BoxRec

Good luck, Kevin you did pretty well and in some great scraps

J wrote:

mickey1975 wrote:

palooka wrote:He may have realised in training that he just didn't have it at the necessary level?

I hope he enjoys his retirement and is content with his achievements, I enjoyed watching him box and he put on some excellent displays of Boxing and countering. For how intense he was in the ring apparently he is a really pleasant fellow out of the ring.

I thought he was a dickhead out of the ring?

IVE MET HIMA FEW TIMES, COMPLETE GENT,
had his issues of course out of the ring, but who hasn't.

He stayed in the same hotel as me in Newcastle the night he fought Prescott on the Khan Salita undercard and I spoke to him briefly. He seemed brand new to me but only spoke for five mins so who knows. Maybe he's different when he's had a skinful because he likes a drink so I've heard? Everyone has their moments when on the piss

JohnH wrote:I don’t think they make fighters like me anymore; fighters that put it all on the line every time they fight.”

Good quality boxer, his fight against Carl Johanneson was a classic as well. He certainly got his opportunities for world titles but fell short, sometimes his own doing, sometimes the better man won.

Happy Slapper wrote:Wish him all the best but he was overrated. Sky were desperate for him to become a World Champ and he got way more plaudits and exposure than he ever earned - the piece on Sky Sports website today is like he was an all time British great. I've said this before, but if he was from anywhere else other than the East End he wouldn't have had half the hype he had. Lazy journalism and London centric thinking helped him massively.

Agreed. His profile far outstripped his ability. How often did we hear about what a "fit/focused Kevin Mitchell" could do? Yet never delivered anything of real significance. An entertaining fighter and nice guy, I'm sure he did OK financially so best of luck to him.

"...I fought the best pound for pound fighter at my weight in Linares".

Ay? How does that one work then? hahahaha

Happy Slapper wrote:Wish him all the best but he was overrated. Sky were desperate for him to become a World Champ and he got way more plaudits and exposure than he ever earned - the piece on Sky Sports website today is like he was an all time British great. I've said this before, but if he was from anywhere else other than the East End he wouldn't have had half the hype he had. Lazy journalism and London centric thinking helped him massively.

This.

When he took his time and boxed he was very effective at British and European level, he hit very hard on the counter. He wasn't strong and hard enough to walk through people at world level, he did achieve a lot - he turned pro at 18 and had to mature as a fighter and as a person in front of the media and forums. His bouts with Johansson and Murray were pretty textbook and could be shown to a young pro as the correct way to move and counter and to fight off the ropes.

Mixed emotions, always entertaining in the ring and probably the right decision. He was European level fighter IMO.

I hope he keeps a clean lifestyle up.

palooka wrote:When he took his time and boxed he was very effective at British and European level, he hit very hard on the counter. He wasn't strong and hard enough to walk through people at world level, he did achieve a lot - he turned pro at 18 and had to mature as a fighter and as a person in front of the media and forums. His bouts with Johansson and Murray were pretty textbook and could be shown to a young pro as the correct way to move and counter and to fight off the ropes.

Carl threw that fight away because he hadn't trained.

mickey1975 wrote:

palooka wrote:When he took his time and boxed he was very effective at British and European level, he hit very hard on the counter. He wasn't strong and hard enough to walk through people at world level, he did achieve a lot - he turned pro at 18 and had to mature as a fighter and as a person in front of the media and forums. His bouts with Johansson and Murray were pretty textbook and could be shown to a young pro as the correct way to move and counter and to fight off the ropes.

Carl threw that fight away because he hadn't trained.

Then Carl was a very silly boy.

Carl was a sillier boy than Kev could even dream of.

palooka wrote:

mickey1975 wrote:

palooka wrote:When he took his time and boxed he was very effective at British and European level, he hit very hard on the counter. He wasn't strong and hard enough to walk through people at world level, he did achieve a lot - he turned pro at 18 and had to mature as a fighter and as a person in front of the media and forums. His bouts with Johansson and Murray were pretty textbook and could be shown to a young pro as the correct way to move and counter and to fight off the ropes.

