Witter halted for first time in lengthy career

Sheffield Star Ian McNeilly3rd August, 2009

JUNIOR Witter's bid to regain the WBC light-welterweight crown on Saturday night ended in complete anti-climax when the Wincobank-trained man quit at the end of round eight against American Devon Alexander.

It was the first time in his twelve-year, forty-fight career that the man known as 'The Hitter' has been stopped.

Some typically uncharitable American fans at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, California shouted 'Witter the quitter!' but the experienced 35-year-old explained he was in great pain from an old hand injury which flared up again in round four.

"I felt the fight was quite even," Witter said. "I had a hairline fracture to my hand six months ago, and it felt like I re-injured it just like that again in the fourth round.

"The pain would move from my hand to a jolt in my elbow. I tried to switch it up. If you noticed, I'd start with my right and try to finish with my left, but I couldn't," shrugged the Doncaster-based former champ.

In truth, at the time of his withdrawal, Witter already needed a knockout to win the contest against St Louis' 22-year-old Alexander.

Unbeaten Alexander had won all eight rounds on one scorecard and seven on the other two.

Witter was typically unorthodox, throwing wild uppercuts from the outside and boxing in inconsistent spurts.

The more orthodox Alexander countered Witter with hurtful right hands, cutting him over the right eyebrow in the second round.

By the third round, the Yorkshireman was also bleeding from the mouth. Alexander crashed home a left hook in the fifth round which staggered Witter and would have felled lesser men.

Witter seemed to have one last hurrah in the eighth session before his corner pulled him out before the start of the ninth. Having fragile hands is the traditional curse of the big puncher and if Witter can't resolve this problem he will have to seriously consider retirement. Ironically, a loss often makes a fighter more attractive to potential opponents in boxing so if he can heal his wounds, there might still be some life in the veteran's career

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