Seth Mitchell Shows Heart, Stops Chazz Witherspoon
by Gautham Nagesh
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.–The road to the top of the heavyweight division is a long one, and almost every fighter along the way is capable of stopping a prospect’s ascension. Rising Maryland heavyweight Seth Mitchell (above) found that out here on Saturday night in the first round against veteran Chazz Witherspoon. Witherspoon had Mitchell in serious trouble after landing a pair of right hands, but the Michigan State alum recovered to turn the tables and stop Chazz in the third. [[MORE]]
Mitchell began by throwing heavy shots to the body, but Chazz soon took control of the opening stanza. Witherspoon was able to dictate the first round with his jab, which Seth described as not powerful but pestering. By letting Witherspoon establish his lead hand, Seth said he allowed Chazz to land a right hand that appeared to have him seriously hurt. Seth admitted his equilibrium was off, but he wisely tied up and survived to the end of the round.
“He hit me with the right hand…and I did the stinky leg a little bit, but I was able to recover,” Mitchell said at the post-fight presser. “I’m not too prideful to hold on. I’m not going to be stupid and stand there and fight.”
Mitchell came back in the second to stand his ground more, though Witherspoon still appeared to be landing his right. Seth wisely began ducking his head and raising his hands, then followed by peppering Chazz to his soft midsection. Mitchell’s jab looked particularly effective when he threw it; he backed up Witherspoon with it on more than one occasion. By the end of the second Mitchell looked comfortable and began to use his strength to take control, landing hard shots to the head and body.
The beginning of the end came in the third round, as both men looked to stand and trade. Just as we predicted, Seth brought the left hook behind his right hand and caught Witherspoon by surprise. The punch dropped Chazz and appeared to hurt him seriously. Witherspoon rose in a daze and leaned against the ropes, where he was wide open for Seth’s monstrous right hand. Seth blasted Witherspoon with two flush shots that forced the ref to step in and stop the fight. Some might say the stoppage was early, but another right hand from Seth could have taken years off Witherspoon’s life.
“We worked on that left hook all through camp,” Mitchell said, crediting trainer Andre Hunter with preparing him for the fight. He said getting buzzed in the first round hadn’t fazed him.
“I knew I had it in me. The dog hadn’t been brought out of me yet,” Mitchell said about coming back from being hurt. “If I get knocked down, I can get up. I have no quit in me.”
“I basically told him to grab [Chazz], tie him up,” Hunter said. “I knew we had a long fight. I told him, sooner or later he’s gonna run into your shots.”
Golden Boy boss Oscar de la Hoya was cagey about the future plans for Mitchell, but he noted it’s a positive that Seth is on the radar of the Klitschkos. The one name Oscar mentioned is Michael Grant, a towering journeyman who could prove to be a good step on the road to a title shot. Either way, Seth has earned himself a break after an impressive performance tonight. Somehow he lived up the incredible pressure of being America’s brightest hope in the heavyweight division, and things don’t get any easier from here on.