Lovemore Ndou says, “Hatton, Witter, Castillo? BRING THEM ALL ON!”

Only four days after one of the most impressive wins of his career, Lovemore “Black Panther” Ndou is ready to make the best fights out there in the super lightweight division. A 12th round TKO win over arch rival Naoufel Ben Rabah on Sunday at the Homebush State Sports Centre in Sydney secured Ndou the IBF No.1 ranking at 140lbs. Current IBF world champion Ricky Hatton has been ordered to defend against Ndou next and the “Black Panther” is waiting to see what his promoter Denis Hobson says this time around.

“The IBF has told Ricky Hatton and his promoter Denis Hobson that I get the next shot,” said Ndou. “Before my fight on Sunday, Mr Hobson told IBF President Marian Muhammad that he would face the winner next. Most people in the boxing world already know that Hatton is going to fight Jose Luis Castillo next in June. Denis Hobson has even admitted that in the English newspapers. If Ricky Hatton wants to keep his IBF title, then he must face me now. Ricky Hatton has to remember that he got his first chance at the IBF world title when Kostya Tszyu defended against him as the IBF No.1 contender. What would Ricky and his fans have thought if Kostya had refused to face him? Now that Hatton is the IBF world champion, he must defend against the IBF No.1 contender, just like Kostya did.”

35 year-old Ndou who is originally from South Africa and now lives in Sydney, says that while he doesn’t want to win the IBF world title outside of the ring, he feels that he deserves to be the new IBF champion if Hatton will not face him.

“Let’s be honest,” said Ndou. “When Ricky Hatton fought Juan Urango to win the IBF title, he knew that he would have to face the winner of Rabah and I next. There is no disputing that. If Hatton can’t or won’t face me, then the IBF title is mine. Ricky Hatton talks about wanting to only be in big money fights and that is the reason why he can’t fight me. Well, can he explain how his fight with Juan Urango was a big money fight?”

Ndou says that Hatton and his team shouldn’t avoid him in the ring, just because of his points loss to Junior Witter in February 2005.

“When I lost to Witter, I took that fight on less than 10 days notice,” he explained. “I had to fly from Sydney to Los Angeles and even then the fight was very close and went the distance. The same thing happened when I fought Miguel Cotto and Sharmba Mitchell in the USA on less than two weeks notice and I lost close points decisions.

“As I said before my fight with Rabah, give Lovemore Ndou a proper preparation and I will beat any super lightweight boxer on the planet! Not only will I face Ricky Hatton and Junior Witter, I will give them the whipping of their lives. If Jose Luis Castillo beats Hatton in June, I will face him and beat him too.”

Once it can be confirmed that Ricky Hatton is in fact facing Jose Luis Castillo next in June, Ndou hopes that the IBF will make the correct and timely decision in declaring him IBF super lightweight world champion.

“My promoter Grange Old School Boxing, manager Bill Treacy and matchmaker Angelo Hyder are ready to make the biggest fights for me,” said Ndou. “I have always been willing to face the best boxers in the division and nothing has changed now. Hatton, Witter, Castillo? Bring them all on!”