Other than that the Brandywine, Maryland resident and former Michigan State linebacker turned pugilist is confident in his abilities, unafraid to enter the lion’s den to risk multiple titles against the more experienced, harder hitting, but perhaps waning Arreola in what is a pivotal match up for both men.
“I didn’t want to take a lateral step or step down, I wanted to jump up,” Mitchell said after his latest triumph, a rematch victory over Kronk fighter Johnathon Banks. “It’s high stakes, high rewards in this business. My main objective is to become financially secure and win the heavyweight championship. I think I’m on the right path.”
Of course thinking and knowing are two different things so that we’ll find out whether Seth is on the right path soon enough. That aside, one cannot but admire the courage and determination of Mitchell who’s taking on a comparably formidable adversary in Chris Arreola, once touted to become the first ever heavyweight champion of Mexican descent.
On his way up Arreola had stopped just about everyone in his path to earn him his first shot at a major world title in 2009 against the then and still WBC belt holder Vitali Klitschko. But unable to adapt against a much lengthier opponent, “The Nightmare” would suffer a nightmare of his own, no less cut to ribbons in front of hometown fans.
Two bouts later in yet another contest with title implications, Chris would succumb to former cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek, Adamek comfortably outboxing a less mobile Arreola. As a result, the once promising top-ten heavyweight would fall from the rankings, becoming relegated to back burner status.
But fighting a who’s who of fringe opponents, “The Nightmare” after contending with disciplinary issues, to include many a Corona amongst other caloric offerings finding their way into training camp, would put together a string of victories. Those victories would set up a showdown with Bermane Stiverne, the winner to be in line for a shot against non other than Vitali Klitschko.
Suffice it to say that Stiverne would handily defeat a thick middled Arreola, who in suffering a shattered nose along the way would see his latest march towards another title opportunity nixed. That brings us to the present tilt with Seth Mitchell over whom Chris looks to be the frontrunner despite Mitchell coming in as the defending WBO/NABO, and WBC international champion.
With past distractions in check to a degree, a somewhat rededicated Arreola simply has the goods to overwhelm his latest adversary, this of course quite dependant on a less than 250 pound Arreola showing up on fight night. Otherwise an astute Mitchell may take a page from Stiverne and try to outbox what would be a sloth of an opponent.
Having said that, and though unable to dismiss Mitchell’s resolve entirely, it’s no less a tough row to hoe against the more potent and battle tested Mexican banger. Top that off with the fact that Seth in addition to possessing a less than solid chin hasn’t fully transformed from a football player into a boxer so that it’s quite possible “Mayhem” may have bitten off more than he can chew.
All told Seth Mitchell is but a work in progress, something he readily admits, as well as something quite in evidence. That’s to say despite a seriously lethargic return bout performance handed in by Johnathon Banks, Banks would nevertheless rock Mitchell much as he had done during their initial encounter when he dropped the ex-footballer twice en-route to a second round demolition.
Recants Mitchell. “What I learned from the Banks fight is I can’t always be a bull. I have to be more patient about judging my balance and distance. I still made mistakes in the second fight. You’ve got to keep your eyes on your opponent. Him [Arreola] being a big puncher, I’ve got to sharpen up my defense. I can’t be lunging and reaching, that’s how you get knocked down.”
There in a nutshell is Seth Mitchell, unafraid to take chances yet overtly alluding to the fact that basic fundamentals seem to elude him at the most inopportune moments. Throw in a set of frail whiskers as determined by less than hard punchers Johnathon Banks and Chazz Witherspoon, and the odds are no doubt stacked against him.
But if the Sweet Science reveals anything to us it’s that the script gets flipped from time to time so that the man from Brandywine who professes to have come a long way in the past few months has a chance to prevail no matter the predicament.
Enter a frothing at the mouth Arreola who’s gone to the point of incorporating the hate angle. “It won’t go past 6” said Chris. “I am going to bring the heat up his ass. I went to train in the heat and he’s going to feel it. I am going to whoop his ass. Not only will I whoop his ass but I will be talking shit while I do it. I hate this fucking guy. I’ll admit it, I’m a hater.”
No doubt words and a mind set to go along with it to psyche himself up. And why not? With a potential shot at Deontay Wilder, considered by many the leading U.S. heavyweight, “The Nightmare’s” by any means necessary attitude may pay dividends in this all important bout.
But falling short on promises is nothing new for the Los Angeles born fighter who says he’ll contemplate retirement if indeed he comes up short this weekend. It all comes down to execution when Chris Arreola takes on Seth Mitchell for the WBO/NABO, and WBC international heavyweight titles on Showtime Championship Boxing this Saturday beginning at 10:30 pm ET/PT.
Also featured in the co-main event, former two-division world champion Rafael Marquez (41-8, 37 KO’s) of Mexico City, Mexico will battle it out over the course of ten rounds with Gardena, California’s rugged prospect Efrain Esquivias (16-2-1, 9 KO’s). Don’t miss the action.
