By Sean McDaniel Former British and Commonwealth super featherweight champion Kevin Mitchell (31-1, 23 KO’s) will be ringside on Saturday night to watch EBU lightweight champion John Murray (30-0, 18 KO’s) fight challenger Karim El Ouazghari at the York Hall in Bethnal Green.

Mitchell, 26, would like nothing more than to fight Murray in the summer if the two can come to an agreement for the fight. Mitchell was supposed to be fighting Murray in April, but Mitchell wasn’t happy with the money for the fight. However, he’s still very much interested in facing Murray and this could be the best chance for either fighter to get a good payday in the short term.

Murray is talking about wanting to take a step up in class after he defends his title against the little known Ouazghari on Saturday and is looking at Brandon Rios and Humberto Soto as fighters he’d like to take on. Those guys would be very difficult fights for Murray, and he might not have the ability to win either of them, if he can even get the fights in the first place.

Before Mitchell was wiped out in three rounds last year in May by Michael Katsidis, many boxing fans felt that Mitchell was a better fighter than Murray and would beat him when and if the two fighters ever decided to mix it up.

Mitchell hasn’t fought since the Katsidis loss, and if he were to go into a fight with Murray without a tune-up and all the months of inactivity on top of that, you’d have to give Murray a very good chance of beating Mitchell. But an active Mitchell probably beats Murray any day of the week due to his superb boxing skills and ring movement.