Hatton v witter-war

cowzerp

Ricky Hatton and Junior Witter have started a transatlantic war of words ahead of their world title fights this weekend.

The pair might be more than 5,000 miles apart, but have still re-ignited one of British boxing's longest standing fueds by trading open insults.

It is not the first time the two light-welterweights have been at public loggerheads and even though both of them have more pressing dates with Juan Urango and Arturo Morua this weekend, they have readily opened old wounds - and some new ones...

ROUND ONE: Witter questions Hatton's lifestyle out of the ring, claiming his penchant for a night out has left him struggling for form and fitness and on the slide. Hatton hits back by pointing out his last three fights have all been against world champions, for world titles, across two weight divisions.

ROUND TWO: Hatton claims Witter has spent his career getting publicity off his back. Witter counters by insisting his WBC belt is the premier prize in the sport and that a deal with American TV giants HBO could be in the offing.

ROUND THREE: Witter, who has been calling out Hatton for years, says it is time the Hitman "stopped talking and started producing". Hatton tells his rival he needs "to realise that he is so far off my radar, it is unreal."

ROUND FOUR: Hatton lays in by listing his career achievements, pointing out he is the first Briton to be named the Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year and has "vacated three times as many belts as Junior has won". Witter replies in kind by claiming his next opponent Juan Urango is the easy option at light-welterweight.

ROUND FIVE: Witter calls out Hatton again, declaring he can take him apart. Hatton retaliates. Having spent the week talking of a showdown with Jose Luis Castillo next, he tells Witter to "move on".

Witter though, remains undaunted and continues to bang the drum for a 2007 showdown with his long-time domestic, and possibly, world-title rival.

He still believes it is the fight everyone wants to see and while he has come in for some criticism for failing to finish recent opponents off - his last four fights have gone the distance - he says there is little danger of that happening against Hatton.

"He absolutely hates me, I've got very little respect for him," he told Sky Sports News.

"It will be an out-and-out war when we get in the ring. It won't be the scientific match like my last fight, it will be more of a battle and a war which is what people want to see.

"It's what I want to do and Ricky Hatton is the man I want to do it against. He's always looking for the easy way out, but now I don't think he's got anything left but to fight me."

Hatton meanwhile maintains he has moved up in class since the days when he and Witter were frequently caught up in the will-they-won't-they battle that brought the sort of needle British boxing has lacked since Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank.

In an open letter issued before Witter's appearance on Sky Sports News, the two-weight world champion said training for the Juan Urango bout couldn't have gone better - so much so that he was happy to take time out and have a pop back at his fellow Brit.

"Come January 20, I will have topped the bill in the USA in both Boston and the fighting capital of the world, Las Vegas," he said.

"But strangely enough, Junior still thinks HE'S the man and I still need him more than ever. Somehow, I don't think so. Do you?"

pjbrady1

I'v always wondered about Hattons claims and the presses claims that he is a super athlete with a monstrous training regime. The centre of which is this day two weeks before the fight, when he "GOES 15 ROUNDS AGAINST THE BODY BAG ON HIS TRAINER". Not that impressive seeing as he is not being hit back. I seen a video of this on his website and it was standard fare just welting off his trainer at a medium pace. Hardly Thai kick boxer levels of stamina. Incidentally to see some really impressive stamina check out the guy on Rossboxing.com. He can keep a heavy punch bag raised up at an angle in the air from continuous strong punches, real well connected punches that would hurt.
I think Whittaker raises a valid point about his fitness. In between fights Hatton can ballon way up in weight, with a big stomach and flabby shoulders. Hardly a natural athlete which is what his camp seem to claim he is.
On fight day he eats a huge fry, I'v seen a photo of it, it's not even a nice looking fry (not a hint of Denny) and big mugs of tea. That is going to hold him up in last two rounds.
One last point, is going up and down in weight like that bad for a boxer or does it do no harm? Would it depend on how quickly you lose the weight.

