By Elliot Foster

Kevin Mitchell has refuted claims that he was offered a world title fight.

The Dagenham lightweight, 31, denies any knowledge of the chance to challenge for the WBO crown.

Mitchell (39-3, 29 KOs), who has already lost a challenge for the same title to Ricky Burns, is currently in the late stages of preparation for his clash with Ismael Barroso this weekend.

He faces the undefeated Venezuelan (18-2, 17 KOs) for the vacant WBA interim title on December 12 at London’s O2 Arena, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

And though his sole focus will be on the task at hand, Mitchell has said that reports of a shot at Manchester’s Terry Flanagan being offered to him are wide of the mark.

Flanagan’s promoter, Frank Warren, told media last week –– when he was in Liverpool to announce the all-North West clash between Flanagan and Derry Mathews at the city’s Echo Arena on February 13 –– that there was an offer made to Mitchell to face the 27-year-old in the new year.

He said: “We offered the fight [with Flanagan] to Kevin Mitchell, who decided he’d much rather not fight for a [legitimate world] title, but fight for the [WBA interim] title Derry’s vacated.”

In light of these claims, Boxing Scene reached out to the former WBC title challenger and was told that “there was no offer made” and that “[there was] no deal or contract for this fight at all.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn, who represents Mitchell, has echoed the views of his fighter, telling iFL TV that “the offer doesn’t exist [and has] never existed.

“I think it was Bill Ives [who is on the board of directors at BoxNation who] phoned up Kevin Mitchell and [he] said ‘speak to Tony Sims,’ who’s his official [British] Boxing Board of Control manager.

“Tony said, ‘Yeah, we’re interested [in the fight with Flanagan], send us an offer or come and see me,’ and that was the last he heard."

Elliot Foster is part of Boxing Scene's UK team. Follow him on Twitter @FreelanceFoz