08.02.04 – By Frank Gonzalez Jr.: Every time the name Sharmba Mitchell (photo: Tom Casino/Showtime) comes up, we hear the same story about how he wants Kostya Tszyu and that KT keeps finding ways out of it. He lost to Tszyu in February of 2001 when he was unable to continue due to a torn ligament in his left knee. He looked like he was losing that fight from the way I remember it, slipping to the canvas several times out of clinches. Due to the nature of the loss, he does deserve a rematch. But after all the crap he’s talked since, deserve may have nothing to do with it.
He was finally re-re-scheduled to fight Tszyu when Kostya suffered another injury that (allegedly) disabled him from keeping his appointment with Mitchell…again.
So, here was Mitchell, all ready to dance but with no partner. Originally, he was to fly to Moscow to face Kostya. That being derailed, he was going to fight Lovemore N’Dou but that didn’t pan out at first. Then it was on to ‘little name’ Omar Weis, a guy accustomed to losing decisions to ‘bigger names,’ but that didn’t pan out either. N’Dou ended up back in the picture with 12 days notice to prepare. According to N’Dou, he had to shadowbox in his hotel room since he couldn’t get insured and find a gym to work out in. When asked about his name, Lovemore, N’Dou said he didn’t know what his mother was thinking when she named him Lovemore. He turned out to be a bit-more then Mitchell bargained for.
The Fight
Round One
Mitchell entered the ring in what looked like a sliced up skirt. That’s standard fare for him.
N’Dou looked rock solid. The first round was a feel out process with Mitchell doing a lot of moving and popping his feather fisted jabs. N’Dou scored a few decent shots that were at least equal to the soft shots Mitchell threw.
Since neither outdid the other in this round, I had to score this round even, 10-10.
Round Two
Mitchell was busier with movement and combinations that were mostly blocked by the gloves and arms of N’Dou but he did score occasionally. Lovemore didn’t do too much but when he did, he scored nicely with good power shots that let Mitchell know he was in a real fight. I didn’t think N’Dou did enough to win the round as he was somewhat outworked by Sharmba.
10-9 Mitchell.
Round Three
N’Dou cracked Mitchell with some solid combinations and clean punches that hurt Sharmba. Mitchell danced around a lot and threw lots of very soft looking punches. Mitchell looked like he was doing more than he was. Most of his flyswatter punches missed their mark or were blocked. N’Dou was taking control of the fight.
10-9 N’Dou.
Round Four
N’Dou switched to southpaw and was very effective at penetrating Mitchell’s slick defense. Then N’Dou switched back to conventional and was still able to catch Sharmba with some solid shots. Mitchell was bleeding from just above his forehead. I didn’t see any head butts either. Mitchell danced around and threw shots that mostly hit N’Dou’s guard.
10-9 N’Dou.
Round Five
Mitchell came out boxing nicely. He was busier—but less effective then N’Dou, who had more pop in his punches. Mitchell’s face was swollen from all the clean punches N’Dou landed.
Showtime’s Al Bernstein continued to say after each round that the fight was close and that he had Mitchell up by a point. How many times can he stay up a point when he’s getting whacked so often and doing so little scoring himself? I could tell by the commentary that the only way N’Dou could win would be if he knocked Mitchell out. In the fifth round, N’Dou was the more effective.
10-9 N’Dou.
Round Six
Mitchell looked to be boxing even better, elusively evading many of N’Dou’s punches but still, N’Dou scores the more telling shots in this round. If you throw a lot of shots that miss and you move around a lot, that doesn’t win you a round on my card. N’Dou was perhaps more economical with his movement but certainly more effective at scoring in the sixth round.
10-9 N’Dou.
Round Seven
The tide turned as Mitchell came out swinging. His corner had urged him to step up the action and he followed that advice to the tee. He was all over N’Dou, who was unable to get much going with Mitchell chasing and pushing him the whole round. N’Dou looked slowed down in the face of the attack. Mitchell scored some respectable shots in round seven. It was all Mitchell this round.
10-9 Mitchell.
Round Eight
Mitchell continues where he left off in round seven with relentless aggression. N’Dou scored a couple of big shots but was otherwise outworked and outscored in the eighth by Sharmba. It looked like Mitchell was on track to regain some much needed points. 10-9 Mitchell. At that point, I had it four rounds to two and one even in favor of N’Dou.
Round Nine
Sharmba showed great stamina as he maintained his attack but N’Dou made some adjustments in a round where Mitchell won the first half of the round and N’Dou won the second part with flush punches that hurt Mitchell, who’s right eye was swelling shut.
10-10 Even.
Round 10
N’Dou reclaimed control of the fight with power punches that landed at a high percentage. He was scoring more and better than Sharmba. Mitchell gets rocked a few times but to his credit, never folded.
10-9 N’Dou.
Round 11
Mitchell was doing a lot of holding in the 11th. N’Dou looked to be in great shape, his defense voiding most of Mitchell’s offense. N’Dou scored at will as Sharmba ate lots of right hands. Almost every time N’Dou got close, Mitchell would hold.
