By Luis Sandoval

American Heavyweight Seth Mitchell’s back is against the wall as he hopes to be able to avenge his only loss to Johnaton Banks this Saturday night. Mitchell was shockingly upset last November when Banks stopped him in two rounds but he’s decided to step right back into the fire and right the ship. A win here will equal redemption. A loss will deliver a lethal blow to his career. Mitchell is taking a big risk but he feels he’s been made to excel in situations like this.

“I like to consider myself one that stands tall under pressure. Whenever you’re in sports, if you’re not in a situation where the stakes are high, then you’re not where you want to be. You want to be in situations where the stakes are high and I’ve always said that I’ve always thrived in those situations and I don’t think it’s going to be any different come the 22nd. I know Johnathon is preparing hard. I’m preparing hard and we’re just going to see who the better man is” said Mitchell when he was a guest on the most recent episode of BoxingScene Radio.

Other fighters who’ve been in a similar situation as Mitchell haven’t always gone the route of an immediate rematch against someone who handed them a loss. The former linebacker turned boxer informs he’s not taking this fight because he just wants to avenge a loss. He’s taking this fight because he feels he’s a better fighter than Banks.

“I didn’t take this rematch just because I lost and hell, I want to get him back him back in the ring. I said this over and over again as well; if Jonathan would’ve out classed me, out boxed me for 4 or 5 rounds and then stopped me, the fighter in me would’ve wanted the rematch but I wouldn’t have wanted an immediate rematch because clearly there were some things that I definitely need to work on. But that wasn’t the case. I was winning the fight until I got knocked down. That’s the reason why I wanted the immediate rematch because I truly feel that I’m a better fighter than Jonathan Banks” said Mitchell.

The rematch was originally supposed to take place in February but due to Banks breaking his thumb, the fight was postponed. While the layoff might be regarded by some as a bad thing, for Mitchell it was sort of a blessing in disguise as he feels the extra time between fights helped him prepare better and improve.

 “I was excited and ready for the fight on February 16th. He broke his thumb and I definitely feel more confident now than I did on the 16th because I just think I’ve gotten that much better. [I had] another four months to improve my craft and work on my technique and I think that benefits me. I’m truly confident, I truly feel good about this fight” expressed Mitchell.

You can listen to Seth Mitchell’s interview in its entirety by listening to the BoxingScene Radio podcast: http://tobtr.com/s/4836175

You can follow Luis Sandoval on Twitter @Truewest007. You can also tune in to BoxingScene Radio, Boxingscene’s official audio show every Tuesday from 6-8PM PST with hosts Ernest Gabion, Luis Sandoval, and Ryan Burton.