Saturday, November 17, 2012

Mitchell Is Stopped In Second!

Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell's undefeated run has ended.  Johnathon Banks of Detroit, MI dropped Mitchell three times in the second round tonight at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.
Banks dropped Mitchell with a right hand after a minute in the second followed by two more knockdowns before referee Eddie Cotton stopped the contest at 2:37 of the round.  With the loss, Mitchell is now 25-1-1, 19 KO's.  Banks, who is now the NABO Heavyweight champ as well as the WBC International titleholder is now 29-1-1, 19 KO's.

In other bouts on the card that involved local boxers, Berlin, MD middleweight Joshua Snyder was stopped in the fifth round by Demetrius Hopkins at 1:26 of the fifth.  Snyder, who took the bout on two days notice, is now 9-8-1, three KO's.  Hopkins is 32-2-1, 12 KO's.  Also, junior lightweight Terron Grant of White Plains, MD remained undefeated with a first-round stoppage of Abraham Esquivel.  The bout ended at 2:14 after Grant knocked Esquivel down three times in the contest.  Grant is now 5-0, three KO's while Esquivel is 4-3, two KO's.

37 comments:

Anonymous said...

what are the results of the Snyder fight Gary?

Shaver said...

In an important heavyweight match, WBC #6/IBF #12 Johnathon Banks (29-1-1, 19 KOs) scored an explosive second round KO over previously unbeaten WBO #3/WBC #7 Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell (25-1-1, 19 KOs). Banks, who is also the trainer of heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, dropped Mitchell three times in round two and the fight was waved off by referee Eddie Cotton. Time was 2:37. Banks claimed Mitchell’s NABO title and won the vacant WBC International heavyweight title.

riff said...

Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell (25-0-1, 19 KO's) has burst onto the heavyweight scene in a big way. People are throwing his name around as a candidate to face one of the Klitschkos, and some even think that he's the next great American champion.

Unfortunately, I think they're dreaming.

Mitchell will fight Johnathon Banks Saturday night in a 12-round matchup that is being billed as a WBC semifinal title eliminator. Mitchell is a substantial favorite, and many are picking him to KO Banks.

However, I don't think that's going to happen. I think there is a good possibility Banks is going to expose Mitchell for what he really is: overhyped.

Mitchell is taking on a Tyson-esque persona as a devastating knockout artist. He has won by knockout in his last 10 fights. He has looked impressive, but against pathetic opponents. The biggest name he's faced is Timur Ibragimov, who hasn't been relevant in the last six years.

Seth Mitchell is new to boxing. He has only been fighting professionally for four years. He sorely lacks experience. He's athletic and powerful but he's a novice boxer. His stance is too wide and he throws telegraphed, looping punches. When he throws his punches straight, he's dangerous. When he doesn't, he leaves himself open.

I also question Mitchell's stamina. He's gone eight rounds in one fight. I'm not sure if he can handle a 12-round fight at this point in his young career. He looked gassed after three rounds with Chazz Witherspoon.


Johnathon Banks (28-1-1, 18 KO's) has been boxing for seven years. His record isn't flawless, but records don't win fights. Banks has faced decent competition like Tomasz Adamek and Jason Gavern, but he lost via TKO to Adamek and fought to a draw against Gavern.
So why do I think that Banks can pull off an upset victory against Mitchell?

Johnathon Banks has a huge edge in experience and he's a more skilled boxer than Seth Mitchell. Banks was trained by the late Emanuel Steward, and his skills are steadily improving. He's gone a full 12 rounds five times, and is 4-0-1 in those fights.

If Banks can effectively play the role of counterpuncher and push the fight into the later rounds, I think he has a good shot at beating Mitchell.

Seth Mitchell may win this fight, but it's only a matter of time before someone boxes circles around this brawler and hands him his first loss.

Banks just might be the one to do this. Don't be surprised if he beats Mitchell.

.

Millex said...

