For many, Dagenham lightweight Kevin Mitchell is one of the most likable characters in British boxing – and at times has been one of the most frustrating to follow the career of – notably in his two crushing defeats to Michael Katsidis at Frank Warren’s massive Upton Park show in 2010 and then again in his second heavy loss to Scotland’s Ricky Burns in 2012 which was ostensibly the end of him at the time.
It’s been well documented that a party lifestyle and the distractions of both fame and money were responsible for the past hiccups in a stop-start career – that has enjoyed a resurgence under promoter Eddie Hearn and trainer Tony Sims – and it culminates Saturday in his challenge to dangerous Venezuelan WBC champion, Jorge Linares.
By Joseph Herron – On Saturday night, October 6th, at the classic Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California, Don Chargin Productions & Paco Presents Boxing staged a memorable eight bout fight card, which was headlined by the return of two division world champion Jorge Linares (32-3, 20 KOs) and the Japanese KO artist, Welterweight Yoshihiro Kamegai (21-0-1, 18 KOs).
By Joseph Herron: Almost three years ago to the day, a young talent from Venezuela was the toast of the boxing world. Despite fighting almost exclusively in Tokyo, Japan, throughout the first five years of his professional career, Jorge Linares had already become a two division world champion and had entered the elite level discussion among fight scribes at the tender age of 24.