Word has leaked from various sources that WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan will now be facing off with Irish champion Paul McCloskey at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester in the United Kingdom on April 16th. The Irish champion gets the nod over contender Lamont Peterson and fellow Brit John Murray but there is another name who was in the running, in his mind at least, who definitely raised a few eyebrows.
Former WBC junior welterweight champion Junior Witter, as enigmatic a fighter as you will find in recent times, was training rigorously in hopes to land a clash with Khan but the Yorkshire resident was reportedly shot down by HBO as a suitable foe. As reported by our friends at BoxingScene.com, the network, which has been cozying up to Khan as of late, felt that a younger and hungrier foe would be more ideal for the fighter’s first defense of his title on his native soil.
Not to say that this marks the end of the line for the 36-year old Witter but it doesn’t help him by any means.
Witter introduced himself to American audiences over ten years ago when he faced off with American champion Zab Judah in Glasgow underneath Mike Tyson’s one-round thrashing of Lou Savarese. It was one of the most dreadful fights I can recall, with Witter doing much posturing and posing on his way to losing an uninspiring twelve-round decision.
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After that fight Witter would rejuvenate his career, however, and reel off 21 consecutive victories, seventeen of them by stoppage, as he bested the likes of Vivian Harris, Lovemore N’Dou, and Andriy Kotelnik. Witter was adamant about his hopes of landing a fight with Ricky Hatton but saw his apple cart derailed in May of 2008 when he was upset by unheralded American Timothy Bradley on his home turf.
Witter last saw action in August of 2009 as he opted to sit on his stool after eight frustrating and ineffective rounds against Devon Alexander in Rancho Mirage, California.
Khan is coming off of a thrilling victory over Marcos Maidana this past December in Las Vegas and would have been a huge favorite over Witter. Many are hoping that Khan, if victorious against McCloskey, will find his way into the ring with Bradley in his next fight.
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at [email protected]
