Was Witter’s Loss A Classic Case Of A Fighter Looking Ahead – And How Happy Will Ricky Hatton Be Now!?

by James Slater: Though absolutely nothing should be taken away from new WBC light-welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, was Junior Witter’s loss, at least partially, due to Witter not giving the 24 year old his undivided attention? We all know who former champ Witter has been close to obsessed with for a number of years now – Ricky Hatton. Desperate to get it on with his biggest name rival at 140 pounds, Witter tried everything to get Hatton to fight him..

Now, after having lost to Bradley when a number of fans were beginning to warm to him and his chances of beating Hatton, will Witter be kicking himself for looking past the guy named “Desert Strom?” I think so. No, maybe it wouldn’t have mattered if Junior had been a touch more focused last night. After all, Bradley was some fiercely determined challenger and in any rematch the 24 year old would be favoured to do a repeat job on Witter. Not only that, but Bradley had said beforehand that he had heard Team Witter were perhaps looking past him and that this was a big mistake, one he was going to capitalise on. And did he ever! Looking past him or not, Witter lost to the better man. In doing so, however, a touch of sympathy must go out to the former WBC 140 pound boss.

Having worked his way up the hard way, with no overly fanatic fan base behind him, Witter was at last getting recognition for his efforts, along with some potentially big pay days. He might never have gotten the fight with Hatton, but a number of fans were beginning to talk of Witter as a major talent. Now, however, whether it was due to looking past Bradley or not, the road to where he had finally gotten to will be an even longer and harder one.

With his unusual, and non too crowd-pleasing style, Witter’s chances of being given another of the big stage opportunities he had last night are slim. Sure, he came back after looking poor against Zab Judah a number of years back, but at age 34 doing so again will be massively tough. He may not want to accept it, but Witter’s days at the top of the tree look over. Quite simply, when a fighter is the president of the “who needs him club” and no-one wants to fight him even when he has a major world title, who will want to box him now that he has no such prize?

As for Ricky Hatton. Though it will continue to be debated as to whether or not “The Hitman” was actually ducking Witter due to a fear of him, it is clear such a fight has next to no chance of happening now. Will Ricky be a hugely relived fighter now that Witter has been dethroned and as such can no longer be spoken of as Hatton’s most logical opponent? Though he may never admit it, I think so, yes. Imagine the annoyance Ricky felt every time he turned around and either heard Witter’s name or heard Witter’s own voice calling him out. All that will end now, surely.

Junior Witter, as Ricky Hatton said himself in the past, is simply not on “The Hitman’s” radar. Never less so than now that the 34 year old has been dethroned.