05.01.08 – Andrew Wake: Tough East Londoner Kevin Mitchell does not believe that the back injury sustained by British super-featherweight champion Carl Johanneson is the real reason the Leeds fighter has pulled out of their clash, scheduled for next Saturday at Bethnal Green’s historic York Hall. “I don’t think he pulled out through an injury – he didn’t fancy it all along,” Mitchell told The Daily Star “The British Boxing Board of Control will have to strip him of his British title if he keeps pulling out like this..
“To pull out so late is out of order but I thought they might. They tried saying a while back he had a cut.
“Carl is a brilliant fighter but I think I’m a lot different to what he has experienced before and would have beaten him and he knows that.
“I totally dedicated myself over the holiday period and it was hard to make those sacrifices. I was training early on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day but it was all for nothing.”
Instead the unbeaten 23 year old will have to make do with defending his 130Ibs Commonwealth crown against the inexperienced Ghanaian Thomas Okanja Aryeetey – a fighter who has had 12 fights according to Promoters Sports Network but only 3 according to other sources.
Despite his obvious disappointment, Mitchell, 24 – 0 (17), knows that he must dedicate himself to the new task at hand and will instead look to meet Johanneson at some point in the near future. He said: “There’s no point moping about. I have to refocus on Aryeetey straight away because at this stage of my career I can’t afford any slip ups.
“Hopefully I’ll fight Johanneson later this year and add the British title to my Commonwealth crown. It’s always been my dream to win British, Commonwealth, European and world titles.”