Seth Mitchell Fights Chris Arreola Sept. 6th on Showtime

Seth Mitchell & Alantez Fox photo by Anna John for StiffJab.com 

by Gautham Nagesh 

You’ve probably seen the news already, but in boxing it’s not really safe to promise a fight will happen until after the opening bell. Regardless, the reports are true: Brandywine, Md. heavyweight Seth Mitchell will continue his quest for the heavyweight championship September 6th on Showtime against veteran contender Chris “Nightmare” Arreola.

Taking on the dangerous Arreola is undoubtedly a step up for Mitchell, who is coming off a 12-round decision win over Johnathon Banks that received tepid reviews from the fight press. The win avenged Seth’s loss to Banks last November, the only blemish on his career, but didn’t silence questions about his defense or his chin. Still, Mitchell refuses to apologize for his cautious performance, and believes Arreola could be a final step before reaching the top.

“I’m excited. This is the fight I wanted a while ago,” Mitchell told Stiff Jab in a phone interview. “I know Chris Arreola is going to come to fight. It’s more so a do-or-die fight for him.”[[MORE]]

Mitchell knows traveling to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Arreola’s backyard of Indio, Calif. could be risky, but he’s not worried because he doesn’t expect this fight to go the distance. That’s probably a safe bet, since these two have 49 knockout wins between them. Both have also been stopped once, though Arreola’s retirement against Vitali Klitschko is a bit more forgivable.

“I know it’s in his backyard, but sometimes you need to travel to the lion’s den to get what you want,” Mitchell said. “I’m not really worried. I’ve seen a lot of crazy decisions, especially with the hometown advantage. But I truly believe this fight won’t go to the scorecards. I’m confident in my ability, and truly believe I’m going to go out there and win this fight.”

Questions about his ability to take a punch will dog Mitchell until he claims the crown, so he understands that some will view Arreola and his big right hand as a particularly dangerous matchup. Mitchell acknowledged Arreola’s advantage in experience, but pointed out his opponent has always failed when fighting on the highest level.

“Everyone has talked about the type of fighter he is. I don’t think he’s a bad fighter, I think he comes to fight. But he never beat anyone in a 50-50 fight,” Mitchell said, pointing to Arreola’s losses against Klitschko, Tomasz Adamek and Bermane Stiverne. 

“He’s won fights he was supposed to, but whenever he steps in the ring with level competition, he loses,” Mitchell continued. “I don’t want to underestimate him, he’s a big puncher. He’s going to be there to fight all day long.”

Mitchell knows Arreola is capable of turning out the lights on almost any heavyweight, but believes his conditioning and athleticism will help him rule the day. The shorter training camp should also help Mitchell, who practically lives in the gym. Arreola, in contrast, has been known to turn up for fights toting a spare tire or two.

“I still need to go out there and be smart. I need to fight my fight, without giving away too much,” Mitchell said, suggesting a rehash of the Banks fight may be in order. “I can’t let him dictate, I can’t let him get off a lot. We have a great game plan.”

“I think my conditioning advantage is going to help me a lot. But I’m expecting Arreola to come in there in the best shape of his life. He knows what’s at stake, he knows he just came off a loss [to Stiverne],” Mitchell added. “I’ve just got to be smart, continue to work on defense. Keep my hands up, and use all forms of defense.”

Should he get past Arreola, Mitchell is confident he will be ready for anyone, including a shot at heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko. Seth cited his track record of taking hard fights as evidence that he is ready to continue climbing, even as some critics have argued Mitchell isn’t ready for the world level.

“I haven’t been groomed along the way, if you look at my early career,” Mitchell said. “I believe if I go out and take care of business on the 6th, I’m deserving of a title shot or a title eliminator.”

As always, Mitchell is humble but confident, and painfully aware of both the significance and danger of this fight.

“If I lost to Arreola, my win over Banks means nothing. It’s definitely a crossroads fight for both of us. He’s gonna be ready, I’m gonna be ready,” Mitchell said.

“If we had to fight in two weeks, I’d be ready to fight. He better be in shape, that’s all I’m gonna say.”