Junior Witter reckons the next fight will make or break Ricky Hatton's long-standing bond with promoter Frank Warren.

Witter is watching with interest as his old light-welter rival grows increasingly impatient for the big names to be delivered.

Hatton appeared to go through the motions in his comfortable points win over Argentina's Carlos Vilches. Warren now has to nail down an October clash with either WBA champion Vivian Harris or, more likely, Paul Spadafora to ease the Hitman's growing frustration.

Witter said: "The way things are going they will have a big fall-out, which knowing Frank will be very hard for him to swallow.

"Nobody wants to lose a fighter like Ricky who is realistically one of the best ticket-sellers in the world.

"The only way out of this is to make a good fight, a really tricky one. After the previous win, Frank said he would be boxing a top-ten fighter this time but that didn't happen - now he has got to sort it out.

"I didn't see the point of watching it last week and, by all accounts, I didn't miss much. On a bad day Ricky should have stopped the kid in six rounds and it ended up going all 12.

"But that's the danger of still fighting the likes of Vilches. It's not surprising that Ricky has found it difficult to get motivated. He should have left those sort of guys behind a few years ago.

"He has had 36 fights now. That's the record of a seasoned pro not a novice. At that stage you have to be out there fighting people at the same level, competing against recognised champions.

"The longer this situation goes on, the harder it will get for Ricky.

"The weight gets more difficult as you get older and if you aren't getting the big fights then motivation becomes a problem.

"Then he runs the risk of losing one day to a nobody which Ricky doesn't deserve. But unless something changes, that is what I can see happening."

Treble champion Witter hopes to build on his growing reputation with a summer outing. There is a chance of action in London at the end of next month, probably defending his Commonwealth belt.

After years in the shadows, the Bradford fighter is pushing his own profile at a time when Hatton's is under close public scrutiny.

"Everyone has had a go at Ricky, especially me, because he isn't fighting anybody and now he's got sick of it. He says it isn't his fault so that puts the pressure on Frank.

"He will do his best to tie Ricky down but the only way to do that is to get the big fights and take chances."