Questions For Junior Witter

Morning everyone. Chris, Damien and I are interviewing Junior tonight and it'll feature on next weeks podcast.

If you have any questions you'd like to ask him post them in here.

Thanks!

I saw you in the Thai Orchard in Sheffield the other week (it's on London Road), what did you have?

Seriously...Ask him why he and so many Ingle fighters underachieved back in the day...

He seemed to have all the skills as did Graham, Rhodes and others........

I don't think he underachieved at all. What more do you think he could have done? Hatton wouldn't fight him. Very good career, if anything I think he overachieved

The Judah fight was a set back: and got you a reputation as a runner with some fight fans:
- what happened that night... was he just too much of a jump in quality at short notice and at that stage in your career?- or was the occasion just a bit much  at that time?

After that you had a long run of early ko's. Was this a conscious reaction to the Judah fight?

You were vocal in your pursuit of Ricky hatton. That fight and the big payday with it, never came off. He used your 'disrespect' as an excuse. Do you regret your strategy of calling him out, or do you think he was just avoiding you regardless of what you had done?

Do you think it was hatton himself or warren who didn't want the  hatton fight?
How would you have seen that  fight going?

In a few of your fights, (eg n'dou), you looked great in the early part but faded down the stretch. What do you put this down to?

Bradley, turned out a lot better than any  of us realised. Did you underestimate him?

Scottrf wrote:I don't think he underachieved at all. What more do you think he could have done? Hatton wouldn't fight him. Very good career, if anything I think he overachieved

I think its somewhere in between with witter, he made it to world champion. That's a pretty good career. At times he looked brilliant, at times like an awful spoiler. Part of his career as a back foot 'slickster', part has a ko artist. Sometimes a switch hitter who seemed to confuse himself. I think he had all the physical attributes ( excepting stamina) but lacked some of the mental ones required for a top champion.

Think truss' question is a valid one re ingle fighters though. They looked world beaters against good opposition but it often came apart against the next tier up. Mental preparation ? or technical shortfalls at the very top level?

Witter had the tools to beat Bradley..........I rated him highly..........However like Graham seem to choke..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Witter had the tools to beat Bradley..........I rated him highly..........However like Graham seem to choke..

I think you're mad and that Bradley has always had more in his locker, but even if you do think he had the tools, Bradley is truly elite at executing a gameplan.

Bradley is an over-achiever for me........Pity his game plan wasn't great against the awful Provo and Manny 1 and 2........

Fought an awful fight last time out......

Yeah that one I didn't understand. Strange fight.

Do you think you should have relocated to America to get more exposure and a fight with Hatton? Fighting in leisure centres before ye went big didn't do you many favours

You didn't hit hard enough to stop Hatton from swarming you, what made you think you had his number when he bulldozed better fighters with bigger digs than yourself?

Izzi wrote:Do you think you should have relocated to America to get more exposure and a fight with Hatton? Fighting in leisure centres before ye went big didn't do you many favours

You didn't hit hard enough to stop Hatton from swarming you, what made you think you had his number when he bulldozed better fighters with bigger digs than yourself?

I suggest these questions are not asked if you'd like to build a good standing within the boxing community. Not sure what Izzi is, but its a shame he's back.

Yeah it's a shame Jabby, the site is really getting recognition by other sites and writers now and posters on here just aren't bothered.

Sh1t. I was supposed to write for you guys! Sorry mate, had so much going on recently I've literally had no headspace. You still need the help?

I don't know enough about Witter to ask questions beyond the usual ones really.

Writers are always welcome Jabby. I'll send you a PM later.

JabMachineMK2 wrote:

Izzi wrote:Do you think you should have relocated to America to get more exposure and a fight with Hatton? Fighting in leisure centres before ye went big didn't do you many favours

You didn't hit hard enough to stop Hatton from swarming you, what made you think you had his number when he bulldozed better fighters with bigger digs than yourself?

I suggest these questions are not asked if you'd like to build a good standing within the boxing community. Not sure what Izzi is, but its a shame he's back.

I've heard interviewers ask far more provocative questions than the above.

