Lovemore N'Dou believes Junior Witter can handle any of the world's best.

The Bradford light-welter is ready to make the next step after his impressive American debut against N'Dou.

That victory earned him a three-fight deal under Oscar De La Hoya - and the prospect of a future crack at WBC champion Arturo Gatti.

On the painful evidence of Los Angeles, N'Dou is convinced Witter has the power to mix it with anyone.

N'Dou had only been put down once in his career before last week's clash - when Witter decked him twice.

"I've never been hit as hard," he admitted. "Witter is the toughest guy I've faced and that includes Sharmba Mitchell and Miguel Cotto. He can go in there with any of the top guys in this division."

Witter, who got married on Wednesday, is taking a month off to nurse his broken left hand and saw De La Hoya's own specialist in Las Vegas today. That will delay his return to an American ring, which had been pencilled in for the Marco Antonio Barrera undercard in Texas in April.

Trainer Dominic Ingle is hopeful he will be boxing again in America by the summer.

Ingle said: "De La Hoya reckons Junior can clean up the 140lb division, and that was before the fight. He was watching the tapes of Junior with Barrera and they were in awe.

"You've had some people putting Junior down for years and saying the Americans weren't interested. But he's shown them and he's done it the hard way.

"There have been no hand-picked opponents in your home arena. Junior's had to go through the back door and take a risky fight to prove himself.

"It wasn't a fight we really wanted. But we were at a cross-roads after Gianluca Branco pulled out - either we fought N'Dou or sat around waiting for another four or five months and nobody wanted to do that."

Witter's gamble paid off with a decisive win over a fighter highly rated by the tough American audience.

Witter said: "So many people have had a lot of good words for me. Other commentators and officials at ringside were really impressed because they had never seen anyone deal with N'Dou like that.

"It would have been brilliant to stop him and if it hadn't been for the injury, I thought I could have done.

"But in a way going the distance is better for me. After 15 quick finishes, people may have doubted if I could go the full 12 rounds.

"When the fight got past halfway it was harder for me mentally than physically. It's been five years since I have had it go that long but I proved myself." A shot at Gatti is in the pipeline. The timing could be dependent on the court case involving Floyd Mayweather junior, who is currently first in line to face the Canadian.

Ingle added: "De La Hoya has a contract with the HBO network, the same as Gatti, so that can be made.

"Junior is now number three-ranked with the IBF, number two with the WBC and definitely within shouting distance of getting that fight with Gatti."

l Bradford lightweight Femi Fehintola is back in action next Friday when he faces Sheffield's Daniel Thorpe at Rotherham.