EastStandBlue
Life President
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- May 29, 2005
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The spate of murdered Mitchells in the East End of London was added to once more, as Kevin Mitchell was blown away by a rampant Michael Katsidis at an Upton Park which is growing accustomed to home losses.
Much was made of Mitchell’s recent form and his credentials as another English world title hope, following in the steps of Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton before him. He needed to step up to the plate here and prove that the coverage was worth its weight, yet Katsidis once again broke English hearts.
Mitchell enjoyed a disciplined start to the fight, dancing around the ring and firing his jab early on, clearly looking to avoid the heavy right hand of the Australian invader and, despite a scare half way through the round, it seemed to be working. Mitchell edged the first round, although the signs were ominous.
The second saw Mitchell emerge from his shell and begin to stack combinations onto Katsidis, who at one point appeared to be hurt by a quick right handed jab. Mitchell continued to evade the advances of the interim WBO lightweight champion and, in truth, Mitchell looked every bit the part of champion in waiting.
Then came the arduous and ultimately decisive third round. Katsidis exploded out of his corner and caught Mitchell with a venomous right hook that shook the foundations of the Dagenham born contender. Clearly shaken, and with his legs still shaking, Mitchell showed his inexperience by failing to cling onto a rampant Katsidis who looked to end the fight quickly with a series of good, heavy punches.
A minute later and the fight was over. Backed into the ropes, Mitchell looked to brawl his way out and was caught with a left hook which landed with all the ferocity of a wrought iron bust of Queen Victoria. With Mitchell teetering on the brink of consciousness, the officials were left with no other decision other than to end the East End boy’s dreams of a win inside Upton Park.
Where Mitchell goes from here lies in his response. He’s clearly a talented, yet largely inexperienced at this level, fighter who certainly knows how to box. Khan took his devastating loss to Breidis Prescott on the proverbial chin, took his career more seriously and is now reaping the benefits. Mitchell has all the talent and enthusiasm to follow in Khan’s footsteps.
Just no more fights at Upton Park, Kevin... I don’t think the locals can take much more of this.
Much was made of Mitchell’s recent form and his credentials as another English world title hope, following in the steps of Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton before him. He needed to step up to the plate here and prove that the coverage was worth its weight, yet Katsidis once again broke English hearts.
Mitchell enjoyed a disciplined start to the fight, dancing around the ring and firing his jab early on, clearly looking to avoid the heavy right hand of the Australian invader and, despite a scare half way through the round, it seemed to be working. Mitchell edged the first round, although the signs were ominous.
The second saw Mitchell emerge from his shell and begin to stack combinations onto Katsidis, who at one point appeared to be hurt by a quick right handed jab. Mitchell continued to evade the advances of the interim WBO lightweight champion and, in truth, Mitchell looked every bit the part of champion in waiting.
Then came the arduous and ultimately decisive third round. Katsidis exploded out of his corner and caught Mitchell with a venomous right hook that shook the foundations of the Dagenham born contender. Clearly shaken, and with his legs still shaking, Mitchell showed his inexperience by failing to cling onto a rampant Katsidis who looked to end the fight quickly with a series of good, heavy punches.
A minute later and the fight was over. Backed into the ropes, Mitchell looked to brawl his way out and was caught with a left hook which landed with all the ferocity of a wrought iron bust of Queen Victoria. With Mitchell teetering on the brink of consciousness, the officials were left with no other decision other than to end the East End boy’s dreams of a win inside Upton Park.
Where Mitchell goes from here lies in his response. He’s clearly a talented, yet largely inexperienced at this level, fighter who certainly knows how to box. Khan took his devastating loss to Breidis Prescott on the proverbial chin, took his career more seriously and is now reaping the benefits. Mitchell has all the talent and enthusiasm to follow in Khan’s footsteps.
Just no more fights at Upton Park, Kevin... I don’t think the locals can take much more of this.
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