By Ian S Palmer
American heavyweight prospects Seth Mitchell and Cristobal Arreola will go at it this Saturday September 7 at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California. It’s a 12-round bout that will be aired by the Showtime Network in America and by Super Channel in Canada. Mitchell will climb through the ring ropes with a record of 26-1-1 with 19 Kos while Cristobal Arreola carries a record of 35-3 with him along with 30 Kos. The bout is also for Mitchell’s WBC International Heavyweight Crown and his WBO NABO belt.
Mitchell has lost just one fight in his pro career which was by knockout to fellow American Johnathon Banks in the second round last November. He avenged this mark on his record by earning a unanimous decision over Banks in their rematch in June. Mitchell is 31 years old now and was once regarded as one of the top heavyweight prospects in the U.S. The same thing was said of Arreola too in the past.
The 10-year, 32-year-old veteran Arreola may not possess the greatest boxing skills around, but he’s game and tough. As you can see by his knockout record of 30 Kos in 35 wins we know he can bang with some power in the heavyweight division. Mitchell is the better overall athlete though and this could ultimately be the deciding factor in the fight.
Arreola doesn’t shy away from the division’s elite fighters and his record of opponents includes heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko along with former light heavyweight and cruiserweight title holder Tomasz Adamek of Poland and America’s Jameel McCline. His three losses came at the hands of Klitschko, Adamek and Bermane Stiverne, in his last outing earlier this year. He’s been stopped once, in the 10th round by Klitschko back in 2009.
Arreloa will fight to the finish and isn’t afraid to go out on his shield. He just lacks the necessary skills to win decisions and will have his hands full against the strong and powerful Mitchell. The pressure is on Mitchell in this fight though since Arreola is no longer considered to be a top prospect and has slipped over the past few years. Mitchell needs to win to prove that his loss to Banks was just an aberration. If he loses this bout, especially by stoppage, he’ll basically be considered an opponent these days, much like Arreola is.
Mitchell is dedicated and has some decent boxing skills. He also enters the ring in tip-top shape which hasn’t always been the case with Arreola. Both of these guys have good power and they’ve both been decked in the past. Arreola is more likely to turn it into a brawl than Mitchell as this will be his best hope. This means his willing to risk getting knocked out to stop Mitchell. He’s also said he may retire if he loses and this tells fans he may not be as motivated as he should be.
These guys are basically the same size at about 6-foot-3 and each have a 76-inch reach. Mitchell has the superior ring skills, but Arreola can whack with the best of them. There could be a knockdown or two in this fight and whoever has the greater will to win should come out on top. It’s a tossup, but Mitchell has the edge because he could win by decision or KO where Arreola really needs to stop him to win. Therefore, expect to see Mitchell win the fight by decision or a stoppage in the first half of it.
