By Scott Gilfoid: Number #1 ranked WBO lightweight contender Kevin Mitchell (31-0, 23 KO’s) plans on going to war with World Boxing Organization lightweight interim champion Michael Katsidis (26-2, 21 KO’s) on May 15th at the Upton Park, West Ham, in London. Mitchell, 25, says in an article at the Sun, “Let’s see if he [Katsidis] can take punishment.” This is kind of interesting because it suggests that Mitchell will be looking to slug with Katsidis rather than run.

I guess I’ll believe that when I see it, because from the many fights I’ve seen of Mitchell, he doesn’t appear to have anything close to the same kind of power that Katsidis possesses. I think Mitchell has a little bit of power, but he’s not really in the same kind of power class as Katsidis. Defensively, when you take away the running that Mitchell does sometimes, he’s as wide open as Katsidis when standing in front of his opponents. Basically, Mitchell’s defense is his running. If he’s moving, then he’ll be okay.

I can’t see him winning the fight by running all night long, but I think that is the only way he’s going to be able to avoid getting hammered by the hard hitting Katsidis. If Mitchell opts to stand and trade with Katsidis all night, then I think the fight won’t go beyond six rounds. Katsidis hits too hard and Mitchell – when he’s standing in front of his opponents – gets hit too cleanly. Taking away the running that Mitchell does, I think Katsidis will literally rip Mitchell apart if the British fighter tries to fight it out with him like he’s saying he wants to do.

I don’t believe Mitchell will try to trade. Oh, maybe initially in the 1st round he might try to trade a little with Katsidis. But after getting clobbered with some of the Australians’ massive shots, I think Mitchell will think survival and will turn tail and run. I think Mitchell will fight the same exact way as he did in his fight with Breidis Prescott by circling, jabbing and throwing a few hard shots every round. I thought Prescott easily won that fight, but the judges felt differently.

Because of his movement, Mitchell’s punch output will probably be quite low indeed. The fight will likely be painfully boring to watch because of the movement from Mitchell. It will basically be a fight where Katsidis is chasing him all night long, trying to cut off the ring and get him to engage. I think Katsidis will have to knock him out to get the win, unfortunately. It’s not easy getting a decision victory when you’re traveling to a foreign fighters’ home turf.

If Mitchell does beat Katsidis, then it would put the British fighter in line for a fight against the full lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez. I don’t give Mitchell any chance of winning that fight. I suppose the fight will probably wind up in England, even though Marquez is the full champion.