Saddoboxing.com was fortunate to be sat with Ricky Hatton yesterday at the Phoenix Gym in Denton, Manchester, England as the IBO/Ring Magazine Light Welter Champion's showdown with Juan Lazcano is just a week away at City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday, May 24.
Sitting on the edge of the ring canvas with a mug of tea, the Hitman talked about the time he was at Old Trafford as a young man. “I remember going to Old Trafford to watch Benn-Eubank and thinking ‘I wish this would be me one day," he recalled. "There were 45,000 people at that fight and there will be more than 55,000 at my next fight - I just can’t comprehend it," the likable Mancunian shakes his head.
When reminded that Oscar de La Hoya’s ‘Homecoming’ attracted 30,000 people, Hatton sighed, ”It makes me feel very very proud. Even pop concerts don’t sell out that quick [55,000 in less than 24 hours] - but I’ve never seen myself as a ‘Star’.”
Regarding what drives him now - Hatton quickly replied that of course motivation for him isn’t the money. “Financially, I’ve done quite well for myself," he admitted. More...
Ricky Hatton once famously referred to light welterweight rival Junior “The Hitter” Witter as being like a boil on his backside. Well, this Saturday night at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England, that boil finally burst as tough Californian puncher Timothy Bradley ripped away the Bradford native’s WBC title as well as any hope he had for a possible showdown with the “Hitman”.
34 year old Witter knew that the cameras of American television giant Showtime where on him and a performance in the bracket of the one he put in when stopping former WBA champion Vivian Harris in seven rounds last September, would add credence to his claim of being the world’s best 140 Ib fighter but it wasn’t to be as Bradley, now 22 – 0 (11), won a razor thin split decision.
Judges Omar Minton and Daniel Van de Wiele seeing it 114 – 113 and 115 – 113 for the visitor, while Franco Ciminale had it 115 – 112 to Witter.
The fight started as a cautious affair with Witter switching stances continuously and pawing with jab as he looked for openings. It seemed clear from the outset that the American challenger was intent on standing back and hoping to counter and part way through the round “The Hitter” moved in, missed, and was forced to absorb a quick flurry.
Despite this success for Bradley, Witter came back with a few decent right hands and was busy enough to take the session.
Round two was much of the same with Witter coming forward looking to score with single shots from awkward angles but again Bradley was slick enough to make him miss and then fire back with his own stinging punches. More...
Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley showed no signs of jetlag in his upset, split-decision victory over defending world champion Junior Witter Saturday. Bradley, a four-fight veteran of the Showtime boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation, captured the WBC Super Lightweight Championship by scores of 115-113, 114-113 and 112-115 to become the 25th ShoBox fighter to win a world title.
The special Saturday night edition of the popular, prospect-oriented series was promoted by Hennessy Sports from the Trent FM Arena at Nottingham, England and aired on a same-day tape delay.
In the co-feature, No. 1-ranked WBC super middleweight contender Carl Froch of Nottingham dispatched late-replacement Albert Rybacki of Poland with a fourth-round stoppage. More...
Current WBC 140 lb title holder Junior Witter, 36-1-2 (21), can be described as anything but ordinary. Just ask him and he will be the first to tell you exactly how good he is.
In fact, ask anyone who has ever spent time interviewing Witter or attended one of his press conferences and more than likely, they will tell you that Witter never stops talking about himself, although, in all fairness, Witter has earned some bragging rights.
Witter has not tasted professional defeat in almost eight years and that was a unanimous decision loss in 2000 to a young, dangerous Zab Judah, who at the time reigned as the 140 lb IBF world champion and was steamrolling anyone brave enough to step into the ring with him.
Following the loss, Witter went on a 15 bout KO streak, and those he did not KO, he defeated rather easily, eventually picking up the division's vacant WBC belt when he faced DeMarcus Corley in September of 2006.
After two defenses of the strap since that time, one being an impressive seventh round stoppage over highly regarded former WBA titlist Vivian Harris, Witter now feels it is his time to shine as the divisionʼs premier star.
But Witter has company in the division who seem to be much in the spotlight. One of these is the undefeated brash and even more self praising IBF titlist Paulie Malignaggi, a man who, with or without a belt, talks so much it is hard not to look his way.
The other fellow is a man that Witter seems to feel has been standing in the way throughout his entire career, Ring Magazine Champion Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton. More...
Undefeated 24 year old boxer Timothy Bradley, of Palm Springs, CA has traveled approximately 2,100 miles total by car for his 21 professional fights. In fact, he has fought exclusively in California and never traveled farther than 230 miles by car from his hometown. More...
ShoBox: The New Generation returns to the United Kingdom on May 10, 2008, with an outstanding world title showdown and a promising undercard bout featuring two undefeated prospects. More...
Hard-hitting super middleweight Carl Froch has been added as the co-feature to Saturday’s special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation, which is taking place from Nottingham, England on Showtime, 10:45 p.m. ET/PT, tape delayed.
The main event remains the WBC Super Lightweight World Championship bout between titlist Junior Witter of Bradford, England and American contender Timothy Bradley of Palm Springs, CA . More...
American box-puncher Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley could never be accused of lacking confidence. The 24 year old light-welterweight from Palm Springs, California, may never have fought outside of his home state, let alone his home country, but he is confident that he will take possession of the WBC title in Nottingham, England, this weekend when he tackles champion Junior “The Hitter” Witter at the Trent FM Arena.