Seth Mitchell's hype train hit the wall tonight, as veteran Johnathon Banks dropped him three times and stopped him in the second round.
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Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell had been hyped and promoted as the potential savior of American heavyweight boxing. If he's going to reach those heights, it's going to take plenty more time, as the former Michigan State football star was knocked out in the second round tonight by veteran Johnathon Banks.
Banks (29-1-1, 19 KO) lost the first round, but hurt Mitchell (25-1-1, 19 KO) in the second round, and dropped him three times en route to the upset stoppage at 2:37 of round two.
It's not a total shock; after all, Mitchell had been buzzed badly earlier this year by Chazz Witherspoon, and had to come back to survive and win that one. Tonight, since Banks is better than Witherspoon, he couldn't overcome the buzzing, and he met the harsh reality of professional boxing: The schooling matters, and Seth Mitchell doesn't quite have it just yet.
This is not something where we should instantly write off Mitchell, a 30-year-old prospect. It's up to him how he handles this. Heavyweights can peak late, and Mitchell has time. This is not a completely devastating loss; heavyweights with Mitchell's personality, who fight the way he does, will get chances to right the ship.
"I want to congratulate Johnathon on a hell of a performance. He caught me. I thought I definitely won the first round. In the second round, our main focus was to not reach on him, but I threw a looping shot and reached, and he did what he was supposed to do," Mitchell said after the fight.
"I'm going to bounce back from this. I'm going to look at the tape and see what I did wrong," he continued, showing the attitude that has made many like him even though he's clearly been pushed a little harder than he was ready for given his inexperience.
Banks dedicated the fight to the man who brought him into the boxing world as a 15-year-old, Emanuel Steward. One week after training Wladimir Klitschko to a win over Mariusz Wach, Banks has scored the biggest win of his career, and moved his way up the heavyweight rankings.

Anonymous said...

sef mitchell; has a glass jaw. he need to retire an probly will cuz he will not be on tv ever again. how dare peeps talk about fighting klitsco. what a joke. sef got beat tonight by a light heacy weight. can u just imagine being hit by klitsco brothers. manager chose wrong guy on this fight, very dum move that was not investigated. on other hand terron grant did great, looked like a million dollars. he actually can take a harder punch the sef. damn shame

Anonymous said...

Looks like the party is over! You can take that to the Bank. Like in Johnathan Bank.

K. Shooad said...

hopefully mitchell will fight one more time and get a win. if not, he will always be remembered as the guy who got destroyed by a light heavy-weight. they need to start searching now for a feather fisted foe so they can get him a victory to say goodbye.

Anonymous said...

He's truthfully been nothing more than hype. Very shocking that Golden Boy signed him so early. But I guess that's business though. Golden Boy gambled on a gift horse and lost.

Anonymous said...

Grant looked great. He has always been in there with tough fighters and he has always passed the test. Hopefully, we will see this young man again.

Boxing Wiz said...

Seth Mitchell was as good as Kimbo Slice. That's not good; however, would love to see them fight eachother. Both hit extremely hard and both have glass jaws.

Anonymous said...

The referee stopped the onslaught at 2:37 of the second round, and America’s supposed “next big thing” at heavyweight lay on the canvas, beaten down by Wladimir Klitschko’s sparring partner.

Gary Digital Williams said...

I don't know where these comments are coming from, but to write Mitchell off after one loss in the current state of the heavyweight division is ridiculous.

This was Mitchell's first loss since his last amateur bout. It was not a good night. Mitchell got caught, pure. Even Banks said he didn't set any traps for him. What will ultimately decide how far Mitchell can continue in boxing is how he bounces back from this.

Ken GI said...

This is incontrovertible and irrefutable. Mitchell's handlers will continue to match him carefully against selected opposition over in America, and wait for Vitali Klitschko to retire. Upon which, the WBC will arrange a fight between Mitchell and someone like Arreola for the vacant strap. If Mitchell came over to the tough European HW scene, and fought a top 15 ranked Heavy, he'd get exposed for the limited fighter he is.

Anonymous said...

WOW
all these negative comments.
Seth Mitchell got caught on the sweet spot and went down from it,this doesn't mean he can't make it in the division it just means that a good fighter got hit by another good fighter and got knocked down.
I doubt that this is the last you will see of Seth Mitchell.
Strong will,strong punches,good training habits and a good team will put this guy where he needs to be to make some real money in the sport.
I look forward to seeing him fight
again.

Scott Farmer

Anonymous said...

He actually has a great trainer, it's the managment that everyone questions. 33 1/3 % is uncalled for.

Anonymous said...

Agree. Good trainer, good work habits, has all the tools, but a questionable chin and unquestionably needs new management. No one in boxing likes that dude!

I feel for Andre Hunter. A good man who has taken 2 local fighters to the crest of the mountain top but fallen short. This wasnt for the world title like the Pearson guy but we all know Klitchscko was in the on deck circle if he got past Banks. Hopefully he will get another chance.

Anonymous said...

never count your roosters until they laid

Tim Kill said...

