By James Slater: British lightweight contender Kevin Mitchell returned to winning ways with a bang this past Saturday night, as he sensationally took away the unbeaten record of fellow Brit John Murray. In a great action fight, the 26-year-old Londoner had Murray badly hurt in the 7th and then he finished him off in style in the 8th-round. Now 32-1(24) and looking ahead to the future, the man who lost to Michael Katsidis in such disappointing fashion last May has put himself in a position to be able to call for a return with the teak-tough Australian. And call Katsidis out for a rematch Mitchell has done.
No sooner had he raised his arms in triumph at having scored what is arguably the biggest win of his career to date, was Mitchell making it clear to the Sky Sports cameras that he wants a chance to get revenge over the man who halted him inside three-rounds last May.
“I want the rematch with Katsidis,” he said. “I want closure. I’d definitely want to go back to Upton Park [stadium] for it, they are waiting for me there.”
Mitchell was looking forward to a huge coming out party at the football ground last year, only to have his big night ruined by the accurate and hard fists of the warrior known as “The Great.” However, Mitchell blames the turmoil he was going through outside of the ring, saying this cost him the fight. Mitchell says he was drinking heavily in the run-up to his big, interim WBO title shot.
“The stresses I was going through and the strain of life was leading me into the pub every night,” he said. “I was in the pub from Monday to Sunday, Monday to Sunday. I’ve not been in the pub now for over a year.”
Now refocused and living the clean life, the former British and Coomonwealth champ is convinced he is close to finally making his dream of becoming a world champion a reality. Of course, practically every fighter has some excuse or another to explain away a heavy defeat and Mitchell is no different. But to be fair to him, he did not look himself against Katsidis – his head somewhere else. Katsidis fought a smart fight of course, and it’s unfair to take the win away from him in any way. A return would prove once and for all if Mitchell is ever going to be in the big leagues.
Katsidis would no doubt start favourite if a second fight were set, but we must remember how the 30-year-old from Toowoomba went on to suffer brutal and painful losses of his own post-Mitchell: to Juan Manuel Marquez and then to Robert Guerrero. Those losses may have aged the Aussie battler to the extent that a fully focused Mitchell will have a chance against him.
Katsidis has to take care of Michael Lozada in Australia next month, and after that there has been talk he may challenge WBA lightweight champ Brandon Rios. However, if that fight cannot be made, and if Katsidis either likes the idea of coming to the U.K to beat up a local man for a third time (Katsidis has never lost in the U.K, beating Graham Earl and Mitchell) or if he offers Mitchell a fight in Australia, the return the Dagenham wants could happen.
A very risky fight for Mitchell (two losses to the same guy would turn many fans off for good), the new WBO inter-continental champ should be applauded for acting like a true champion and asking for a chance at revenge.