by James Slater: Though he has admitted he is hugely disappointed after losing his treasured WBC light-welterweight championship, 34-year-old Junior Witter has made it clear he is not going to call it quits on his career. Junior also says he believes he actually won last night in Nottingham. And while he may not have too many people agreeing with him on that score, what Witter had to say now that he’s an ex-champion merits a listen.
Talking to Setanta Sports just hours after the fight last night, Witter had the following things to say.
“I’m gutted, I can’t believe it,” Witter remarked. “I thought I’d done enough to win. I know I had the knockdown [against me] but I thought I worked hard enough in the rest of the fight to win comfortably. But I don’t think you saw the best of me tonight. Timothy Bradley came out and fought and took some good shots. He caught me with a hell of a shot. But I was just a bit sloppy. It was a perfect shot. He’d been trying it all night, I knew he was going for it. But I won rounds before it. I won rounds after that.”
Witter is correct when he says he won his share of rounds, but to say he won COMFORTABLY!? No way. This was not a clear win for either guy, but Bradley was a deserving winner and Witter is making a mistake if he thought he looked a comfortable victor in there. Maybe once he has time to watch a tape of the fight the 34-year-old will change his thinking. One thing he is sure about, however, is continuing with his career.
“I’m still going to carry on, no way am I retiring after that,” Witter said. “There’s a lot more in the tank. There are better nights for me to come and Junior Witter will be back – as a world champion.”
Such confidence and defiance following a loss cannot be faulted, but the road will surely be a long and hard one for Witter. Caught last night like rarely before, are “The Hitter’s” reflexes beginning to dim just a little bit at age 34? Maybe, and if they are the odds of his becoming a world champion again will be even slimmer. Witter will fight again, of that I have no doubt, but will he ever get as far as even fighting for another world title? Junior will be up against it, that’s for sure.