Carl threw that fight away because he hadn't trained.

Then Carl was a very silly boy.

How dare you?!?!?! Can't you see from Mickey's hard-on for the bloke that that was obviously Kev's fault, & should be held against him forevermore?

PS: I blame Kevin Mitchell. Particularly the next time Tyson Fury says something stupid/homophobic/straining the bounds of sanity.

mickey1975 wrote:Carl was a sillier boy than Kev could even dream of.

Carl never looked healthy to me, most boxers look fit and healthy, Carl looked haggard.

Carl is a solid 14st now and doesn't look fat. He's very well built and has legs like tree trunks. I really don't know how he did the weight.

What a shame.... I made a lot of money betting against Mitchell in big fights.... He used to boast a lot and then get ironed out. I used to love it!

Carl did always look gaunt. I was there that night against Mitchell and Carl couldn't miss. He was a bit past his best though so couldn't close the show. Good fight

Mitchell was indeed overrated, the East end thing and huge hyping of his junior am career, which is never a great indicator of how far a fighter will go as a pro, helped ( didn't help? ) his case. He had a big following in his am days, people were banging on about him becoming an all time great, multi weight champ etc, hard to fall anything other than short when such chat is being bandied about. It's par for the course in that part of the world though it seems, got a bit of a case of 'Eleven-erife' down that way! Eastenders? 95% of them are from Essex...

He was enjoyable to watch and can be very proud of his achievements though. I hope he earned good money and doesn't have to come back in the future if he isn't up to it.

Regarding him as a person? Heard differing views, I think he comes across well when he isn't talking about himself though, seems a nice fella. Remember though, he's West Ham...hard pressed to meet one of them that is likeable!

Does The East End even produce good fighters now?

mickey1975 wrote:Does The East End even produce good fighters now?

The ABA's used to be dominated by Repton etc but now many smaller (northern) clubs are producing really talented boxers. A lot of the good pros from around London, Essex and Herts used to commute to the East End to train and it has to be admitted that the East End cachet garnered a lot of publicity/hype.

edgey2009 wrote:Kevin Mitchell has withdrawn from his European title bout and announced he is retiring from boxing with immediate effect.

Talented fighter and such a shame he never became World Champion. Good luck for the future Kevin!

Am very disappointed to here this. Mitchell is one of the most talented brirish level fighters. I wish hed have a rest and gwt a good nutritionist.he always had skill but seems to lack strength that a modern day lightweight has.so consequently on fight night it always seemed recently hes fighting guys who are 7 pounds heavier.

Met him a couple of times years back and he seemed like an nice lad. A bit intense perhaps but that's not a bad thing in a fighter. Wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

palooka wrote:

mickey1975 wrote:Does The East End even produce good fighters now?

The ABA's used to be dominated by Repton etc but now many smaller (northern) clubs are producing really talented boxers. A lot of the good pros from around London, Essex and Herts used to commute to the East End to train and it has to be admitted that the East End cachet garnered a lot of publicity/hype.

Yes, hardly any Repton boxers were actually from there.

mickey1975 wrote:

palooka wrote:

mickey1975 wrote:Does The East End even produce good fighters now?

The ABA's used to be dominated by Repton etc but now many smaller (northern) clubs are producing really talented boxers. A lot of the good pros from around London, Essex and Herts used to commute to the East End to train and it has to be admitted that the East End cachet garnered a lot of publicity/hype.

Yes, hardly any Repton boxers were actually from there.

I think it was like a finishing school, I remember Peter Richardson going down there for the last season or 2 of his amateur career.

Mitchell's always seemed like a sound guy to me in any interview i've seen him do.

He was in some good fights, and the Linares bout was one of my top few from last year. He seemed to fall short of world class but I think he was on the level right beneath at.

Now is probably a good time to retire, as he's taken a fair bit of punishment and looked like a worn-out fighter last time out.