mickith

i cant believe that whitter is still harping on about fighting hatton. as hatton said there is no way whitter is in the same league as hatton is.
imo whitter would be destroyed if the fight ever happened.
i would actually love to see the fight just so whitter would shut the hell up once and for all

hatton may balloon up in weight in between fights but he is always in prime condition come his fights. hatton like most high profile fighters these days only fight a couple of times a year so i suppose they can allow themselves to let go once in a while. as for the big fry that hatton eats on fight day, well im sure that it wouldnt do him much good but i say he probabaly deserves it and hasnt had one in a long thime as he has been training so hard, and lets face it, it would be hard to say no to if its put in front of ya

pjbrady1

Ah you'd want to have seen the fry, big Tesco economy Jumbo sausages that looked like they had just the frosht took off them on a coal pit of an English pan. Beans that Aldi wouldn't shtock, and somehow they had found a worse shliced pan than Tesco 29c. Shocking stuff!
Thats how they reviewed it in Mayo anyways.

henryb

Have to agree with mickith, its a no contest, Hatton has
bigger fish to fry at the min (excuse the pun):D
I suppose ya cant blame whitter for talking himself
up a bit though!

mickith

pjbrady1 Ah you'd want to have seen the fry, big Tesco economy Jumbo sausages that looked like they had just the frosht took off them on a coal pit of an English pan. Beans that Aldi wouldn't shtock, and somehow they had found a worse shliced pan than Tesco 29c. Shocking stuff!
Thats how they reviewed it in Mayo anyways.

ha ha

henryb

Hi guys.
As im sure you all know the irish seniors start on friday night.
Big year this year as its the olympic qualifiying year, so
just wondering does anyone have any thoughts on it?
I hear the two Athy lads Joyce and Donavan are in the same
weight this year as joyce has to move up a weight as he cant
make bantam! I think this is a big shame as there both
quality boxers and were deserving champions last year!

henryb

sorry cowzerp, didnt mean to take away from youre
original post there!
my apologies!

pjbrady1

Does anyone have any info on who would be favourites for titles. What would be weakest division, super heavyweight?

megadodge

David Oliver Joyce v Eric Donovan !
That would be worth the admission price alone.
I was wondering why I hadn't heard much of Joyce in the last year, he must have been struggling to make bantam and as a result couldn't fight internationals etc. as Donovan would be getting the Feather spot.

Hopefully they'll be kept apart til the final and then bombs away !!
That would be some advert for amateur boxing in Ireland.
I hope RTE give it top billing.

cowzerp

Donovan would easily beat joyce-joyce is a light puncher and in my opinion not as good as made out-i know as i boxed him and was less than impressed-lost 11-10 in a farce of a fight that i easily won-missed out on donovan but he's a good boxer..:cool:

pjbrady1

Cowzerp your fight with Donovan, Were your ten punches of way better quality. Did you feel he was getting very light punches scored?

Off topic, what are your thoughts of the Light middleweight Title champion professional ranks (pretty sure that was weight) Peter McDonagh.

I seen the fight against Michael Gomez, Gomez was eating McDonagh until he dropped his hands and started to walk away from McDonagh.
McDonagh took a pathetic ten punches to drop Gomez and even then it just looked like a loss of balance. Surely worst Irish champion, has he actually defended that title yet. That quote about "I put a bet on to knock him out in fifth round" was highly suspicious from a fighter who wouldn't knock snow off a rope, but nothing was ever found. Wonder was a Keith Barry type figure involved,.... maybe yes!!

henryb

megadodge wrote:

David Oliver Joyce v Eric Donovan !
That would be worth the admission price alone.
I was wondering why I hadn't heard much of Joyce in the last year, he must have been struggling to make bantam and as a result couldn't fight internationals etc. as Donovan would be getting the Feather spot.

Hopefully they'll be kept apart til the final and then bombs away !!
That would be some advert for amateur boxing in Ireland.
I hope RTE give it top billing.

Yeah, lets hope so. I was talking to erics brother on the phone today
and hes been training well lately and is in good shape.
I think hes a good chance to qualify for the olympics.
Bags of experience and still only 21!

mickith

you probably all heard this but thought id put it up anyway.
please ricky take this fight so witter can retire after it and we never have to see him again


Junior Witter has offered to fight Ricky Hatton for nothing in a winner-takes-all showdown.

The WBC light-welterweight king has spent the week goading his long-time rival as they both prepare for world title fights this weekend.

