Kevin Mitchell’s chances of a rematch with Jorge Linares may be slim, but it hasn’t stopped the Brit from pursuing world title dreams. Mitchell isn’t prepared to hold a rematch in Linares’ homeland of Venezuela due to the unsatisfactory purse offers. Instead, the Londoner is now targeting the victor of Anthony Crolla vs Darleys Perez, a WBA title clash set to take place in Manchester, England on July 18th.
“I’d fight the winner of Darleys Perez-Anthony Crolla, that makes sense,” Mitchell told Boxing News. “Hopefully Crolla beats him and I can fight Crolla.”
It seems Mitchell (39-3, 29 KO) is gunning for the most lucrative fights out there, and preferably those which can be held in a UK venue. A world title fight with fellow Brit Crolla (29-4-2, 11 KO) would certainly bring in decent numbers and, with three unsuccessful world title attempts, Mitchell needs to start pulling in as much money as he can. That said, at just 30-years-old his career is far from over.
Going into the later rounds in May, Mitchell seemed destined for glory against WBC Lightweight holder Linares (39-3, 26 KO). Supporting Kell Brook vs Frankie Gavin, Mitchell had so far put in a boxing masterclass and was looking on top. But Mitchell’s childhood dreams went up in flames after he was stopped in the 10th round following a barrage of punishment from the reigning champion.
The bout has been shrouded in ‘what ifs’ since, however, due to the multiple (accidental?) headbutts Mitchell received during the fight. Did they contribute to the freakish, stomach-curdling swelling over Mitchell’s left eye? The Londoner would tell you yes.
“I had him beat, he knows I had him beat,” Mitchell assured. “What annoys me about our first fight are the head clashes … He head butted me once and then kept doing it, I had two cuts over my left eye, he butted me on the bridge of my nose and reopened a cut there.”
And a final message for his conqueror, Linares:
“The only reason he won was because of the cuts, it’s clear that he knows I had him beat but if he wants to get it on, let’s get it on.”
Was the Mitchell vs Linares fight inconclusive? Was Mitchell shortchanged? And is a rematch necessary? Let us know, fight fans.
The BoxingBase.com writing staff provide worldwide boxing news, coverage and analysis – they can be contacted via email and social media.
