Any worries that Kevin Mitchell would show complacency in his fight against Ignacio Mendoza were laid to rest when Mitchell dispatched the Colombian in just two rounds in the chief supporting bout to Cleverly v Brancalion at the Wembley Arena last night.
In a performance reminiscent of the great American welterweight Don Curry, 25 year old Mitchell used the first round to feel out the Colombian, assessing his opponents strengths and weaknesses, before destroying Mendoza (27-6-2, 18 ko´s) with ruthless, clinical efficiency in the second.
A vicious right hand lifted the muscular Colombian off his feet before a follow up left hook sent him crashing to the canvas. Mendoza managed to beat the count, but was out on his feet, leaving referee James Davies no option but to stop the fight.
It was a performance that will send a shiver down the spine of the worlds top lightweights. If Mitchell (31-0, 23 ko´s) can maintain the level of performance he has achieved in his last two contests, he can not only win a version of the lightweight title, he can become a boxing superstar.
In his fight prior to last nights performance, Mitchell showed his boxing ability and tactical maturity when he negated the knockout power of Colombian Breidis Prescott to win comfortably over twelve rounds. Prescott had gained notoriety in Britain by flattening current WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan in just 54 seconds in 2008.
Mitchell is now set to meet Aussie puncher Michael Katsidis, the interim WBO lightweight champion in the summer.
With both WBC champion Edwin Valero and WBA- WBO champion Juan Manuel Marquez looking to move up to light-welterweight, the door is wide open for Mitchell to dominate the division.