I think you meant chickens before they hatched. Either way, Mitchell needs to rebuild himself, the questioning of the chin will remain on his and everyone elses mind for years to come. Anyone he faces will come out bombs away in hopes of catching him with the one needed shot. The truth is, he has been exposed, no other way to put it. To keep it real, the shot wasn't even that hard. Hopefully the young man has made enough money to perhaps start his own business. He is well educated and has most likely learned quite a bit since turning professional. He should not fight again! Why risk it when you have family and kids. Hopefully, he will not allow the vultures talk him into it for just another pay-day.

Anonymous said...

Jonathan Banks was TKOd a few years ago, and he fought his way back. Seth will do the same.

Make your criticizm constructive. If you see him, encourage him. He came a long way in a very short time and can fail forward like Banks, and plenty other pugilists have.

Anonymous said...

I know Mitchell will bounce back from this loss. To me it was a learning experience. In my opinion he took banks lightly and figure out he could knock him out early. He left himself wide open throwing those wild shots. His experience show tonight but with some adjustment from his trainer, no question he will most likely win a rematch. Keep your head up and take some time off and comer back stronger.

Quan €¢^± said...

He could come back but his chin will remain the same. I dont think there is a way to fix that. He gets rocked everytime by the slightest punch. How old is he? Is his contract about over with gb? Will he now be on local md cards? I guess time will tell.

Anonymous said...

Seth is some do-do his next fight will be at sugar rays gym

Anonymous said...

look don't give the guy such a hard time, he tried. he is 30 years old, started boxing when he was 26. what the hell do you expect him to do. he did what most cannot do. if u think about it-hes pretty damn smart, got in, made some money with soft fights, tried his hand and now he's getting out. he did well considering his age and his am experiance. give the guy a break. did u really expect him to become the heavy weight champion of the world. ofcourst not, if boxing was that easy-evetryone be doing it. hopefully, he was able to save most of his money.

Anonymous said...

Lmao.....

Anonymous said...

The plan to have seth only fight two to three times a year(aside from hand injury) was bad all along and this is the proof. Seth has a lot of potential and he needed more round to get him ready for the championship level. he has had 27 in fights in almost five years. Most champions have had that many fights in two years. seth can still make waves he just needs to be developed right. not every fight needs to be an hbo. he could have had some off the air bouts.

Anonymous said...

Seth will be ok, anyone that knows anything about boxing can see that he can and will bounce back from this defeat. It seems as if in this area everyone is against anyone that has a little bit of success but when they see u face to face they are your buddies. Be happy for anyone that can and will overcome life's challenges.

Anonymous said...

Who is his manager anyway, Shariff Salim or Al Hamon?

S.O.P. said...

In less than two rounds this past Saturday night, the global landscape of the heavyweight boxing division was given a much-needed shot in the arm. World ranked heavyweight Johnathon Banks proved himself to be “The Best Heavyweight From The United States” with a devastating second round knockout of undefeated and highly regarded Seth Mitchell at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Anonymous said...

The late, great Emanuel Steward would have been so proud.

Heavyweight Johnathon Banks, whom Steward took under his wing when Banks was 15 and who was grooming him as an assistant trainer before Steward died, scored a major upset by knocking out Seth Mitchell in the second round on Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall on the Antonio DeMarco-Adrien Broner undercard.

Banks didn't just win. He won emphatically against Mitchell, regarded by many as boxing's top American heavyweight prospect.




Banks (29-1-1, 19 KOs), 30, of Detroit, destroyed Mitchell. Although Banks, a former cruiserweight who is now 9-0-1 at heavyweight, was outweighed by 24 pounds, he tore Mitchell up in the second round.

He dropped Mitchell three times in shocking fashion. The first knockdown came after a left uppercut and a right hand. Mitchell, whose chin has been questioned before, was in trouble.

Mitchell continued, but Banks dropped him again with a clean right hand and Mitchell's legs were gone. When Mitchell went down for the third time, referee Eddie Cotton stopped it at 2 minutes, 37 seconds.

"He never saw my left," Banks said. "He didn't know what to do when he got hurt. He got hurt immediately, and he was not experienced enough to grab and hold me and save himself."

Banks' story certainly is a heartwarming one. He was fighting with a heavy heart, just four days after the memorial service for Steward, his mentor and father figure who died late last month, and a week after training heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko to his lopsided decision win against Mariusz Wach in Germany.

