Chris Arreola KOs Seth Mitchell
Photos by Esther Lin for Showtime
by Gautham Nagesh
I was ringside at Rosecroft Raceway last night when I heard that Seth Mitchell had been knocked out by Chris Arreola in the first round.
The news spread like salacious gossip among the fight crowd, usually accompanied by a wag of the head. My trainer texted me soon after, mildly surprised that Mitchell hadn’t lasted longer. Unfortunately, he was one of the few I spoke to that didn’t claim, with the benefit of hindsight, to have expected the outcome.
In truth, I had feared exactly this result, but had hoped for one of those rare moments of shock that validate my obsession with the Sweet Science. Experience should have taught me better by now. Only a complete capitulation by Arreola, a replay of Johnathon Banks’ effort in his rematch with Mitchell, would have altered this result. Chris Arreola is a world-class heavyweight. Seth Mitchell isn’t. I knew this long before I sat down to watch the fight on Showtime early this morning. It is why I hedged on making a prediction before the fight.
[[MORE]]The actual fight was a brief affair, spanning just two minutes and twenty-six seconds, according to the official timekeeper. Mitchell bounced around the ring from the outset as expected, but Arreola also had a spring in his step. Perhaps it was his renewed dedication in training camp, or simply a predator’s instinct. Mitchell landed an early one-two combination flush, but Arreola barely blinked, and continued to stalk his foe.
Mitchell threw his jab as we prescribed, and moved to his side while launching the left hook. A few of his blows landed and seemed formidable, but Arreola has tasted Vitali Klitschko’s right hand without succumbing. His chin was too strong to crack from a single blow from Mitchell, however powerful they may be. Arreola clearly knew this, and elected to take a few shots in hopes of landing a big punch of his own.
Mitchell made his mistake almost a minute into the fight, trying for a wild lead uppercut from the outside while his back was against the ropes. Arreola tapped Mitchell with a left hook to the head in response, more to find his range than damage his foe. Mitchell stepped off to the side and squared up, but he also pulled back with his left hand low.
Seth then pawed with his jab, leaving an opening for Arreola to step forward with a one-two combination of his own. Arreola’s right hand exploded on Mitchell’s cheek like a cannon shot, and Mitchell crumbled before latching onto Arreola’s torso to stay upright. The pair wrestled for a moment, then Arreola flung Mitchell to the ground in a heap.
Seth somehow found his feet, but was clearly dazed as the referee re-started the action. Mitchell tried to land a big shot to even the score, but Arreola calmly measured him for another straight right hand. The pair exchanged left hooks and Mitchell took the worst of it, then Arreola followed with a series of short blows that ultimately forced Mitchell to the canvas.
Mitchell courageously rose and insisted he could continue. But another hard overhand right by Arreola followed by a barrage against the ropes forced Mitchell to turn his head and walk away. Referee Jack Reis realized Mitchell could no longer avoid the blows, and correctly stepped in to stop the fight. In doing so, he ensured Mitchell can continue his career unscathed, if he should choose to do so.
Mitchell’s head movement has improved of late, but he still inexplicably keeps his left hand low. That strategy works for fighters that grew up in the gym, who have an innate sense of distance and when they must cover up or slip a punch. Mitchell lacks that ingrained sense of danger, and it has left him wide open to the right hand in his past few fights. Avoiding the straight right is one of the first lessons a boxer learns in the gym, but mastering it can take a lifetime. Mitchell can be forgiven if he isn’t quite Floyd Mayweather after fighting for just six years.
“I just…I got caught. I’m very disappointed right now. I’m very confident in my ability to win this fight,” a crestfallen Mitchell told Showtime’s Jim Gray after the fight. “Chris Arreola did what he was supposed to do…but my heart just hurts right now. I don’t know what to say. [We] just have to go back to the drawing board. This was a big, big fight for both of us. And I knew that. It was a fight that I definitely wanted.”
Mitchell will now forever be dogged with questions about his chin, which are fair, given that he has been hurt badly in his last three fights. But his handlers should be more concerned about his tendency to get plowed with the right hand. Any time a trained heavyweight unloads the full force of their money punch into someone’s jaw, that person is in danger of going down. Even George Foreman eventually succumbed, though under vastly different circumstances. Mitchell’s concern should be that he gets hit, more than how his body reacts afterward.
Some will call for Mitchell to abandon his quest for the heavyweight title, but I don’t see it. Fighting is his job, and he is pretty good at it. Seth Mitchell has been boxing for roughly six years; Chris Arreola for 26. Bearing that in mind, last night’s outcome should have probably been expected. Mitchell can continue to improve, and earn a decent living as an entertaining heavyweight. More than anything, he doesn’t strike me as a quitter, and I can’t imagine this is how he wants to go out.
However, there is obvious risk in sticking to the sport for Mitchell, since he has now been stopped twice and hurt in two other fights. Perhaps the best road is to avoid big punchers for the present, in hopes of developing the kind of defense that will aid him should he step up in class again. For now, challenging for a world title seems like a bridge too far. Better to take a fight or two at a lower level and see how things go.
As for Arreola, potential has never been his problem. He was quick to boast that the fight was “easy work”, even dropping to the mat to do push-ups right after the stoppage. Arreola has the tools to challenge any heavyweight, but he has never had the desire to match. I’d like to believe that has changed, but I’m trying to be a little better about heeding the evidence in front of my eyes.
A rematch with Bermane Stiverne is a winnable fight for Arreola, and a chance to avenge his last loss. He requested the rematch during his boisterous post-fight interview, but whether it will take place remains uncertain. If Vitali retires, the fight could happen and come with a WBC trinket attached. Of course, we know such things are meaningless. Only those that beat a Klitschko can truly claim to be heavyweight champ.
The TV opener saw Mexican legend Rafael Marquez (left) open strongly in his featherweight bout against local favorite Efrain Esquivias. Marquez appeared in control early, but Esquivias made the adjustment and soon found a home for his straight right hand. The fight saw good action, and Marquez had his moments, but the tide clearly favored Esquivias as the rounds wore on. A final stand by Marquez in the 7th gave his fans some hope, but Esquivias took control again in the 8th.
The fight ended early in the 9th, when a lead right caught Marquez squarely on his chin. He sat down promptly, rose on unsteady legs and walked toward his corner in a daze. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. recognized the danger and ended the fight; Marquez was later taken to the hospital on a stretcher as a precautionary measure. If this is his last fight, Marquez has nothing to apologize for. His career will undoubtedly land him in Canastota, and his four fights against Israel Vasquez are among the sport’s most celebrated.
Esquivias called out Golden Boy darling Leo Santa Cruz at 122 lbs, indicating he intends to move back down after fighting his last two fights at higher weight classes. Considering how sturdy Esquivias is and how Santa Cruz has buzz-sawed his opponents, I can’t think of a single good reason that fight shouldn’t be made. Far scarier is the idea that Marquez may land the shot against Santa Cruz. One would think that such an idea would disgust anyone involved, but then again, this is boxing.
