Burns Vs Mitchell : Head to Head (BoxNation)

[Chrismart]

[Sparked_26]

Mitchell started going bald quick. I swear he had a decent head of hair in his last fight.

[Evil Abed]

This is better than the HBO Face-off crap.

[Light_Speed]

If Burns beats Mitchell like I think he will, he needs to step up against Abril.

[Sparked_26]

I can't believe Burns has improved as much as he has.

It's his defense that wins him fights. I still think Mitchell is the real talent though. Such a good fight this.

[Chrismart]

Nice to see the respect between the two fighters.
Can't wait for this one..potential FOTY material.

[-DSG-]

they both suck

[chav]

This being all polite and respectful sucks. I know it's politically good for the sports image, but really, I want to see 2 guys that want nothing more then to beat the other man to within an inch of his life, a real grudge match, not this **** slobbering, back slapping nonsense

[Enzo Mc is SHIT]

Watched the first few minutes and it was boring as ****. I wouldn't be surprised if they were wanking each other off under the table.

[Chrismart]

40 fighters / trainers were asked their predictions, here is some of them :

Johnny Nelson (ex world cruiserweight champion): I’d say Kevin’s the more talented and if he turns up on best form, he wins it on points, even up in Scotland.
It’ll be a cracking fight. Burns has a great Cinderella story and trains too hard to be beat by one punch so I think it’ll go to the cards. But Kevin will be really hungry, wanting to prove a point. If he doesn’t pull this one out of the bag, where does he go?
Kevin showed when he beat John Murray up in Liverpool that the venue means little to him. Even though it’s on Ricky’s turf, for me, Mitchell’s both the better warmonger and the better boxer, and I expect him to pull it off.
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Anthony Crolla (Manchester lightweight): I expect it will be a great fight and I’m really looking forward to it as a fan. They’ve proved themselves the best two lightweights in Britain. I think it might be more tactical than some expect. People forget, Kevin’s really well schooled himself.
I actually sparred Ricky about three years ago but I think he’s improved a lot since then. He’s certainly got stronger inside and now he can really bring that left hook through to the body.
Mitchell’s a very good finisher and can certainly punch so Ricky might have to come through some rocky moments, possibly even get off the floor, to win. But Ricky’s really hard to hit on the ropes and I think he probably wins on points. He’s in great form at the minute. He’s got a very underrated jab and I think he can control the fight with that.
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Jamie Moore (ex European light-middle champion): It’s gonna be a right good fight. Kevin’s a classy fighter who’s hit his peak. I expect him to give a real good account of himself, prove really stubborn, refuse to concede defeat.
But since first winning the world title, Burns has just got better and better. He ups his game a bit more every time. His jab may be predictable but it’s very consistent.
I expect it to be real close for six rounds but, after the turn, I expect Burns to take over. He’s got that little bit more experience at the very top level. Burns on points in a cracker.
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Joe Gallagher (Manchester trainer): I so, so want Kevin Mitchell to win. He’s a real good kid. The way he conducted himself in the John Murray fight was the blueprint for all professional fighters. He was funny, quick witted but always respectful. He’s also said that, if he wins, he’ll give John Murray first shot at his belt.
Ricky does the basics very well, has a solid guard and tighter defence. The grapevine is rife that he got the better of it when they sparred and that might give Ricky a psychological boost. He won’t take Mitchell lightly and he’s bound to be bullish fighting in his own back garden.
Either way, I see a stoppage late on and, tentatively, I’ll go with Kevin. He’s the stiffer hitter, certainly the more spiteful, and he’ll have those ‘let’s have it’ moments.
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Dominic Ingle (Sheffield trainer): I go with Ricky Burns. I always recognised his ability even dating back to when Carl Johanneson dropped him and beat him. I always thought he had world title potential.
He’s the more disciplined, has less hassle in his life. He’s got a more consistent track record. Kevin’s been out of title action for quite a while and he’s had a few ups and downs in his private life.
Unless there’s a cut, I’d expect Burns to grind out a 12 round decision by a three or four round margin.
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Nathan Cleverly (world light-heavyweight champion): It’ll be a real class fight. Kevin’s got the flair and the flash and he’ll definitely hurt Burns at some stage with those crisp, snappy bombs of his.
But I’ll go with Burns to get behind his jab and pinch it on points from long range. He’s the more consistent, has been kept busier and has more momentum. I think that will be decisive in the later part of the fight.
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Derry Mathews (Liverpool lightweight): Ricky Burns is a really good lad and he’s been a great champion. I’ve sparred quite a lot with him and he’s very good at what he does.
But I’m going to go with Kevin Mitchell. I’ve always been impressed with him since I saw him thrash Stephen Smith something like 19-1 in the amateurs. At his brilliant best, like he was against Breidis Prescott and John Murray, he’s a fighter we can all learn off.
I know he got stopped by Katsidis who Ricky beat quite comfortably but that wasn’t the Kevin Mitchell we all know. Clearly something was up with him that night.
Under Jimmy Tibbs he’s a great fighter and I see him winning clearly on points or by late stoppage. I just think he’s a better fighter, a much harder puncher.
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Carl Froch (world supermiddle champion): It promises to be a decent fight, very, very close. The smart money will be on Burns on points but you’ve got to get behind the English and Kevin’s a tough little f*****. I think he’ll stay on top of Burns with educated pressure and his power punches will see him to a late stoppage.
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