South Yorkshire's former WBC world champion spent years trying to lure the Manchester hitman.

But now Witter says the boxer who took his title away last May, American Timothy Bradley, is the rival he would pick ahead of anyone, including his domestic nemesis.

Witter woefully underperformed in his points defeat to Bradley at Nottingham.

On video on thestar.co.uk he revealed he had been beset with personal problems .

"It hurts now more than it did then. At the time I really had other things on my mind and it wasn't the most important thing. Now the position I am in ... it hurts."

Witter is awaiting purse bids for a contest with European light welter champion Gianluca Branco. He sees it as a stepping stone.

"Timothy Bradley is THE fight I want more than any other. Even more than Hatton!"

Asked if he can regain a world title before local light heavyweight hero Clinton Woods does, he said: "I strongly believe I will be the next world champion boxing out of Sheffield."

Bradford-born Witter, who has a hi-tech training shoe sponsorship with Meadowhall retailer She Runs, He Runs, insists: "I know how good I am. I let myself down and the people around me. So I have got to get back up there."

READ MORE

Football headlines
More Blades
More Owls
More Spireites
More Rovers
More Reds
More Millers
More Ice Hockey
More rugby league
More rugby union
More boxing
Sports columnists
All sport categories
Main news index
Your letters.
Features