Steward's memorial service was delayed in part to allow Banks, who once lived with Steward, and Klitschko time to get to Detroit following last week's fight.

Steward had trained Klitschko since 2004, and Banks had been in the camps with him them each time. When Steward died, Klitschko asked Banks to take over his corner and train him to his lopsided decision win against Wach.

While training Klitschko, Banks was also training with his own trainer, Steward's nephew Javon "Sugar" Hill.

Banks was putting in four training sessions a day -- two with Hill to prepare for the fight and two more training Klitschko. The hard work paid off as Mitchell, 30, of Brandywine, Md., a former Michigan State linebacker, couldn't stand up to the smaller man.

"This is dedicated to Emanuel," an emotional Banks said after the fight. "I wasn't thinking of myself as an opponent, and I was very motivated for this fight in light of everything that happened with Emanuel and then with Wladimir's fight last week. Boxing has been my life, and this is a continuation of what I do."

Mitchell (25-1-1, 19 KOs) had designs on challenging Klitschko for the title, perhaps as soon as late 2013. That's down the drain after this massive setback.

Klitschko, too, had his eyes on Mitchell as a challenger because he has wanted an American opponent so it would make sense to defend the title in the U.S. again. But if those plans had to be scuttled, at least it was his trainer who did the job.

Mitchell -- who in his most recent fight, on April 28 at Boardwalk Hall, was badly rocked in the first round before rallying to knock out Chazz Witherspoon in the third round -- was stunned by Saturday's outcome.

"I could have gotten through the round, but the ref did what he had to do," Mitchell said. "I'm good. I feel OK. He just caught me with a good shot. He dazed me, and I'm really upset. He's a counterpuncher. I threw a shot that was out of reach and he caught me. But I'll bounce back.

"It won't spoil my dreams. It might set me back a little. Don't be sorry for me. Be sorry for my next opponent."
Dan Rafael

Greg J. said...

Just read this crazy plan!
Sharif Salim Davis, manager of prospect Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell, of Brandywine, Md., has unveiled a three-fight plan that would culminate with a heavyweight title bout in the winter of 2013 should Mitchell get beyond an HBO-televised, Nov. 17 clash of 30-year-olds with Johnathon Banks at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Mitchell (25-0-1, 19 knockouts) will face Banks (28-1-1, 18 KOs) on the undercard of a main event between WBC lightweight beltholder Antonio DeMarco (28-2-1, 21 KOs) and former WBO junior lightweight beltholder Adrien Broner (24-0, 20 KOs).

Mitchell is coming off knockouts in the second and third rounds over Timur Ibragimov and Chazz Witherspoon in December of last year and April, respectively, both times, on HBO.

Mitchell stopped Ibragimov on the undercard of a main event during which Lamont Peterson earned a split-decision over Amir Khan at The Washington Convention Center, and he halted Witherspoon on the undercard of Chad Dawson's unanimous decision over Bernard Hopkins at Boardwalk Hall.

After Banks, however, Mitchell's manager, Sharif Salim, would like his fighter to be the main event.

"We've been in some high-profile undercard fights, and we're the co-main event for this fight with Banks," said Salim. "So I think that the next one, we're going to try to be the main event with a fight, maybe in late February or early March."

Mitchell grew up in Virginia Beach, Va., with little knowledge of a father who separated from his mother, Jeanette Mitchell, when he was 5. Mitchell only met his father three times before the man died in 2006, and moved to Brandywine to live with his grandparents when he was 12.

"I've often talked to Golden Boy about having Seth do three homecoming fights. One would be in his original hometown of Virginia Beach, where he spent his first 12 years," said Salim.

"Virginia Beach is really warming to that idea. They're going big now, even trying to get an NBA team. We would like that sometime in early March or late February, and there, we would be the main event."

The next venue Salim would look to stage a bout for Mitchell would be at Michigan State, where the fighter starred as a scholarship linebacker before graduating with a degree in criminal justice.

"I talked to [Golden Boy CEO] Richard Schaaefer and Golden Boy," said Salim, referring to a summer matchup. "We would like to see a fight in East Lansing, Michigan. We think that we could fill the Breslin Center, where Seth went to college at Michigan State."

Once named Maryland's Defensive Player of the Year at Gwynn Park High in Brandywine by the Associated Press, Mitchell welcomed the challenge of fighting at his collegiate Alma Mater.

"We've already been talking about that. It hasn't come to fruition yet, but hopefully, that can happen sooner rather than later. I would love to go back and fight at the Breslin Center or maybe even have a fight in the football stadium," said Mitchell, in an earlier interview with RingTV.com.

