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Homework pays off for Timothy Bradley

Some boxers proudly say that they never watch tapes of their opponents, Timothy Bradley, the new WBC light-welterweight champion, is not one of those boxers. In the past, Junior Witter's switch-hitting style has frustrated opponents, but when he faced Witter at the Trent FM Arena, Nottingham, on Saturday, Bradley had an answer, one he came up with from hours and hours of watching Witter on film.
"My team and I came up with a strategy, a masterplan," Bradley, 24, said. "The smart plan was to come out and be patient, not rush him. He was expecting me to come forward, because I always come forward in my fights, throwing a lot of punches. But I can box and brawl too.

Junior Witter's belt giving challenger "trembles"

After years of being avoided, it was a rare treat for Junior Witter to come face to face today with someone who actually wanted something he had. Timothy Bradley challenges for Witter's WBC light-welterweight title at the Trent FM Arena, Nottingham, on Saturday, and the prospect of boxing for the famous green belt has the unbeaten Californian positively bubbling over.
"I've dreamed of winning this belt," Bradley said. "I look at the belt and it gives me trembles. I see his [Witter's] picture on that belt and I can imagine my picture on there.

Witter gets his chance to shine

It is a sad fact of British boxing that most people do not know who Junior Witter is beyond being "that guy that Ricky Hatton hates". An even sadder indictment that most boxing fans take it upon themselves to dislike Witter merely as a sign of loyalty to Ricky.
However, while Hatton is using his IBO light-welterweight title (and its handy little rule that mean he can pick and choose whoever he wants to face) as a benefit gig with his upcoming bout against Juan Lazcano, Witter has a very live challenger to his much more prestigious WBC belt in Timothy Bradley, an unbeaten American, on May 10 at the Trent FM Arena, Nottingham. And with ITV1 showing the fight live, he has every chance to make a big statement.

Tide of opinion could turn against Hatton over Witter bout

It seems Ricky Hatton has set his mind on never facing Junior Witter, a decision which, if he sticks to it, he could turn out to regret. It is clear that Hatton seriously dislikes Witter, but tht is not a good enough reason to deny the best all-British fight of the present generation - did Benn and Eubank like each other? Certainly opinion within boxing seems to be turning against Hatton on this issue.

Now I like Ricky, a lot, but I am one of a number of people who are growing increasingly uncomfortable with the Hattons' attitude towards Witter.

Can lightning strike twice for Rees?

Make no mistake about it, when Gavin Rees won the WBA light-welterweight title by beating Souleymane M'Baye, it was a huge shock. At 5ft 3in, Rees would be small for a super-featherweight (I remember Alex Arthur towering over him at the press conference for that fight). M'Baye seemed to have the class, the height, the skill, but he didn't turn up, being completely outworked by Rees, as the Frenchman gave the most lacklustre display by a world champion I have ever seen. But is Rees just a lucky champion? On Saturday, at the Cardiff International Arena, he has the chance to prove he is not.

Witter looking at Torres or Bradley

Denied his big break in the United States when Demetrius Hopkins backed out a bout and sidestepped by Ricky Hatton, Junior Witter, the WBC light-welterweight champion, is now looking at a possible unification bout against Ricardo Torres, the WBO champion in the summer.

The 28-year-old from Colombia, is on a two-man shortlist for Witter's next opponent with Timothy Bradley, the unbeaten American who became the WBC's mandatory contender when Jose Luis Castillo failed to make the weight for their recent eliminator.

Hatton and Witter at Wembley?

It is the fight that all British boxing fans want to see, but those that are fed up that Ricky Hatton will be facing Juan Lazcano, a Mexican based in California, in his next bout at the City of Manchester Stadium on May 24, should not give up hope of ever seeing them in a ring together. And contrary to other reports, HBO, the cable television giant that recently signed Hatton to a three-bout deal had approved the bout.

The world according to the IBF

I may stand alone in this, but generally I try to defend our hapless world governing bodies. But some of their decisions really are dreadful and the IBF are the absolute pits. For all that Larry Holmes and Marvin Hagler did for our sport, I blame them for giving us the IBF. It was in the early Eighties that Holmes and Hagler - tired of being told to do by the other governing bodies - turned to the IBF, an off-shoot of the USBA. Somehow they have survived an FBI sting, the Eugenia Williams scandal and even that thing when Zab Judah kept their welterweight title for a defence against Floyd Mayweather Jr after being beaten by Carlos Baldomir - and still they torment us.

Witter gets a contender by default

Junior Witter found out who the next mandatory contender to his WBC light-welterweight title would be last night, the day before there was supposed to  an eliminator. Timothy Bradley, an unbeaten American who has the nickname Desert Storm, became the WBC's official No 1 and next in line for Witter when Jose Luis Castillo, the Mexican legend, failed to show up for his weigh-in for his eliminator against Bradley in Cancun, Mexico. The weight problems that have dogged Castillo in recent years and cost him most of the money he has earned from an illustrious ring career struck again.

London notes

Enzo Calzaghe is a busy man these days with three world champions in his Cwmcarn gym, all of whom are in action in the next two months. On Wednesday, Enzo was at the Peacock gym in Canning Town, East London, to take Enzo Maccarinelli through his paces on the pads for the benefit of the media. But he couldn't hang about after, as he was straight back across London to Paddington for a train back to Wales for an evening session with his other two world champions. Gavin Rees is defending his WBA light-welterweight title against Andreas Kotelnik at Cardiff International Arena on March 22, while Enzo's son Joe is facing Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas on April 19.

