By Scott Gilfoid: Kevin Mitchell (33-1, 24 KO’s) is really asking for it by agreeing to fight WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns (34-2, 9 KO’s) in Glasgow, Scotland on September 22nd at the Scottish Exhibition Centre. What this means is that the 27-year-old Mitchell may need a knockout if he wants to get a win.

Mitchell may know that now, but I bet he’ll find that out on September 22nd when he leaves the arena with a sad face after getting jobbed. Mitchell is going into enemy territory in this fight, and there’s probably going to be few Mitchell fans among the hordes of Scots. It’s probably going to be an intimidating atmosphere for Mitchell, who hasn’t really had a hard fight since he was blown out by Michael Katsidis two years ago in three rounds. Burns isn’t a puncher like Katsidis, but he is an excellent punch and grab fighter. Burns can hold like the best of them.

Burns reminds me of a Ricky Hatton type wrestler on the inside, but without Hatton’s ability to throw nice body shots. Like I said, Burns doesn’t have any power. He’s strictly a jab, grab and hold type guy. When he was a little younger and lighter in weight, Burns used to be able to throw combinations a fair bit. But since he’s put on weight he mostly just throws one punch at a time followed by a nice grab and then wrestle or arm bar. If Burns fought in the United States, he’d be getting warns 24/7 for the way he fights, and would likely lose points over and over again. But in the UK that kind of fighting is kind of the norm and it’s considered acceptable.

Since Mitchell doesn’t want Burns to be all over him like an octopus all night, he’s going to have to hit and run as much as possible. My advice is for Mitchell to throw no more than two punches at a time before scurrying away to the outside. He can’t let the hulking Burns grab him and use his weight to lean all over him, because Burns looks huge after he rehydrates. But the wrestling is just not something that most fighters are skilled at, and it kind of wears you out. Mitchell can’t let Burns get started with the grappling in close, so he’s got to keep moving.

Anyway, I really think it matters much. Mitchell had better get a knockout or I think he’s going to lose by a decision. I don’t see him winning in Scotland, not in this lifetime.