Kevin Mitchell confirms shot at European champion Edis Tatli
Monday 18 January 2016 13:55, UK
Kevin Mitchell has shelved thoughts of retirement to fight European champion Edis Tatli in Finland on March 19.
The Dagenham lightweight (39-4-KO29) has lost his last two bouts - an agonising 10th-round stoppage to WBC world champion Jorge Linares when ahead on the scorecards and December's disappointing five-round defeat to another heavy-hitting Venezuelan, Ismael Barroso.
Yet despite seeing his chances of fighting for world honours for a third time damaged at The O2, the popular 31-year-old is keen to take on Tatli (26-1-KO9), who beat Luke Campbell's conqueror Yvan Mendy to win the vacant belt in April 2015.
Mitchell told Sky Sports: "I don't want to be going back to domestic level. I want to be at world level but Eddie Hearn has come back with this European title shot and it's given me motivation. I've taken the shot and I'm in training for it. I'm told it'll be March 19 in Finland.
Barroso wasn't really that good. He was awkward and better on his feet than I expected. He can bang, obviously - that's why a lot of people are ducking him.
"The motivation is there and will always be there for the big fights. It's not there for domestic fights. I wouldn't care for those fights. This European shot has me motivated - he's a good kid, a boxer and has only been beaten by Richar Abril via majority decision.
"Barroso wasn't really that good. He was awkward and better on his feet than I expected. He can bang, obviously - that's why a lot of people are ducking him. He's heavy handed and the shot did the job. I've never been known to be chinny. He hit me with a good shot.
"I think my best fight to date was the Linares fight. I think that was my best performance. I still hope to get a rematch with him one day. I look at some other world champions out there and they aren't great. They're fighters that I can beat. I fought the best in the world and had him beaten bar the cut.
"I don't want to leave it but I don't want to wait around at domestic level. I don't want to put my fans through that."
Should Mitchell eventually hang up his gloves without having won a world title, he may be considered one of the most talented UK boxers to fall at the final hurdle.
When asked if that possibility summoned any regrets, Mitchell said: "If I'd have met Eddie Hearn earlier in my career at 18 or 19 years old, I'd probably be a multi-world champion now. My career would have been bigger. Working with him has been great and so has being trained by Tony Sims.
"Not being with Tony all my career has been the main thing. He keeps you secure. He's an out-and-out good person. He's always supported me with what you want to do and he said he didn't think it was time to retire yet.
"When I do retire, I'll be in the gym with him helping him train fighters. He's been massive for me."
Campbell, another British lightweight with world title aspirations, came a cropper against Mendy on the same night as Mitchell's defeat to Barroso but the east Londoner has every confidence the Olympic champion can recover.
He added: "That won't dent Luke at all. He's already straight back at the drawing board and he was training straight away. He's the sort of guy that will go and get himself right.
"The kid he was in with was a monster. He wasn't your average lightweight. He fights at light-welterweight and is a tough guy. But I imagine Luke will get in even better shape, come back stronger mentally and I honestly think he's one of the best out there."