Castillo could be facing more weight trauma

An inability to make weight has cost Joe Luis Castillo (left) dearly in the past. After failing to make the weight for the third fight against Diego Corrales (having already failed to make the weight for the second one) it not only cost him his purse for that bout, but the fine he received took most of the purses for his subsequent two bouts, against Herman Ngoudjo and Ricky Hatton.

On Saturday, at Cancun, Mexico, Castillo is supposed to be facing Timothy Bradley in a bout that has great interest in the UK as the winner will become mandatory contender to Junior Witter, the WBC light-welterweight champion. But Castillo, it appears, may again be having trouble making the weight.

Hatton's shortlist for comeback reduced to two names

Ricky Hatton (left) will either face Ricardo Torres, the WBO light-welterweight champion from Colombia, or Juan Lazcano in his next fight which will take place at the City of Manchester Stadium on May 24. An official announcement for the bout is expected to take place during the first week of March.

Gareth Williams, Hatton's promoter, was in Las Vegas at the weekend tying up details of the deal and a future US television contract for Hatton. But Williams was angry at comments that have appeared in the media in Britain claiming that the May 24 date was dependent on US television involvement.

Enzo honoured in America

It is getting to the stage where Joe Calzaghe (left in picture) could have fewer awards than his dad, Enzo (right in picture). Coach of the year at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards, voted trainer of the year by The Ring magazine, he has now been voted trainer of the year by the Boxing Writers Association of America. I only hope the timing works out for him.

Hennessy confident Witter will still be boxing in US

Mick Hennessy, the promoter of Junior Witter, remains confident that Witter will still be getting his big break on US television next month despite attempts by Demetrius Hopkins to distance himself from the contest.

Hopkins was due to be challenging for Witter's WBC light-welterweight title in California on March 22 - which is due to be broadcast on HBO alongside the Joel Casamayor-Michael Katsidis bout - but the American, the nephew of Bernard Hopkins, has had a falling out with his uncle and Golden Boy, his promoters.

Witter's big fight in doubt

It was supposed to have been Junior Witter's big break in America, the fight that finally put Witter in reach of his long-awaited bout with Ricky Hatton. But Witter's WBC light-welterweight defence against Demetrius Hopkins now seems in doubt after Hopkins split with his promoters, Golden Boy.
The fight was due to take place on March 22 at the Morongo Casino Resort, some 30 miles west of Palm Springs in California. But the bout has never been officially announced and now it seems it might not be.

World shrinking for Britain's champions

It used to be a big event when a British boxer went to America, now it happens almost every week. Joe Calzaghe is, of course, off to Las Vegas to face Bernard Hopkins on April 19, but another three of our world champion could find this week that they are heading Stateside too.
Clinton Woods, Junior Witter and Alex Arthur are on the verge of  huge fights and victory in them could set up even bigger matches closer to home.

Witter and Rees leave Hatton to it

I was somewhat surprised that the name of Gavin Rees was put forward by one paper as a likely next opponent for Ricky Hatton, not because I don't think Hatton's people would have fancied the fight but because he is already busy.
Hatton's plans are far from solid, but it seems a late May date (May 24 has been mentioned) at the City of Manchester stadium is the subject of more rumours than anything else.

Conned in the USA

There is a myth put around in America that boxers who come to Europe get robbed. In fact, anyone going to the United States is just as likely to get a bum steer. Need proof, ask Hermann Ngoudjo, the light-welterweight, who took on the house fighter in Showtime's first fight of the year and got ripped off.

Paul Malignaggi, who retained his IBF light-welterweight title against Ngoudjo in Atlantic City on Saturday night, is not the first home fighter to get protected, but the bout started the new year with a right stink. How is it seen as fair when Ngoudjo, who is from Cameroon but now lives in Canada, has to take on an American in the US, with three American judges and an American referee?

Rees to get home advantage for first defence

Gavin Rees, who has the lowest profile of Britain's current glut of world champions, will have home advantage when he makes the first defence of his WBA light-welterweight title.

Rees produced one of the biggest upsets in a British ring in a long time when he won the title by outworking Souleymane M'Baye in Cardiff in July.

All this Malignaggi talk sounds like a bad joke

I watched open-mouthed last night when Sky did their rerun of the Mayweather-Hatton fight - not at their coverage of last weekend's fight, but at their none too subtle attempts to sell Paul Malignaggi as the best next opponent for Ricky Hatton.

Hatton beats Calzaghe

Ricky Hatton was the biggest winner at Monday night's British Boxing Board of Control Awards Dinner when he was named Boxer of the Year, beating his fellow nominees Joe Calzaghe, Enzo Maccarinelli and David Haye.

Notes from Camp Hatton

Ricky Hatton believes Britain and Europe have taken over from the United States as the dominant power in the sport. "It used to be the case that we would have to go to America to prove ourselves," Hatton said. "Now we are getting to the stage where Americans are going to have to come over here to prove themselves."

Haye keeps title ... for now

Despite the promise that he is to move up to heavyweight, the possibility that he might yet defend the WBC and WBA cruiserweight titles he won by stopping Jean-Marc Mormeck at the weekend in Paris.

Haye holding all the cards

David Haye wore Union Jack sequined shorts, Frank Maloney dug out one of his Union Jack suits and it was a great weekend to be a follower of British boxing. Somewhere on the other side of the Channel, Enzo Maccarinelli must have had mixed thoughts.