And pot kettle about standing within a community when you made up a fairly lengthy lie regarding sparring with a certain WW, only to be found out?

I don't like Witter, I didn't intend to be respectful much like Strongy goes off on one about Hearn.. But you guys still get press passes - it's a forum, it's freedom of speech and it's certainly not a news portal website. So you going to jump on every poster who pokes a bit of fun/has a dig at a boxer that for some reason may read these forums?

In fairness Izzi If they asked your questions the interview would last 45 seconds and Witter would be doing a Curtis Woodhouse and searching for Hampo's house..

Incidentally izzi. These better fighters with bigger digs than witter you refer to... That'll be:

1. a just shy of 36 year old tszyu... With three rounds in three years who realised he didn't have it any more and retired
Afterwards.
2. A clearly shot lightweight in Castillo?
3. Errrrr

I don't know whether hatton would have beaten witter, I suspect he would probably have ground him down late on. I'd like to have found out, but frank was never going to risk his cash cow against anything with an ounce of talent or a pulse. From a business perspective I don't blame him, hatton was very carefully managed... But the list of sh*tty excuses he came out with for not fighting witter were pitiful.

When you look at how Eddie has pushed froch groves, it looks like a missed opportunity. Witter would have gone in with a better cv than Groves and hatton was a bigger name than froch.

Izzi wrote:
I don't like Witter, I didn't intend to be respectful much like Strongy goes off on one about Hearn.. But you guys still get press passes - it's a forum, it's freedom of speech and it's certainly not a news portal website. So you going to jump on every poster who pokes a bit of fun/has a dig at a boxer that for some reason may read these forums?

It's funny because the website that is getting a lot of recognition is www.v2journal.com, which we are trying to build in to a news site with a lot of the recent press releases, articles and podcasts that we then paste here for you guys to read or listen to.

Izzi wrote:

JabMachineMK2 wrote:

Izzi wrote:Do you think you should have relocated to America to get more exposure and a fight with Hatton? Fighting in leisure centres before ye went big didn't do you many favours

You didn't hit hard enough to stop Hatton from swarming you, what made you think you had his number when he bulldozed better fighters with bigger digs than yourself?

I suggest these questions are not asked if you'd like to build a good standing within the boxing community. Not sure what Izzi is, but its a shame he's back.

I've heard interviewers ask far more provocative questions than the above.

And pot kettle about standing within a community when you made up a fairly lengthy lie regarding sparring with a certain WW, only to be found out?

I don't like Witter, I didn't intend to be respectful much like Strongy goes off on one about Hearn.. But you guys still get press passes - it's a forum, it's freedom of speech and it's certainly not a news portal website. So you going to jump on every poster who pokes a bit of fun/has a dig at a boxer that for some reason may read these forums?

You may not like Witter as a person Izzi but the reason why we don't jump in and start spewing nonsense like "oh you wouldn't have lasted two secs against Hatton" etc is because believe it or not this is a sports forum first and foremost. And as a sportsman, world champion etc he deserves respect. I'd love to hear you throw them statements at him, or even have the ba11s to consider it.

So far doing the podcast with Paul etc, there have been one or two guys we have interviewed who I don't care for too much, but the point is as boxing fans you want to get a view from how they train, how they got into the sport, what they plan on doing and how they are going to go about it. That kind of conversation is a lot more interesting in trying to be a complete WUM and then word spreads and then you get other fighters hearing that there is a certain website that has @r5eholes on it and then decide not to bother coming on.

I will admit that I am not and have never been a Witter fan. But the guy has prob done more work in one days training that you have in your whole life. Its all good laughing at guys who fight in lesuire centres, but why would you want Paul and Chris to use this as an insult to Junior. Fact is, he had the ba11s to stand in a ring IN A LESUIRE CENTRE and risk his health fighting. He fought some of the biggest names out there, Alexander, Bradley and the like. Shows how much of a fan you are when you want to insult him as a fighter rather than hear his battle to win a world title at a time when Hatton etc where on the back pages each week. How about asking Ricky Hatton if he was afraid he would find Witter too awkward and was afraid he would be outboxed for 12 rounds??

