Brook v Gavin: Kevin Mitchell faces Jorge Linares in his third shot at world title glory
Wednesday 27 May 2015 10:20, UK
Kevin Mitchell has a third shot at a world title on May 30, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Here, we look back on the agony of the previous two...
Kevin Mitchell has been here before. Twice.
His two previous tilts at world titles - against Michael Katsidis for the interim WBO lightweight belt and against Ricky Burns for the outright version of the same strap - both ended in crushing disappointment. This time around, it seems, is different.
With six victories since the defeat to Burns in 2012 and now back under the guidance of the man who trained him in his amateur days, Tony Sims, Mitchell's long and winding road has led him back to where he and many others believes he belongs. At the top.
In Jorge Linares, Mitchell faces a man in form. The Venezuelan, although he has three defeats on his record, snatched the WBC crown in December by stunning durable Mexican Javier Prieto with a fourth-round stoppage. Word around the campfire is Linares' preparation is going well, too.
But the fighting pride of Dagenham, for all his previous problems, is making all the right noises himself and is determined to erase the disappointments of yesteryear and fulfil what he claims his destiny.
Here, we look back at those disappointments, which may be used by Mitchell and his camp as motivational tools as he prepares for the night of his life.
Mitchell v Michael Katsidis
WBO interim world lightweight title, May 15, 2010
Before the Katsidis clash almost exactly five years ago, Mitchell had produced a boxing masterclass to outpoint Breidis Prescott, the man who had decimated the air of invincibility surrounding Amir Khan in one round the previous year.
Upton Park - packed to the rafters with his fellow West Ham fans - was abuzz, with many expecting Mitchell to raise the belt and the roof with victory despite facing a Katsidis in his brutal prime.
Katsidis has always had an intimidating air. As the Australian made his way to the ring in his customary garb of a gladiator helmet, the locals did their best to make him feel like a lamb to the slaughter... but there can have been few true fight fans in the arena who weren't aware 'The Great' had the punching power to at least trouble their hero.
With his menacing entrance music climaxing, Katsidis reached the ring and before entering, stood on the apron outside it and turned to the crowd. The jeers crescendoed but as he slowly scanned the throng through the slits of his helmet, you got the impression he was enjoying it, drinking the negativity in as if it were fuel.
Katsidis was one of the most exciting champions in boxing. His all-action style and heavy hands had won him admirers all around the world and at the time, he had been defeated just twice (and at the very top level) - halted late by Joel Casamayor for the WBO world title and losing a split (and controversial) decision to Juan Diaz.
Still, many believed Mitchell's superior natural boxing skills would make Katsidis miss enough. Undefeated in 31 fights and enjoying one of the smoother rides to the big time, Mitchell was on the verge of his childhood dream - becoming a world champion at his beloved West Ham.
As the fighters bounced around each other in the ring in some kind of war dance with the announcer still trawling through the formalities, Katsidis looked a shade fitter than the hometown hero. A shade more conditioning around the midriff. A shade stronger. A shade bouncier.
The first round was close, Mitchell circling to the left and firing out neat orthodox jabs to keep a stalking Katsidis at bay. Twice, though, the champion was able to move inside and test the challenger's punch resistance. Mitchell survived relatively unscathed and arguably edged the round with the more skilful approach, but the warning was served.
The second belonged decisively to Mitchell. One beautiful combination and an uncharacteristically passive approach from Katsidis got the fans going, sensing Mitchell was on his way.
Then it all came crashing down.
That third round was a classic. Mitchell again began neatly but suddenly got too close and was stunned by a short left-hook to the temple. The pendulum had swung with that one shot and Mitchell failed to cover up or buy time - instead reacting by opening up exchanges he was bound to lose. He landed decent combinations of his own but the seemingly inevitable came later in the round as two more thunderous Katsidis left hooks prompted referee Dave Parris to stop the fight with Mitchell on the ropes and unable to defend himself.
His ascendancy had been halted emphatically, but Mitchell was only 25 and young enough to rebuild a reputation at the top of the division.
Mitchell v Ricky Burns
WBO world lightweight title, Sept 22, 2012
The subsequently-publicised personal problems meant Mitchell took 14 months to return to a professional boxing ring. When he did so, it was a domestic clash with John Murray. Mitchell went in as underdog but produced a performance full of promise as he stopped the Mancunian in eight in a good old-fashioned dust-up.
After outpointing Felix Lora at York Hall in February 2012 in his next fight, Mitchell was handed another world title shot. This time, it was at Ricky Burns.
Burns was a relatively late bloomer. The Scot suffered defeats to fellow Brits Alex Arthur and Carl Johanneson early in his career but with a WBO world super-featherweight title to his name by 2010, he stepped up a division to nullify Katsidis and relieve him of the WBO lightweight crown at Wembley via unanimous decision.
Despite the positive signs of the Lora and Murray fight, the uncertainty over what was left in Mitchell's tank (both mentally and physically) meant Burns entered the bout as comfortable favourite to retain his title in front of his home fans in Glasgow.
Again, Mitchell started brightly, suggesting his head had been right in his training. Maybe it had. Maybe Burns at the time was just that good. The Scot's slide from the very top of boxing is all the more remarkable when you look at the slickness with which he boxed back then.
After nicking the first, Mitchell was less impressive in the second as Burns' natural size and reach began to tell - seizing the initiative with a solid right hand midway through the session that Mitchell did well to stand up to. Burns began to unleash the right hand in the third and despite beating his chest and calling for more, Mitchell was struggling to return the big shots with his left hook.
It all came apart again in the fourth for the challenger. He'd already sustained four heavy right hands in the first part of the round but it was a short left hook from Burns that produced the knockdown - Mitchell rising on unsteady legs and hitting the canvas again before referee Terry O'Connor stepped in to halt the one-way traffic just before the bell.
Although he had been well in the fight until the fourth, once again Mitchell had fallen short of the big prize.
When he enters that ring on May 30, the 30-year-old will be hoping it is a case of 'third time lucky' rather than 'these things come in threes'.
Watch Mitchell v Linares live and exclusive as part of Brook v Gavin, on Sky Sports Box Office on May 30, with Joshua and Selby also on. Book via your phone or online now. If you want to record the event, book via your Sky remote. skysports.com/brookgavin