During an exchange at the end of the round, Mitchell slips on the Budweiser Advertisement painted in the center of the ring. He fell flat on his face. It didn’t look good. It’s amazing how boxers get no consideration on this ring ad business. Even if a fighter slips and breaks his neck on one of these ads, don’t expect them to ever be removed in favor of fighter safety. Money always comes first.
N’Dou owned Mitchell in this round.
10-9 N’Dou.
Mitchell’s corner looked nervous during the break. They had good reason. The fight had slipped too far for Mitchell to win any other way then by KO and Mitchell did not have much power—as he never seemed to hurt N’Dou, even when he was scoring well.
Round 12
Considering that the center ring was like the Ice Capades for both fighters, Mitchell was at a disadvantage where he usually has the boxer’s advantage, in the center of the ring. Mitchell slipped again while in the danger (Budweiser) zone and it was ruled a slip. N’Dou was not there to lose and he took the fight to Mitchell, battering his face numerous times. Al Bernstein again suggested that this was a very close fight, when as it concluded, it wasn’t that close at all.
N’Dou sealed it as he won the last round 10-9.
* * *
I had N’Dou winning seven rounds, Mitchell winning four rounds and two rounds that were even on my scorecard.
The Official Judge’s Scores:
Debra Barnes …. 118-110 for Mitchell
Pierre Benoist…. 117-112 for Mitchell
John Stewart ….. 115-113 for Mitchell
All three Judges had Mitchell the winner. Only John Stewart’s card gave the impression of a close fight.
Amazing?
No, just a typical, controversial score by the Official Judges.
Why?
Well, think about it, Mitchell is a Showtime contracted fighter. His potential rematch with Kostya Tszyu within the next nine months will be highly anticipated and lucrative. Why let some relative unknown fighter wreck Showtime and Mitchell’s plans? So what if the winner lost and the loser won. That’s boxing folks. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.
During the post fight interviews, N’Dou made it clear that he felt he won the fight. He said, “I did everything I needed to do to win this fight. Look at his face. Now, look at mine? Who do you think won?”
It was a clear case of home-cooking the result. A tough pill to swallow for N’Dou, who I thought was the better man Saturday night in Atlantic City. N’Dou closed by saying that he figured this might happen in Mitchell’s backyard if he didn’t score a knockout. Then, he almost sarcastically congratulated Mitchell, shaking his hand. Mitchell thanked him. Amazing.
Mitchell’s face told the story his mouth refused to discuss. Instead of commenting on the fight he just been in, he talked about Kostya Tszyu. Not a word about how his face got so battered. He barely mentioned N’Dou other than to say that he was a tough opponent and that he needed fights like this to keep him strong, implying that he won’t wait forever for Tszyu.
* * *
If the Kostya Tszyu rematch never happens (which is a possibility), who is out there for Mitchell?
There’s Arturo Gatti, the proud owner of the WBC version of the 140-pound title. I didn’t exactly think Gatti beat Gianluca Branco last weekend, but Gatti is a moneymaker and that’s all we need to appreciate lest we start thinking too much.
There’s vicious Vivian Harris, owner of a sub-title in the WBA, which holds Tszyu as their “Super Champion” (how many champions can you have in one division, in one sanctioning body? You gotta laugh.).
And lastly, there is Zab Judah, who also lost to Kostya Tszyu by second round knockout. He is now the holder of the not so highly regarded WBO title. But besides the top guys in his division, Mitchell may end up fighting another #9 ranked fighter instead next time up. Who knows? If he can fight them in Atlantic City with Barnes, Benoist and Stewart for Judges, how can he lose? The answer—by knockout.
As much as I love Gatti, he’s the weakest link of the Jr. Welter division’s elite, since he gets hit way too much. Vivian Harris is dynamite on offense but a bit shaky on defense. Zab Judah has the power and the skills (against lesser fighters) but has yet to prove he can reel in the real big fish for a win.
Kostya Tszyu has looked like the complete fighter before his virtual vanishing act. He’s been inactive for a long stretch and that can mean lots of ring-rust. But, at his best, he’s probably capable of beating all the top guys in the division. Kostya’s had a satisfying career and might end up pulling a Lennox Lewis and retiring though. At his age, there’s not a lot of time left to reassert himself as a dominant champion anymore. Vince Phillips is too old and past it for Tszyu to seek redemption for that 1997 loss, the only L on his record. The only controversy in his win over Judah was the childish way Zab behaved after being knocked out. And I’ll never forget that little dance he did in the process.
With all Tszyu’s success, he may not feel the hunger to continue fighting and may opt to ride off into the Australian sunset, a retired Champion.
Sharmba Mitchell may have won a home-cooked win but his stock has definitely gone down. All his fellow Jr. Welters know what they saw, regardless of what three crooked mice scored.
In closing, I say let the top guys all fight it out in neutral venues where hopefully, a bogus decision will not determine the outcome. But, that may be asking a wee bit too much of a sport that looks hell bent on the destruction of their own credibility for the sake of protecting their short-sighted goals. Awful decisions like this one that determined Mitchell vs. N’Dou turn casual fans away and make hardcore fans frustrated. Not a good recipe for advancing the sport. What do you think?
Agree or disagree? Send comments to dshark87@hotmail.com