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.
“I’m going to be back here on December 12. I’d like to fight a world-class fighter,” Mitchell said via skysports.com. “My last three fights have been world class, so I want to stay at world class. I’m hoping for an eliminator and then to fight for a world title in February.”
Mitchell’s last three fights were against Linares, Daniel Estrada and Ghislain Maduma.
If Mitchell wants to fight a world class fighter, then why doesn’t he face Luke Campbell, Dejan Zlaticanin or Micky Bey? One of those fighters would be perfect for Mitchell to fight. I’m not sure if I’m keen on the idea of Mitchell fighting in an eliminator though. The guy hasn’t even fought once since having his face tenderized by Linare’s hard shots last May.
You would think that the WBC would make Mitchell have to fight at least 4 to 8 times before he gets another title shot, wouldn’t you? I don’t see it as being fair if Mitchell can go straight into a title eliminator off the back of a knockout loss like the one that he experienced against Linares? That’s like a football team losing in the Super Bowl, and then the NFL telling the team that they can go back one step to fight in a Championship game to try and earn another Super Bowl berth. Heck no. That’s not the way it should go. When you lose in the Super Bowl, its game over. The season is over. You got to start from scratch next season to earn a playoff spot, and then if you’re real lucky you can make it to the Championship game again to try and get to the Super Bowl. But you don’t go straight back into a Championship Game after losing in the Super Bowl. I don’t want to tell the WBC how to conduct their organization, but I think they need to tell Mitchell to get back in line behind the other top 15 contenders so he can work his way to another title shot just like everyone else.
“I feel like I should have the belt,” Mitchell said. “It got stopped for cuts from loads of head-butts. It’s probably the most gutting fight I’ve had in my 20-year career,” Mitchell said.
Oh my, look at how Mitchell is bellyaching about his loss to Linares. It doesn’t look like Mitchell has fully come to terms yet with his whipping in that fight. From the complaining that Linares is doing here, I don’t think he fully realizes how badly he was dominated by Linares. Mitchell went down voluntarily after cowering in a bent over position to escape an avalanche of punches from Linares in the 10th round. That wasn’t from a head-butt that Mitchell went down on the canvas. He sent bent over at the waist and was cowering in what looked like the fetal position. Mitchell got back to his feet and the referee waived it off. Mitchell didn’t get robbed in the fight; he got knocked out in a fair fight. Mitchell just wasn’t good enough. The only thing Mitchell did in the fight was score a controversial knockdown in the 5th round, when Mitchell nailed Linares with an elbow to the head that caused him to hit the deck. I saw plain as day that Linares with an elbow. I don’t know how the referee Victor Loughlin could have missed the elbow. He was right there in front of them watching the action from close range. Yeah, it was a beautiful elbow smash to the head, but come on, you’re not supposed to get credit for knockouts like that.
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