Junior Witter v Timothy Bradley
Timothy Bradley v Junior Witter
The three ringside judges rewarded the American’s greater workrate with a 115-113, 114-113 112-115 verdict, which met with few complaints and sent the challenger’s camp wild in celebration.
Witter had gone into the contest knowing he needed an impressive win in order to capitalise on the growing public clamour for the all-British super-fight he has craved for so long.
The dramatic manner of his knockout win over former champion Vivian Harris in his last fight in September sparked interest and ensured the US Showtime network were ringside to beam his fight across the Atlantic.
But Witter blew his big chance, failing to land enough clean blows from his counter-attacking stance, and dumped to the canvas from a looping right hand in the sixth round.
Bradley, a 24-year-old from Palm Springs who had won all his previous 21 professional fights, 11 by stoppage, was always expected to give Witter a tough test but the Bradford man started a heavy favourite.
Wearing both English and Jamaican flags on his shorts, Witter started well, building an early lead with his fleet-footed style while Bradley bulled forward to little effect.
Another right caught Witter squarely on the jaw but was shrugged off well as the favourite continued to boss the exchanges. A left uppercut jarred the challenger in round three but Bradley immediately responded with a decent right.
Indeed, the American was beginning to find his range with his lunging right hands and Witter was certainly not having things his own way. Coming forward with more intention in the fourth, Bradley began to build on that momentum.
A left hook landed from the American early in round five but Witter responded with a more impressive left of his own to budge Bradley into retreat as the Bradford man continued his reliance on single scoring shots.
Bradley was unperturbed, clattering Witter’s chin with a left hand in the sixth round as a warning of what was to come when he smashed home an overhand right that dumped Witter to the canvas.
Bradley piled on the pressure early in round seven seeking a stunning win and Witter, caught with more clean shots, was evidently rattled. Suddenly his chance to hype up a prospective Hatton fight was turning into a nightmare.
Another overhand right battered home past Witter’s non-existent guard but the champion, swelling under his right eye, regrouped to respond with a straight left and end the round well.
Witter did enough to shade the ninth and probably also the 10th but it was far from convincing stuff and would hardly have brought Hatton, if he was watching at all, out in a cold sweat.
Bradley almost caught Witter off balance with a swinging left in the 10th as the champion began to tire, taking a couple more clean shots before the bell and being wobbled by another dangerous right in the 11th.
Leaking blood from the corner of his left eye, Witter came out for the final round uncertain how the judges were seeing a tight fight, but Bradley was again the aggressor, landing more clean blows and ultimately deserving the verdict.