"I think that that would be a good look and I think that it would draw thousands. I think that it would sell out. It's something that Golden Boy and the people from Michigan State have addressed. We haven't quite come to terms yet. But it will happen. It will happen. If I keep on doing what I'm doing, then it will definitely happen."

The run would end in the fall, said Salim, with a championship bout in Washington, D.C., potentially against the Ukrainian Klitschko brothers, Vitali Klitschko or Wladimir Klitschko. Wladimor is the RING, IBF, WBA and WBO champ, and Vitali, the WBC's beltholder.

"If the good Lord blesses us, after that, we would love to have a heavyweight championship fight maybe against a Klitschko at The Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.," said Salim.

"Those are the three homecomings that we would love to have.

Anonymous said...

needless to say, the above comments were the kiss of death. humility and staying grounded is important in all aspects of life, especially in boxing. hopefully a lesson learned.

Anonymous said...

Kudos to Seth Mitchell for accomplishing a lot in boxing despite not picking up the gloves until he was 24. But this experiment is probably over. You can’t teach a chin and in his last two fights Mitchell has been buzzed by Chazz Witherspoon and knocked out in two rounds by Johnathan Banks. There are things Mitchell can do to improve — he still has no idea how to hold when he gets hurt — but if light hitters like Witherspoon and Banks can wobble him, he’s a sitting duck for one of the Klitschko brothers.

Paul said...

After checking around, I've found that GB and Haymon may have broken even on Mitchell up to this point in time. That's because the revenue generated by Seth's three HBO appearances could have compensated for what was invested in him earlier.

However, it will cost money to continue developing/marketing Mitchell. That will be expensive. The continued investment won't yield a payback unless Seth gets a big fight against the K Bros. We all realize now that Mitchell vs the K Bros. will never happen. No possible way. Add to the equation the likelihood that, during his "comeback," Mitchell will be highly vulnerable to getting knocked off by some hard hitting clubfighter (no defense, no chin). This will make GB and Haymon that much more nervous about continuing to invest.

Big question is, will Seth go clubside now, or will he move on to other things. I say he should retire: he's got a college degree and his job prospects aren't bad.

Anonymous said...

Like in the Chazz Witherspoon fight, Mitchell was wobbled early during Saturday night's clash with Johnathon Banks. Unlike the Chazz Witherspoon fight, Mitchell was not allowed to regroup and get himself back into the contest. Dropped three times in the second round after a do-nothing first, Mitchell was never really in the contest. The "Great Hope" of the American heavyweight scene will now go back to the drawing board.

Anonymous said...

There are two other good heavyweight prospects in the area, Jerry Forrest and Danny Kelly. Both started earlier than Mitchell and both have potential.

written by boxing expert said...

Previously undefeated heavyweight prospect Seth Mitchell was blown away last Saturday night against the tough Jonathan Banks. This didn’t surprise me considering his suspect chin, lack of defence and overall crudeness. Jonathan Banks deserved his win as he did an absolute demolition job on the overrated American.

Many, especially a certain someone, have been singing Mitchell’s praises, despite the fact that he got battered before against 3rd tier fighter Chazz Witherspoon. He took some hefty punches, hit the canvas and showed to many that he struggles to take a punch. This was officially exposed against Banks who completely destroyed him. I am happy for Banks considering he came from the Kronk gym and was able to dedicate his win to Emanuel Steward who in my eyes is levels higher than the overrated Freddie Roach who doesn’t teach his fighter defence, hence why Pacquiao and Khan took a lot of punches in their fights.

Another over-hyped American that has been praised a lot, by someone quite obviously for some bizarre reason, is Deontay Wilder, who’s fought nothing but bottom feeders who he’s been able to look good against because his record is without a doubt the most massaged in boxing. Then weirdly enough a certain someone has been slating David Price for not fighting good enough opposition yet has been singing Wilder’s praises for fighting 4th tier fighters and yet has had more fights than Price? Hm, sound’s pretty stupid for that certain someone to be making comments like that. Weird.

Either way Seth Mitchell was exposed brutally as just another over-hyped American with no chin whatsoever. I can’t wait when the day comes when David Price destroys the overrated Wilder and proves to his one main critic who truly is the better heavyweight, because right now I wouldn’t put Wilder near the top 30 in the division and that’s quite embarrassing considering the division is pretty weak.

Brian said...

Shut up