Exclusive Interview: Sharmba Mitchell
Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime
By Ed Ludwig
14.01 - I recently had the pleasure of speaking with former WBA Jr. Welterweight Champion Sharmba Mitchell (50-3 28 KO's) as he prepares for his IBF elimination bout with Carlos Vilches (38-2-2 24 KO's) on January 25th from Bally's Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. After a layoff due to a serious knee injury Mitchell will step into the ring for the third time in seven months. Kostya Tszyu is on his radar screen and he is very determined to get the rematch and become the undisputed world champion and avenge his loss. I would like to thank Sharmba Mitchell for taking the time to speak with East Side Boxing and congratulations go out to his cousin Brian Mitchell and the Philadelphia Eagles as they defeated the Atlanta Falcons over the weekend and moved one step closer to the Super Bowl.
Ed Ludwig: First Off, congratulations on your recent victory over Vince Phillips. Did the fight go as expected for you?
Sharmba Mitchell: Pretty much. I really impressed myself with how I moved around and got away from punches and stuff like that. I was telling Buddy and my other trainer before the fight that I was feeling very good and relaxed and that it was going to be a great night.
EL: A lot was made of your post fight comments regarding Kostya Tszyu and Zab Judah. Was it the competitive spirit coming out of you or is there something personal?
SM: This stuff is never personal. It is a job for me and whatever makes people want to see the fight, then that's what works. The comment that I made with "gay boy" was not in reference to Zab's sexuality but it was a figure of speech. It was like saying "punk come on and sign the contract" so maybe those are the words I should have used. When you are in a situation where you have so much built up inside you and when you have the chance to talk then anything can come out of your mouth and that is what happened. I should apologize to the public for making those comments because I am always a gentleman in post fight interviews and in the ring. I would never intentionally call someone a name that is out of character. Calling Kostya a "bum" is also a figure of speech. It's a word used in boxing but how much of a bum can you be and you are a champion? I just think he acts like a bum sometimes because he won't give me a rematch. Kostya has questions that need answers and he wants to call himself undisputed world champion. If I had never got into the ring with my knee injury and if he never fought dirty then he would not be the undisputed world champion because I would. We are going to make him fight and he is going to hate it.
EL: Putting the titles aside for a moment and going back to Tszyu and Judah, who would you rather have in the ring?
SM: I would rather have Zab just to shut his big mouth and with Tszyu I know I can beat him. I just want to prove to the world that I am the one in this weight division and that when you come up to 140 that you have to deal with me and not Tszyu. Like I said, I just want to shut Zab's mouth and put the little boy in his place. He will respect his elders after that.
EL: The fight with Tszyu ended due to a knee injury. How did you damage your knee?
SM: I re-injured an old injury. Three days before the fight it was really bothering me. It kept going numb and then I would get the feeling back with the blood clot removed here and there. When you are in that type of situation it's almost like a person that has not been cut in the ring before until a big fight or being real tired and they sit and panic. I didn't know what to do at the time. My managers wanted to call it off and they actually did but when I had my promoter behind me he said to go and do what I can do. You have two hours before the fight and you have the networks, promoters, casinos etc and it could come back to haunt you as far as lawsuits and things of that nature and you have the press to deal with. One punch changes everything in boxing and it almost happened for me. I proved that I am a man and a warrior. I proved that Kostya Tszyu really couldn't touch me.
EL: Do you see your knee causing you any problems in the future?
SM: I don't know. I will knock on wood and hope that it doesn't.
EL: Kostya Tszyu made a statement in a recent press release that you don't deserve a rematch and that you need to prove yourself. As a veteran of fifty-three fights and former world champion what are your thoughts regarding these comments?
SM: I think that is a cowardly scared comment. I feel that he has something to prove and that is beat a man with two legs instead of one. Prove you can beat the guy with the experience.
EL: Do you feel that Jesse James Leija is a worthy opponent for Kostya Tszyu?
SM: I don't think so. He is a suitable opponent because anything could happen but has he fought his way through the ranks to deserve a shot? The answer is no. I believe that he has the experience and that he could surprise the world. I wouldn't put anything past Jesse James Leija.
