Boxing Betting: Mitchell aims for Khan showdown

Boxing Betting / Ralph Ellis / 04 December 2009 / Leave a Comment

Kevin Mitchell says: “I’ve taken this fight so I can beat the kid and show the whole country I’m a better fighter than Amir."

Amir Khan has got the headline fight tomorrow defending his WBA light welterweight crown. But there's a whole queue of British boxers lining up for a shot at him and they are all in action this weekend, writes Ralph Ellis.

Tonight, of course, is Prizefighter in the weight and Welshman Gavin Rees, the [3.6] favourite to win that event, has already made it clear in Betfair's Big Interview that he wants to meet Khan if he justifies those odds. The other seven fighters on the card at Olympia will be just as keen to line up a world title fight if they come through.

But there is yet another British boxer aiming to force his claims for a challenge, and he'll be doing it right under Khan's nose - on the undercard in Newcastle before the former Olympic silver medallist steps into the ring against Dmitriy Salita.

Kevin Mitchell sounds as if he should be a character from East Enders - one of those long lost nephews who turns up in the Queen Vic one night and then starts a ruck when he's had too much to drink! And he hails from the right part of the country - a bit further out into the edge of Essex in Dagenham.

He's already quietly made a name for himself putting together a 29 fight unbeaten run under the watchful eye of Frank Warren. Now his chance to alert the world to his potential comes with delicious irony because he is fighting Breidis Prescott - the Colombian who shattered Khan's image last year with two knock downs in 54 seconds.

It's an eliminator for the world lightweight title, with the winner due to go on and fight Australian Michael Katsidis for the WBO belt next year. But the eventual plan is to tempt Khan into a catchweight contest between the two.

Mitchell has told the Daily Mirror: "I've taken this fight so I can beat the kid and show the whole country I'm a better fighter than Amir. I've always fancied the fight against Prescott. I know he's a big puncher but I've knocked out 22 in 29 fights - so it should be interesting."

The odds reflect that. While Khan is a ridiculous [1.19] for his meeting with Salita, Betfair's punters can hardly separate Mitchell and Prescott. The Dagenham Destroyer is [1.9] while Prescott trades at [1.99]. Given the punching power they both bring to the ring the safest bet might be trying to get a bet matched around [1.9] that it won't go the distance.

Five things you might not know about Kevin Mitchell

1. Born in Romford, Essex, in 1984, he got into boxing to protect himself at Dagenham Comprehensive School.

2. He was still 18 when he won the ABA featherweight championship in 2003, and beat Stevie Quinn with a first round knockout in his first pro fight in July that year

3. That fight came after he turned down the chance of competing in the 2004 Olympics. He went on to win hold both the British and Commonwealth Super Featherweight titles

4. He won his first fight outside the UK when he stopped Walter Estrada in Atlantic City in June 2008 - but then had to take nearly a year out because of a hand injury

5. He goes back to his old school for two hours a week to run a boxing club - the rules are that to stay in the club they must do all their schoolwork properly. "I'm trying to reach the kids who hang around on a park bench smoking," he says.