You can call Cristobal Arreola a lot of names. The fact is no matter what version shows up he always brings a sturdy chin to the table, something Arreola will try to expose in his opponent Seth Mitchell. Come Saturday night one man will stay on major premium television. The other will be reduced to gatekeeper of an already weak division especially domestically.
When breaking down a Chris Arreola fight the first thing that comes to mind is weight.
On his way up as a prospect who graduated to contender Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola was an all action brawler that threw fluid accurate punches with power to boot.
He was tagged by HBO to potentially be an American savior not only bringing the belts back to the States but also an opportunity to become the 1st fighter of Mexican decent to be a world champion at the heavyweight division.
Just imagine how huge he would have been, pardon the pun, having the biggest fan base from Mexico and the Mexican American alongside most if not all boxing fans in America.
It is harsh to say this but he pulled a Buster Douglas, who ballooned up in his 1st title defense versus Evander Holyfield and of course minus the Tyson upset, before getting a belt. He literally ate and drank himself out of having a chance to become a champion.
Don’t get me wrong even if he shows up in the mid 230’s versus Vitali Klitschko he more than likely losses. A fight with David Haye however could have been a different story.
That’s the way the cookie crumbles and now after coming off yet another loss as a favorite, if Arreola fails in this fight there is no tomorrow.
Seth Mitchell on the other hand has really no pressure. Sure, if he loses it’s a big blow to his career but he has all the excuses, better yet reasons to fall back on to help build back his career.
Seth’s chin and experience has been the main topic leading up to fight night. Al Haymon or not, it can’t be overlooked and credit should be giving for even making it this far in the process of a D1 football player attempting to make the transition to boxing at a very late age.
Time and time again we see guys trying to make the jump. The moment they are put in with not a former contender but fighters with solid or some amateur careers, they get exposed quick. He has developed some skill in the ring that has been overlooked from his performances in last 2 fights.
Will the tough talk that has been featured in the press junkets spill into fight night? Arreola struck first with the line “he better bring his football helmet”, which to this scribe was pretty damn funny. Arreola who is known to have the gift to gab during pre-fight hype, has been trying to bait Seth Mitchell.
Some of it is just that. I’ve also noticed a distain from Chris that tells me he is genuinely mad that anyone would think that he could lose this fight. Or irked that this is we’re his career is at the moment and a fight like this being made seems to bother him deep down.
I can’t quite put my finger on it but something is bothering him. Maybe he has been backed into a corner of his career that he finally cares enough to train hard for every fight? That’s probably wishful thinking ultimately and the proof will be in the pudding.
Chris did move his camp to Phoenix. Instead of hearing his trainer Henry Ramirez tell us what weight he will come in at only to be off by 10 pounds, this time we actually have pictures that were release before media day that showed Arreola in good shape.
Can Seth stay smart the whole fight? Recent history tells us he won’t be able to, in his revenge win in his last outing with Jonathan Banks he was still hurt early on. Mitchell does have plenty of heart, his will is very strong and so is his punch.
Other than the chin issue that has been covered by everyone in the media, the other question that should be asked is pertaining to his skill set.
Does he have the skill set to carry out the game plan to win this fight? He will have to fight off his back foot, on the outside, and for what could be large chunks of many rounds off the ropes.
For Arreola it will be vital to stick to his gameplan as well. In the past, whether it be from laziness before or during the fight, he will abandon his combination punching.
Seth will win some rounds or parts of rounds, depending on how long this fight last based on the ability to stick his jab in Arreola’s face.
My gut tells me we will see more combinations from “The Nightmare”, which will open him up to incoming fire making parts of this fight very fun to watch. But when the two exchange punches Arreola will get the best of this encounters.
The fight itself won’t always be pretty or actioned packed the whole time. At some point Chris will land a game changer that will stun Mitchell enough to the point of no return. My official pick is Chris Arreola by KO or TKO stoppage in the 6th round.
Alot is a stake for these fighters so I expect some desperate emotions to play a part for both. Whether it makes one rise to the occasion or is the reason behind ones downfall in the fight.
The winner keeps his grip on the climb back up the heavyweight mountain and a meeting at the summit of Donte’s (Deontay) peak. The loser goes home.
