respect of him being a good fighter. I’ve taken late notice jobs on a lot of Frank’s (Warren) shows. I did it when I boxed Jan Bergman (Witter won a decision over 8). I didn’t want to box Jan Bergman and I didn’t want to box Zab Judah (on short notice).
I boxed Judah on 9 days notice and did fairly well. I lost a close points decision, as your readers will probably remember (laughs ironically). I lost the fight but I didn’t do myself justice. I know I can do better than that and since then everyone that I’ve fought I’ve knocked out. I became no.1 contender for the WBO title and I should have fought Zab Judah but he wouldn’t box me. Instead he claimed he was injured but he ended up fighting anyway (Judah blew away Jaime Rangel in 72 seconds in December). Now he’s moved up to welterweight and I can’t get my revenge. Judah is a coward.
BC: Do you think Spadafora is a credible challenger for Hatton?
JW: Spadafora’s a good choice for Hatton. He’s a non-puncher and he’s a lightweight (said in a sarcastic tone). Spadafora doesn’t bring anything to the table that’s going to really trouble Ricky. He’s not the most agile, lightening fast boxer you’ve ever seen. He’s basically a lightweight and a non-punching lightweight. What is a non-punching lightweight going to do to supposedly one of the best body punchers in the world, who throws hundreds of punches in every round? Spadafora shouldn’t give Hatton any trouble whatsoever.
However, I’m a genuine light-welterweight, I’ve been a light-welterweight since the beginning of my career and I carry the power. I’m now the British, Commonwealth and European champion so I’ve got the credibility. There is no reason why this fight can’t happen. If the British public could choose to see any fight in the world they’d choose to see me against Hatton. This fight would establish me in America and shatter the Hatton dream.
BC: Speaking of credibility, what would you say to sceptical Showtime bosses and American fight fans who feel you’re not a worthy and an attractive enough foe for Hatton or any other of the division’s leading lights?
JW: I’d ask them to look at my record since the Judah fight. 14 fights, 14 knockouts. Everyone whose got in with me hasn’t gone past 5 rounds. My power has come through. It’s a case of judge me on who I am now, not who I was 4 years ago. Hatton’s fans have had to listen to all the excuses under the sun as to why the big fights aren’t happening. The money I’m asking for isn’t extravagant. It’s not millions of dollars that other fighters on the world scene seem to be demanding. I know I’d win that fight and then go on to make lots of money after I’d beaten Hatton. He’s just a stepping stone for me but he’s a stone I want to step on. It’s something I want to do. I don’t need to do it. If need be I can go around him and box for one of the genuine world titles but I want to go through Hatton. The British public aren’t interested in Spadafora or Sharmba Mitchell. They aren’t even interested in Vivian Harris. They want to see me in with him. The only other fight they’d like to see is Hatton against Kostya Tszyu because Tszyu’s the man. But ultimately the UK public want to see Junior Witter against Ricky Hatton.
BC: You’ve had a long time to think about it, but even now are you still totally confident in your ability to beat Hatton?
JW: I’m even more confident. My power, speed accuracy and timing is all there. I’ve been working on correcting my mistakes and I don’t stop working on them. I live right, I train right, I’m in a gym with some of the best people in the world. Even the kids around here come in and push everybody, because they see you and they want to beat you. Everyone gives it 110%. I look at Ricky Hatton and I look at his performances, and then I look at my performances. The people he’s going in with he’s no longer able to stop whereas everyone I fight I’m destroying. My ability is on a different level.
Some of the people Hatton has been beating are good but he’s on the same level that he was on 2 years ago. It’s not acceptable for someone who is classed as a world champion. I’m destroying good level European fighters and I know I can step it up. The better the opponent the better I box. I know that when I get in the ring with Ricky Hatton I’ll do him inside the distance.
BC: Are you concerned that you’re not the no.1 contender for Hatton’s WBU title?
JW: I’m not interested in the WBU title. I’m not. It’s a joke. It doesn’t mean anything to me, it never has. The only thing that interests me about the WBU is Hatton because he’s their champion. I don’t even know if the WBU have ratings. I don’t think they’re even that organised.
BC: If the Hatton fight fails to materialise what do you want to do next in your career?
JW: I’m looking to defend my European title as soon as possible so I can get a top 10 ranking with the WBC and the WBA. After that I want Vivian Harris or Arturo Gatti. Straight after I want Mayweather. I want the big names so I can show the world that I’m as a good as I say I am. I’m gunning for all of them, even Kostya Tszyu although he doesn’t seem to fighting much at the moment.
Doghouse Boxing would like to thank John Ingle for making this interview possible.
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2004
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By Ben Carey (July 5, 2004) 