Bradley, 21 – 0 (11), has certainly been talking a good game in the run up to this fight, stating his intentions are to unify the division after beating Witter and going onto say he intends to become a ring legend like Ali, Leonard and Robinson but, the truth is, on the evidence of the names on their resumes, this Saturday’s combatants are worlds apart.
Before winning his title, Junior Witter had been a British, Commonwealth and European champion. Add that detail to the fact that the Bradford trickster has defeated four world titlists and you have a very accomplished 140 pounder.
Bradley, on the other hand, has not really fought anyone of note, with almost 50% of his victories coming against pugs with losing records and the rest made up of lowly rated fighters floating around the southern California club scene, so a win on away turf and in a clash of this magnitude looks an extremely tall order.
Despite this, Bradley should not be taken lightly. He has decent speed and can dig, eight of his eleven knockout victims not making it past the fifth, and Witter is not a fighter known for keeping his chin well guarded.
If the Bradford native comes into this bout looking at it as merely a stepping stone in this quest for a battle with Ricky Hatton, then he could be made to pay.
One similarity between the two combatants is that they are both returning to the squared circle on the back of lengthy lay offs (8 months for Witter and 10 for Bradley) and it will be interesting to see how they shake off the proverbial rust. More...
ShoBox: The New Generation returns to the United Kingdom this Saturday, May 10, with an outstanding world title showdown and a promising undercard bout featuring two undefeated prospects.
On a special Saturday night edition of the popular Showtime boxing series, WBC Super Lightweight Champion Junior Witter will defend his crown for the third time when he takes on WBC No. 1 contender Timothy Bradley at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England, same day tape delay at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.
If triumphant, Bradley will become the 25th ShoBox alum to capture a world title. More...
ShoBox: The New Generation returns to the United Kingdom on May 10, 2008, with an outstanding world title showdown and a promising undercard bout featuring two undefeated prospects.
On a special Saturday night edition of the popular, prospect-oriented Showtime boxing series, WBC Super Lightweight Champion Junior Witter will defend his crown for the third time when he takes on WBC No. 1 contender Timothy Bradley at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England, same day tape delay at 10:45 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime. More...
Junior Witter is out to restore some pride into Yorkshire boxing when he defends his WBC light welterweight title against American Timothy Bradley at the Trent FM Arena Nottingham on Saturday, May 10, live on ITV1 and a delayed ShoBox special in the US.
Witter makes the third defence of his prestigious world title on a Hennessy Sports in association with GoldenPalace.com show. After seeing his fellow Yorkshire man Clinton Woods lose his IBF light-heavyweight title on points to Antonio Tarver in April. More...
WBC super-middleweight mandatory challenger Carl Froch will box Rubin Williams in an international 12 round contest as the co-feature on a Hennessy Sports in association with GoldenPalace.com show at the Trent FM Arena Nottingham on Saturday, May 10, live on ITV1 and on a delayed ShoBox special in the US. More...
Timothy Bradley has warned WBC light-welterweight champion Junior Witter he will be punished if he takes him lightly in their world title showdown at the Trent FM Arena Nottingham on Saturday, May 10.
Bradley of Palm Springs, CA brings with him an undefeated record for his first world title fight and first fight outside of America. More...
Junior Witter is looking forward to impressing a big TV audience in the next defence of his WBC light welterweight title at the Trent FM Arena Nottingham on Saturday, May 10.
Witter, of Bradford, England, is aiming to end the undefeated record of mandatory challenger Timothy Bradley, of Palm Springs, California, in the third defence of his prestigious world title on a Hennessy Sports in association with GoldenPalace.com show that also features WBC Super Middleweight mandatory challenger Carl Froch. More...
English lightweight champion John Murray hopes that beating fellow unbeaten lightweight prospect John Fewkes next week will lead to a British title shot.
Murray, of Manchester, 23-0, is expecting a tough first defence of his English title against Fewkes of Sheffield, 17-0, when they meet at the Nottingham Arena on a Hennessy Sports in association with GoldenPalace.com show on Saturday, May 10. More...
Junior Witter believes he is in the hottest form of his career ahead of his next world title defence against Timothy Bradley at the Trent FM Arena Nottingham on May 10.
Witter, of Bradford, England, makes the third defence of his prestigious WBC light welterweight title on a Hennessy Sports show in association with GoldenPalace.com as joint main event with Nottingham man Carl Froch’s WBC super-middleweight title final eliminator against Russia's Denis Inkin. More...
Carl Froch says he will produce a better performance than Joe Calzaghe did at the weekend in his WBC Super Middleweight Title Final Eliminator against Denis Inkin of Russia at the Trent FM Nottingham Arena on May 10.
British champion Froch, 22-0 (18), was not overly impressed by Calzaghe's points win over Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas on Saturday. More...
Hennessy Sports and Super Channel, Canada’s only national pay television network, are pleased to announce an exclusive agreement to televise the world title clash featuring WBC super lightweight champion Junior Witter, 36-1-2 (21), against mandatory challenger American Timothy Bradley, 21-0 (11). More...
ITV and Hennessy Sports announce that the WBC world light welterweight title fight between Junior Witter and Timothy Bradley will be broadcast live on ITV1 on the same May 10 bill as Carl Froch’s WBC super middleweight final eliminator against Denis Inkin.
British boxing star Witter will be making his third defence of his WBC world title against his number one WBC mandatory contender, America’s Timothy Bradley. More...
