By James Slater – In what could prove to be a good, high quality learning fight, unbeaten heavyweight hope Seth Mitchell (seen by many as THE best hope when it comes to the U.S bringing a major belt back to America any time soon) will face big and experienced Chazz Witherspoon on the April 28th Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson II card set for Atlantic City in New Jersey..
29-year-old Mitchell, 24-0-1(18) and coming off his most impressive win to date – a 2nd-round TKO of durable Timur Ibragimov – will look to score another notable win against 30-year-old Witherspoon, 30-2(22). Against the cousin of former heavyweight champ “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon, Mitchell will be giving away a substantial amount of height and reach (Mitchell is 6’2” and 76.5” – ‘Spoon is 6’4” and 77”)
Only top names have so far beaten “The Gentleman,” as Witherspoon is known. Chris Arreola knocked him down a few times on the way to a 3rd-round DQ win back in June of 2008, taking Witherspoon’s unbeaten record with the win, and Tony “The Tiger” Thompson scored a 9th-round TKO over Chazz in late 2009. Since then, Witherspoon has been unable to get himself a big fight. He has one now. Also, Witherspoon has a real chance at making a name for himself all over again by ruining “Mayhem’s” own perfect record.
I feel this one, scheduled for ten rounds, will have a good chance of going the distance. Then again, I said the same thing ahead of the Mitchell-Ibragimov fight and we all know what happened there. Now approaching his peak as a fighter and appearing to hit harder due to sitting down on his punches, Mitchell could conceivably take Witherspoon out quite quickly. Mitchell’s confidence will be soaring right now due to that Ibragimov win.
I’m sticking to my prediction of a distance fight, however, and I see a motivated Witherspoon surviving some early-rounds trouble, coming back himself and ultimately losing a wide decision. If I’m right Mitchell will go ten full rounds for the first time in his pro career on April 28th. But Witherspoon, winner of his last four (over fairly limited opposition, it must be said), will not be satisfied with being the first man to take Mitchell the full ten. Witherspoon will be coming in to win.