by James Slater – Unbeaten super-featherweight contender Kevin Mitchell of Dagenham is scheduled to return to the ring this coming May 22nd, after having been forced to stay out of action for ten months due to injury. The 24-year-old with the 27-0(20) record has suffered with hand trouble for some time, and after his last fight – a 5th round TKO win over Walter Estrada back in June of last year – he required surgery on his left hand..
Mitchell, an article in The East London Advertiser has revealed, is now waiting for conformation from his team that the surgery on his left tendon was a success and that he can go ahead and fight in his scheduled eight-rounder at The York Hall, on the under-card of the Kell Brook-Young Mutley welterweight title clash.
What the confident and talented Mitchell Ultimately wants, however, is a shot at new WBO 130-pound champion Roman “Rocky” Martinez of Puerto Rico. Martinez arrived on the world scene is stunning fashion back in March, when he stopped Britain’s Nicky Cook in the 4th round to take the WBO crown.
Mitchell told The Advertiser about his aims for the near future.
“I want to have an eight-round warm-up contest on the show at York Hall and then a world title fight against Roman Martinez in July,” Mitchell said. “I’ve had my eye on Martinez for a while – he’s a good world champion but I’ve got his number. I’m hitting stronger than ever in the gym and I’ll definitely be ready for the chance.
“I think I can go on and clean up the super-featherweight division this year.”
Mitchell is an aggressive and all-action warrior, that’s for sure – but beating the 26-year-old Puerto Rican will not be easy. Mitchell’s stable-mate Cook experienced firsthand how dangerous Martinez can be once he sees an opening. And though Mitchell – who has already captured both the British and Commonwealth super-featherweight titles – is also powerful, he is not too hard to hit.
Should he come through his planned tune-up okay, though, a Mitchell-Martinez clash would be one to see, a fight that would, as the saying goes, see someone’s “O” go.
Mitchell went into more detail about the injury that has served to keep him out of action for almost a year.
“I snapped the tendon in my left hand and had injections to numb the pain,” Mitchell said. “But I’ve had the tendon sewn back in now.”
So far, no opponent has been named for Mitchell’s scheduled eight-rounder.