by Nick Kelly: Though Paul Williams was supposed to have taken the mantle of “most avoided fighter” after he defeated Antonio Margarito, there is little doubt that Junior Witter now covets such a position.
Most recently Demetrius Hopkins bizarrely backed out of his proposed match-up with Witter on the HBO card, to be topped by Joel Casamyor and Michael Katsidis. There was no apparent reason behind Hopkins’ actions, especially since he had just switched from Goldenboy Promotions to Cameron Dunkin. Witter’s promoter Mick Hennessey even returned with an offer improved by $50,000, which was rejected.
In an attempt to salvage the situation, the durable Herman Ngoudjo was proposed to HBO, only for them decline. The reason was said to be that he suffered two defeats in his last three bouts, losing out to Paulie Malignaggi and Jose Luis Castillo, but was still ranked number ten of Light Welterweights by Ring Magazine.
It is slightly ironic then, that HBO continue to see Zab Judah as a credible opponent, having lost his last three HBO contests. The channel will also screen Judah Mosley via pay-per-view, expecting fans to pay $50, despite both fighters having been recently defeated by Miguel Cotto.
Fights with Andre Berto and Carlos Quintana were also mooted by HBO, but were apparently rejected by the fighters.
Here lies Witter’s problem. For undefeated prospects such as Andre Berto and Demetrius Hopkins, there is little incentive to fight Witter.
Despite being a fantastic boxer, Witter has the ability to make his opponent look run of the mill and bore the common fan. This explains his diminutive support; as he struggles to avoid anonymity in the UK, his fight against Zab Judah still pains American memories.
Unlike money-spinners Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe, Witter would have to feature on the undercard of a HBO bout, limiting the money available to him and his opponent.
For undefeated fighters like Berto and Hopkins, the prospect of losing their perfect record to an unknown Brit is not an appealing one. They are content to fight against lowly opponents as the chief support on undercards, while still bringing in enough money.
Therefore, it is to Paulie Malignaggi’s credit that he may consider an offer to fight Witter at Madison Square Garden. Malignaggi knows that it can be hard to win over the fans, especially with his feather-fisted style. In his defeat to Cotto, the Magic Man showed heart some critics doubted he had. Knowing what it is like to lose will make him push harder and be prepared to take on all comers something that Hopkins may not.
Malignaggi described Witter as “probably the most dangerous, underrated, unappreciated fighter in boxing,” and if he steps up to take on Witter rather than banking on a future bout with Hatton, he deserves even more respect than he received for his gutsy performance against Cotto.
For Witter, a bout against Malignaggi would be the chance to redeem himself after his last major fight on US television.
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