Witter wants Hatton in a best-of-British showdown for light-welterweight belt

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Bradford boxer Witter, unbeaten in the last seven years, believes a battle of Britain for the crown he won in January by beating De Marcus Corley at the Alexandra palace in London would set pulses racing in this country.

Witter has only lost once in 37 fights and that was when he took on the chance to fight Zab Judah for his IBF belt in June 2000, just nine days after Londoner Jason Rowland was forced to pull out of the challenge.

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Come and get it: Witter has challenged Hatton

Since beating Corley, Witter has successfully defended his title against Arturo Moura and Vivian Harris and he said: "It is time for the British showdown to happen at the biggest venue, wherever that may be - London, Manchester or Newcastle.

"He (Hatton) is still top of the tree at light-welterweight. He needs to get back in the ring as soon as possible with a good win. It would be a fight between the best light-welterweights in the world."

Witter believes once the dust from his Las Vegas defeat settles, Hatton will be anxious to restore his battered pride and will want to climb into the ring as soon as possible.

"I can't imagine Hatton wanting to go out of the game on a loss - every fighter who has done that then lives to regret it," the Yorkshireman added.

"People only remember Naz (Naseem Hamed) for getting hammered by (Marco Antonio) Barrera and not for all the opponents he beat before. You forget all the good things and just remember the one he lost.

"The same will happen with Hatton if he doesn't come back and beat someone credible. He will go down as being a very good British fighter who beat a lot of good people on the slide, then boxed somebody right up there and got battered.

"Hatton deserves much better than that. But the way to beat that is to respond and box someone credible - and there's nobody more credible out there than me."