Anyway, show some respect to Paul and co as they go to great lengths to set these things up and if presses passes come with the work then fair play, it gets the site and US even closer to the fighters we watch week in and week out. Rant over!!!

milkyboy wrote:Incidentally izzi. These better fighters with bigger digs than witter you refer to... That'll be:

1. a just shy of 36 year old tszyu... With three rounds in three years who realised he didn't have it any more and retired
Afterwards.
2. A clearly shot lightweight in Castillo?
3. Errrrr

I don't know whether hatton would have beaten witter, I suspect he would probably have ground him down late on. I'd like to have found out, but frank was never going to risk his cash cow against anything with an ounce of talent or a pulse. From a business perspective I don't blame him, hatton was very carefully managed... But the list of sh*tty excuses he came out with for not fighting witter were pitiful.

When you look at how Eddie has pushed froch groves, it looks like a missed opportunity. Witter would have gone in with a better cv than Groves and hatton was a bigger name than froch.

Agree that I would've wanted an answer, would never be having this debate as you say.

In terms of an argument against the above... Collazo. And Kostya hadn't fought in 20 months since fighting Leeja (spelling of his name has eluded me) before knocking a fairly big shade of crap out of Mitchell. Didn't show signs of any ill effect from his shoulder op then, somewhat revisionist thinking to try and discount the win bearing in mind Hatton was a massive, massive underdog.

Problem is Witter couldn't draw a dead fly to his fights. Hatton got the opportunity at Kostya because he bought the wedge, Witter simply didn't and he unlike Groves didn't beat an Olympic gold medalist in a pretty big fight that caught people's attention in the build up.

Deemck, there's a big difference here between siding with one fighter (and it's not Witter) and not respecting the guy. I've sparred (see a thread I wrote, think it's my only one to date as well) a little but back in the day and it almost killed me. The respect I have for any guy, be it fighting infront of 200 people at a town boxing show or under the lights at the 02, is exactly the same.

And truth be told the obvious angle I was coming from is that it personally feel he didn't warrant a fight with Hatton as he wasn't a draw. No one knew who he was outside of hardcore fans. And he didn't have the tools to beat Hatton.

Calm down fella

And p.s I've played sport since I was 5 and a creaking body pays sentiment to the amount of knocks and stress it's taken along he way

Well why would you want Paul to turn round and come out with:

"You didn't hit hard enough to stop Hatton from swarming you, what made you think you had his number when he bulldozed better fighters with bigger digs than yourself?"

What interviewer would EVER brass neck a statement like that and expect to ad Mkymore guests on.

Last night we Micky Vann, Lee Selby and Maurcio Herrerra. Being a pleb to guests will put an end to decent guests like that.

Nobody is saying we can’t ask awkward or difficult questions, however be sensible about these things. We are a small forum and certainly not in a position to pay anyone for their participation. As such participation in the podcasts relies almost exclusively on the kindness of boxers, trainers and promoters and their willingness to give their time up.

Would seem fairly obvious to me that should we behave like tools on the podcasts the chances of folk participating are greatly reduced. Given this all anyone is asking is people take five minutes to try and find ways to phrase their questions in a non confrontational, respectful manner. Outside of a few on here none of us on here are morons so one would like to think this would all be within our capabilities.

Izzi wrote:

milkyboy wrote:Incidentally izzi. These better fighters with bigger digs than witter you refer to... That'll be:

1. a just shy of 36 year old tszyu... With three rounds in three years who realised he didn't have it any more and retired
Afterwards.
2. A clearly shot lightweight in Castillo?
3. Errrrr

I don't know whether hatton would have beaten witter, I suspect he would probably have ground him down late on. I'd like to have found out, but frank was never going to risk his cash cow against anything with an ounce of talent or a pulse. From a business perspective I don't blame him, hatton was very carefully managed... But the list of sh*tty excuses he came out with for not fighting witter were pitiful.

When you look at how Eddie has pushed froch groves, it looks like a missed opportunity. Witter would have gone in with a better cv than Groves and hatton was a bigger name than froch.

