By Scott Gilfoid: Two months after being thrashed by unbeaten lightweight contender Ismael Barroso by a 5th round knockout last December, former world title challenger Kevin Mitchell (39-4, 29 KOs) has reportedly retired from the sport for lack of interest.
Mitchell has his last two fights by knockouts, so it’s not surprising that he has opted to retire from boxing. But like a lot of fighters that retire, Mitchell will likely be back within a year or less. That’s my guess.
The Dagenham fans’ favourite brings down the curtain on an entertaining 43-fight career, landing multiple titles from his 39 wins having turned over in 2013 after winning a senior-level ABA title at 18 years of age.
By John Spandley: Saturday nights show at the O2 arena promised fireworks on many fronts with a talented and stacked undercard and fireworks we sure had.
The whole show from start to finish was pure boxing gold and value for money the British public have seldom seen when spending there hard earned money on a PPV event. I must admit I was one of the sceptic’s that was far from happy to pay for an event with no world titles up for grabs. For that I stand corrected and take my hat off to matchroom for a very well matched card.
We witnessed the “The Bomber” Bellew clinch the European title with a gritty hard fought victory over a game and talented but under rated fighter that is Masternak. Both men fought hammer and tongs in this fight and it proved that the Liverpudlian just had more in his locker when it came to skill set.
By Scott Gilfoid: Unbeaten knockout artist #2 WBA Ismael Barroso (19-0-2, 18 KOs) made easy work of #10 WBA Kevin Mitchell (39-4, 29 KOs) in destroying him in a 5th round knockout on Saturday night to win the interim WBA World lightweight title at the O2 Arena in London, UK.
By Scott Gilfoid: Well, heavyweights Anthony Joshua (14-0, 14 KOs) and Dillian Whyte (16-0, 13 KOs) weighed in today for their contest this Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, UK. I must say I think Whyte was the bigger guy in terms of mass than the taller 6’6” Joshua. Whyte weighed in at a solid 247lbs and looked in great shape at 6’3”. For his part, Joshua came in a little leaner than he had in past fights in weighing in at 245lbs, which 5 pounds lighter than his last fight in September against Gary Cornish.
By Scott Gilfoid: There’s a chance that Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport will have the Anthony Joshua vs. Dillian Whyte card be on pay-per-view on Sky Box Office on December 12th at the O2 Arena in London, UK. It’s still not decided as of yet.
It would be a potential flop if Hearn has the Joshua-Whyte card go as it is right now because there aren’t any real meaningful fights other than the main event. I think the boxing fans won’t be interested at all in paying to see the Joshua-Whyte card, because there’s nothing on the undercard to really interest the fans.
By Scott Gilfoid: Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn says the December 12th card at the O2 Arena in London, UK, headlined by unbeaten heavyweights Anthony Joshua (14-0, 14 KOs) vs. Dillian Whyte (16-0, 13 KOs), will be televised in the United States on that date. Hearn says the fight will definitely be televised, and he’s working on it right now.
It is unknown how many of the undercard fights will be shown in the U.S as part of this card.
Joshua, 25, and Whyte will be fighting for the vacant British heavyweight title. Joshua will have his recently won Commonwealth title on the line as well.
Joshua captured that strap with a 1st round knockout over Gary Cornish last month on September 12th in a mismatch at the O2 Arena in London.
By Scott Gilfoid: Kevin Mitchell (39-3, 29 KOs) is giving his vote of support to fellow countryman Tyson Fury (24-0, 18 KOs) to unseat IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (64-3, 53 KOs) in their fight in a little over a month on October 24th at the ESPRIT Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Mitchell thinks Fury is capable of scoring a knockout over the 6’7” Klitschko. He thinks that the combination of Fury’s size, strength and anger will be too much for the aging 39-year-old Klitschko.
“I think Fury beats him. I think it’ll be a late knockout or points for Fury. He’s too big and too strong and too angry,” Mitchell said to skysports.com.
By Scott Gilfoid: Former three time world title loser #4 WBC Kevin Mitchell (39-3, 29 KOs) thinks he’ll be fighting for another world title in February. Mitchell was just whipped by WBC lightweight champion Jorge Linares last May in losing by a 10th round knockout at the O2 Arena in London, UK.
Mitchell, 30, hasn’t fought since then. He wants to fight in an eliminator bout in December, and then go straightaway to a world title fight in February. It’s kind of hard to imagine that the World Boxing Council would make it so easy for Mitchell to get another crack at a title so soon after he was beaten to a pulp by Linares only four months ago.
I mean, surely there has to be more deserving contenders in the top 15 that are waiting to get their own turns at fighting for a title instead of seeing some guy who was recently pounded by Linares getting yet another fight. Mitchell has already now lost three times in fighting for world titles, but he still keeps getting chances. Mitchell is promoted by Eddie Hearn.
(Photo credit: Sumio Yamada) By Scott Gilfoid: After getting stopped in the 10th round last May in a fight against WBC lightweight champion Jorge Linares (39-3, 26 KOs), #3 WBC Kevin Mitchell (39-3, 29 KOs) is poised to get yet another shot at the title in a rematch against Linares on October 17th in Venezuela.
It’ll depend on how things go with the July 18th fight between challenger Anthony Crolla and WBA lightweight champion Darleys Perez. If Perez wins that fight, then Linares will likely face Perez in a unification bout. If Crolla wins, then Linares and Mitchell would wind up facing each other again.