A lesson in opposites tomorrow in the south of France. "Prince" Ahmed El Mousaoui, a Franco-Moroccan, is 25 years old, long & tall, hungry and motivated - but largely untested with his current "junior European" (for lack of a better term distinguishing the EBU-EU from the more prestigious regular EBU) title being the high mark of his career so far, and cursed with pillow fists. He comes in with his record tainted by an official loss, a draw, and one very controversial split decision (over Frank Haroche) - all on the French domestic scene. Junior "The Hitter" Witter, a Yorkie, is 41 years old, relatively short & cursed with stubby T-Rex arms for his weight range, and winding down a career that has already seen him long ago written off as 'done' without having ever fulfilled his vetted potential or securing a super-fight like the one he and Ricky Hatton teased at for years - but he can still whack, and has always been very highly skilled with a difficult, unorthodox style and has rediscovered his mojo of late, showing fire. EuroSport, 4pm EST. Bon combat! :bbb
Expecting the same, given the signs of life from Witter in recent years ever since coming bitterly close in Prizefighter. (beat Lynes, started very strong against Frankie though he bottled it around halfway, nearly upset Schwarzkopf in Germany, has put a couple of W's on the board including a knockout in a rematch with someone he previously had outpointed...)
Witter on points. I remember when he made things more competitive than they should have been with Judah on 9 days notice in something like his 17th pro fight. He thoroughly impressed me that night.
This would be a nice high note on which Junior could bow out (and honestly the EBU-EU belt might be the best case scenario he can hope for and the level at which he tops out right now) but of course if he does pull it off you can bet he'll go chasing down a nice payday with a domestic rival in the UK - maybe a Gavin rematch, or Vassell, or Skeete or Eggington...and probably spoil like mad and come up short yet again. :!: Of course, if this goes El Mousaoui's way - and is legit, not cuisine française - the point is moot. ...and we have to start wondering if maybe Prince Ahmed is actually kinda decent and just underwent some growing pains early on. Legitimately defeating Witter - even 41 year old Witter, since he did show a bit of a resurgence of late - does still mean something.
It is crazy. I must have been out of the loop cause I thought he was pretty much finished after he lost to Bradley and Alexander in that little fight span back in 08-09.
Witter hasn't crossed the pond again since the Puiu loss (which seemed to signal the end for him on the heels of the Alexander loss), but has fought like eight times. :yep
Here is AEM's last bout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp42UAK9HCI There is no footage available of Witter's last two W's online, it seems, but he is more of a known quantity anyway.
This will not be FOTY. :yep El Mousaoui could be even more negative than Witter often is, with the ginger-footing around on the outside and dribbling in light jabs, prancing away, caning the neck in the crook of his arm, etc. It'll be funny to see the old man forcing the fight on the front-foot.
Mousaoui will win this, Witter is as old as my grandma. Witter in his prime would wipe him clean, but this is happening in FRANCE and he's old as hell, Mousaoui should win this wide (Not a KO because he can't punch through a wet bag).
I don't know man, he did nearly get it done in Schwarzkopf's backyard... :think Germany's more crooked than France. (at least in boxing terms)
