By Scott Gilfoid: Former lightweight world title challenger Kevin Mitchell (33-2, 24 KO’s) will be fighting on July 6th in headlining a light welterweight Prizefighter card promoted by Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport.
Right now it’s still unclear if Mitchell will be on the card because he’s reportedly still under contract with another promoter and it’s still too early to know if he’ll be on the July 6th card or not.
Mitchell, 28, hasn’t fought since last September when he was easily taken out by WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns by a 4th round TKO. Mitchell made the light hitting Burns look like a devastating puncher in the way he folded so easily.
This was the second time that Mitchell had been blasted out early in a fight when he tried stepping it up from the European level to world class. In 2010, Michael Katsidis annihilated Mitchell in only three rounds in a massacre in London. Mitchell was the home fighter, but Katsidis didn’t even give his fans time to cheer before overwhelming him with shots and forcing a stoppage.
I imagine Mitchell’s opponent for July 6th with be the soft variety, likely a domestic level fighter so that he can get his confidence up. I wouldn’t expect Mitchell to face anyone with a pulse because of how easily he was stopped last September.
I don’t’ know where Mitchell can at this point. He’s tried fighting at the world class level and he’s been shown to be lacking. If his promoter is okay with having him be a domestic or European level guy then that’s fine, but when he eventually puts Mitchell in with someone like Richard Abril, Miguel Vazquez, Antonio DeMarco or Terrence Crawford, he’s going to lose badly.
I don’t see Mitchell ever facing Burns again. When you lose the way that Mitchell did in that fight, it makes it pretty impossible to ever match them together again.
If I was promoting Mitchell I wouldn’t have any illusions about his about his ability. I wouldn’t even bother trying to match him against World class fighters anymore because I know what would happen if I did. Instead, I’d just put in in with domestic and European level fighters and try and market him in the UK. He’s got a big fan base in the UK and they still seem to back him to the hilt even though it’s painfully obvious he’s not going anymore at the world level.
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