EL: Your upcoming fight with Carlos Vilches will be your third in seven months. Are you looking at keeping yourself busy?
SM: Most definitely. This is great and it reminds me of the old days when I first started. My first twenty fights or so were in Atlantic City and I am going back where I started from and I loved it.
EL: Lets say you don't get the rematch with Tszyu, would you consider going after WBA champ Vivian Harris or young British sensation Ricky Hatton?
SM: No way, they are not even in the same league. We offered to fight Ricky Hatton in England and he won't do it, as for Vivian Harris you can't even call him a WBA champion because Kostya Tszyu is the real WBA champ. Boxing right now in the 140 pound division has an a-team and a b-team. It's like varsity and jr. varsity. The top five in the a-team are myself, Tszyu, Judah, Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti. As for the b-team you have DeMarcus Corley, Vivian Harris, Ricky Hatton and Hector Camacho Jr. It wouldn't be beneficial for me at all to go after any of those guys.
EL: How do you feel about the WBA having the super-champion?
SM: I would not fight Vivian Harris for the title. They can ask me to fight Harris for the title but I would fight him just to fight. I know who has my world title and that is the real one and the belt they have now, I don't know what that is?
EL: Whom are you sparring with in preparation for the Vilches fight?
SM: There are two Russian guys down here that I have been sparring with. I am also sparring with a guy from home named Jimmy Lang. I've been helping Nate Campbell too and getting him ready for Joel Casamayor.
EL: Back to you knee injury for a moment. How long did it take to rehab your knee and was it difficult doing that and your training for boxing?
SM: No, because the physical therapy and stuff like that helped me stay in shape and if I wasn't doing that then I would probably not be doing anything at all. It helps me see where my knee is and how much pressure I can handle. With my training, I've been doing just that and also working on my knee also.
EL: Your bout with Vilches is an IBF eliminator and I was wondering if you had any indication of where a victory will propel you?
SM: It will put me right where I need to be. I will be the IBF mandatory for Tszyu.
EL: Is a jump to 147 a possibility or are you content with where you are?
SM: There is a possibility and that would be great but there is nothing there and that weight-class is pretty much dead so I think I would skip 147 and go to 154.
EL: Do you study tapes of your opponents?
SM: I don't really like to look at them too much so I let my trainers look at them and they tell me what he does and doesn't do. When I look at tapes I get really overconfident and I don't ever want to go into a fight thinking I'm just going to wipe this guy out from some other fight because he has to fight me totally different.
EL: How much longer are you planning to stay in boxing?
SM: Maybe a year and a half. I have some goals that I am setting for myself and when I achieve those goals I'll be finished and hopefully it will only take me a year and a half to do it.
EL: What can you tell me about your amateur career and when in that time did you realize that it was time to turn pro?
SM: I had a great amateur career. I went 154-7 during my career. I lost to Kevin Kelley in the Olympic trials. It was a very close fight. The only thing that actually kept me in boxing around that time was my goal and dream to make it to the Olympics. I went to the Olympic festival and I was the youngest one on the team and I was the youngest one allowed to compete. When I didn't make the Olympic team then I knew it was time to turn pro. What else could I accomplish? Some people stay in the amateurs too long and that's not what I wanted to do. I didn't want to wait another four years to be able to make the Olympic team. I've done the festival, international trips and things so there was nothing else for me to accomplish except for the Olympics. So I went pro and I actually had to wait until my eighteenth birthday to sign my first contract without my parents consent. My parents were supportive and I still got to do the things I wanted like college.
EL: Any comments for Kostya Tszyu and Zab Judah
SM: I wish them both luck and I hope Kostya keeps the belts clean because I look forward to kicking his butt next time. Don't pull the Vince McMahon stuff and fight like a man. I hope Zab can take care of his problems and get back into position so he can get his butt kicked.
EL: Would you like to say something to your fans?
SM: They can look forward to more great things. I still consider myself a world champion because I was never beaten in the ring.
EL: Thanks very much for your time and best of luck on January 25th.
SM: Thank you.
Questions or Comments: ed.ludwig@eastsideboxing.com