Agree that I would've wanted an answer, would never be having this debate as you say.

In terms of an argument against the above... Collazo. And Kostya hadn't fought in 20 months since fighting Leeja (spelling of his name has eluded me) before knocking a fairly big shade of crap out of Mitchell. Didn't show signs of any ill effect from his shoulder op then, somewhat revisionist thinking to try and discount the win bearing in mind Hatton was a massive, massive underdog.

Problem is Witter couldn't draw a dead fly to his fights. Hatton got the opportunity at Kostya because he bought the wedge, Witter simply didn't and he unlike Groves didn't beat an Olympic gold medalist in a pretty big fight that caught people's attention in the build up.

Its not revisionist izzi. He'd already beaten mitchell, he looked way off the pace and landed one punch that changed it against a guy who was scared of him in the return. There were people who thought that meant he was back. I wasn't one of them. Why did frank pick him for ricky? Same reason mcguigan took pedrosa. Big name past their sell by. If you lose, hey it was an atg you lost to. You can come again. If they win, they're a hero.

Hatton never fought anyone that was a threat until he got the big meal ticket. Collazo was picked because they and everyone else thought he was rubbish and lucky... like maussa, like urango. Castillo had got a shocker of a decision in his first fight at the weight. He picked the sweetest fattest cherries off the lowest hanging branches... and ate them all 

Reborn-DeeMcK-Reborn wrote:Well why would you want Paul to turn round and come out with:

"You didn't hit hard enough to stop Hatton from swarming you, what made you think you had his number when he bulldozed better fighters with bigger digs than yourself?"

What interviewer would EVER brass neck a statement like that and expect to ad Mkymore guests on.

Last night we Micky Vann, Lee Selby and Maurcio Herrerra. Being a pleb to guests will put an end to decent guests like that.

I don't know if anyone remembers him but Gary Newbon would.   

I would ask Witter if he feels any bitterness towards Hatton for not fighting him.

Was he happy when Pacquiao knocked out Hatton (I was)?

Who would he pick between peak Hatton and Khan?

Atila wrote:I don't know if anyone remembers him but Gary Newbon would.   

Showing your age there mate. I'll have to take your word for it Newbon is way before my time!

Ever eaten meat?

I have.

What you get up to at the oyster is between you and truss jbw.

Are you implying actions that deviate from hegemonic masculinity?

I don't take kindly to humour. This is a sports forum.

On safe ground with me john. Firstly I don't know what hegemonic means. Secondly, as regular readers will testify, I'm seldom humorous.

Sorry I missed question time on this one. Look forward to hearing the podcast. I'm sure you'll cover the ingles, Judah, Harris, Bradley and of course hatton.

We've rearranged this until Wednesday so if you have any questions Jim post away

Great to hear Paul, here's some rambling.

How did the Judah fight come about? At that time Judah was seen in pretty much the same light as people came to see mayweather. He seemed an unbeatable combination of power and speed. If you had it over would you have fought differently, or taken the fight at all?

After the chop chop Corley fight hatton had ran out of excuses for not fighting you, had you given up hope of the fight happening before this? Public support seemed to swing in your favour too, did you notice it?

Your performance against Harris was punch perfect display of skill and power, what's your favourite performance?

Did you underestimate Bradley? Can't say I seen anything special in him at that point. I think it turned out his personal drive is extraordinary.

How do you feel about boxing throughout? Did you ever fall out of love with the sport?

How do ingle fighters end up with such a unique style? Of all British fighters, ingle fighters seem to have in my mind the most fan friendly, but it doesn't seems to take them a lot longer to transcend past hardcore fans, why do you think this happens? Bad promotion? Naz of course being exception.

Brook has fought over 30 times and seems to be a holding path, kid Galahad fought his last fight, I didn't hear about it til it was over. Frampton, quigg and now McDonnell seem to be way better promoted

Do you think brook should taken the Bradley fight?

Dirty question: do the ingles take too big a cut of your earnings? Reported at 25%. That they then invest back into bringing on young fighters. It seems a noble model but, when your the fighter who has to pay a promotor another 10% it must pinch.