Witter, who has long been calling Hatton out, claims the Mancunian has nowhere else to go in 2007 and has accused him of being a coward.

Hatton says he is a class above and his looking ahead to the likes of Jose Luis Castillo, but Witter is so convinced he can beat him, he has thrown down one final gauntlet - if he loses, he doesn't get paid a penny.

"Hatton and his trainer Billy Graham tell anyone who will listen that he will beat me easily," he said. "Graham even said he would 'kill' me. So how about this: winner takes all.

"If you and your trainer are that confident you will beat me, then pay me nothing.

"Give me a good hiding. That can be the ultimate way you can deal with me. I'm not in it for the money. I believe in myself and this gives you the chance to earn a huge amount of money.

"Otherwise just be honest and admit why you don’t want the fight that the public deserve on prime-time Saturday TV.

"Admit what I suspect: this is all about money and I'm too dangerous a fight. I think you know I will knock you out."

It is the latest in a the new war of words that has erupted between Britain's two premier light-welters.

Even though he is preparing to face IBF champion Juan Urango on Saturday, Hatton has taken time out to accuse Witter of making fame off his back.

And the Bradford-born champion - who makes the first defence of his WBC crown against Arturo Morua - says the Hitman is on the slide and has taken the easy option to win his old belt back.

henryb

What ya reckon mickith, will it ever happen. ?
Obviously there'll have to be money involved!

johnathan woss

Just regarding the seniors lads, I was looking at the entries on iaba.ie and there's 8 going in at 75kg, 10 at 91kg and only 2 at 81kg.
Is that a fluke or is everyone avoiding Kenneth Egan?

henryb

johnathan woss wrote:

Just regarding the seniors lads, I was looking at the entries on iaba.ie and there's 8 going in at 75kg, 10 at 91kg and only 2 at 81kg.
Is that a fluke or is everyone avoiding Kenneth Egan?

yeah' i seen tha and youre probably right in some respects,
but id say if they had a cruiser weight division in it this year
i.e 85kg you might have had a few lads contesting that.
its a big jump from 81kg to 91kg. They had cruiser weight in the inters
a few months back and there was a large number in it.
Actually the guy that won that title fights Egan in the 81kg division!
Hard to see Egan being beat though dont ya think?

paul666

what time does the match start at?

Divinkee

Witter would KO Hatton if Hatton ever chooses to have the balls and satisfy the publics interest in an all British, world title fight with Witter.

They are completely differnt in styles and would make for a gr8 match. hatton had(maybe still has) what you need to beat Witter and Hatton is perfectly made for Witter to look sensational with his power counter punching skills.

Hatton hasnt fought anyone like Witter and vaca versa. I think Witter's power and unorthodox punching would come through and lead to a early-mid round KO.

BigRedClown

theone

Divinkee wrote:

Witter would KO Hatton if Hatton ever chooses to have the balls and satisfy the publics interest in an all British, world title fight with Witter.

They are completely differnt in styles and would make for a gr8 match. hatton had(maybe still has) what you need to beat Witter and Hatton is perfectly made for Witter to look sensational with his power counter punching skills.

Hatton hasnt fought anyone like Witter and vaca versa. I think Witter's power and unorthodox punching would come through and lead to a early-mid round KO.

BigRedClown

just read that now ,do you honestly think witter would ko hatton I'm shocked tbh

compare there two records for three fights not including the last one that both of them fought

Witter fights

Witter v Cawley, Won points 12 rounds points W.B.C World Light Welterweight championship.
Witter v Lynes, won points 12 rounds points European Light welterweight Championship.
Witter v Kotelink ,won points 12 rounds points European Light Welterweight Championship.

hatton fights

Hatton v Collazo, Won points 12 rounds W.B.A. World welterweights Championship.
Hatton v Maussa, Won k.o.9 W.B.A. World Light welterweight Championship
Hatton v Tszyu,Won T.K.O. 11 rounds I.B.F. Light Welterweight Championship

hattons fights were against much better opponents then witter and his stoppage rate is still better

mickoo

i agree-it would be a good fight but a stoppage for hatton in the late rounds would be my prediction..:D