01.09.06 – “You would think that as a former world champion, the man would have a bit more class,” said Brendan Ingle yesterday. The Wincobank legend – recently voted by Ring Magazine as one of the top ten trainers in the world – was responding to comments made about his charge Junior Witter by Roger Mayweather in the latest edition of Boxing Monthly..
Since hanging up his own gloves in 1999, the outspoken Mayweather has taken to showing other guys the ropes, most notably his nephew and pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Junior.
Recently, he has also been a part of the team preparing DeMarcus ‘Chop Chop’ Corley for his super lightweight contest against Witter on the Hennessy Sports ‘World Honours’ event at the historic Alexandra Palace on September 15th.
The vacant WBC championship will be on the line. It will be the first time that the famous green belt has been contested in London for over six years.
Mayweather feels that former WBO king Corley – who has held his own with Floyd Mayweather, Zab Judah and Miguel Cotto – can do nothing but win.
Typically, it is not a belief that he has kept to himself.
Mayweather has been quoted as criticising – in disrespectful terms – both Witter’s achievements and style, in particular his footwork. He has also stated that the only way his man can’t return to America as a world champion is if he is robbed in England.
Understandably, Ingle is irked. He also believes Mayweather’s judgement to be way of the mark.
“Mayweather should have a bit more about him,” Ingle said. “This is gutter talk. I think he could be a decent trainer and Corley is a decent fighter, but he’s talking like a gutter snipe.
“We all know why he is doing it. He’s trying to wind everyone up, cause a bit of a stir and make a bit more of a name for himself, but he is also showing how ignorant he is with some of his comments.
“You would think that with him having some success and being supposedly knowledgeable that he would have been able to come up with a better assessment and be a bit more respectful.
“He needs to sit down and educate himself. He needs to start bringing fighters through from scratch. He just operates with one or two fighters at a time; we are training 15-20 kids from all kinds of backgrounds and at all kinds of levels from day one.
“Our style that he criticises is proven. It is based on footwork and movement. For him to criticise Junior’s footwork is a joke. To be able to move like he does as an orthodox, southpaw or switch-hitting fighter is very difficult. It’s a nightmare to fight.
“He can try to boost his man’s confidence and undermine Junior’s all he likes, but that will mean nothing come the time of the fight. He’ll get a shock.”
If this was a tactic by Mayweather to ruffle Witter’s feathers, it has clearly not worked. If anything, it has bolstered the former British, Commonwealth and European champion’s resolve.
“If what he thinks are my weaknesses are Corley’s strengths then he’s got problems,” said the 32-year-old Witter, 33(19 KO’s)-1-2, from Bradford.
“Why isn’t Mayweather talking about what Corley’s bringing to the table, why is he trying to make up negatives about me?
“How can he say I haven’t earned this shot? After I fought Judah on a weeks notice I knocked out 15 people straight. I have won three titles and beat Lovemore N’Dou with a broken hand. No-one had put N’Dou down before. I did it twice.
“He’s deluding himself. He’s trying to see things that are not there and he’s setting Corley up for a big fall. That excuse about being robbed in England won’t wash after I have performed how I intend to.”
‘World Honours’ by Hennessy Sports takes place at the Alexandra Palace on Friday September 15th. Doors 6pm, Boxing Starts 6.30pm. Sky Sports televise live from 10pm.
The undercard will include an additional title fight – full details to be announced shortly – and Hennessy Sports team members Darren Barker (middleweight), John O’Donnell (welterweight), John Murray (super featherweight), Andrew Kooner (bantamweight), Billy Corcoran (featherweight) and Daniel Cadman (middleweight). Popular Wembley super middleweight Kreshnick Qato also appears.
Tickets are available from TicketMaster on 0870 0601795. Prices are £35 Unreserved, £60 Outer Ringside and £125 Ringside Laminate. For more information please visit www.HennessySports.com.