Once-promising Mitchell loses again

When i first saw Dee Mitchell box, against Welshman Chris Brophy on his paid bow in 2006, i was convinced the switch-hitting welterweight could challenge for top domestic honours as his professional career progressed.

That initial feeling was backed up as he breezed through his opening opponents, including reversing an unfortunate injury loss to Gatis Skuja, as well as scalping former British and Commonwealth title challenger Martin Concepcion, who had beaten him in a nip-and-tuck four-rounder previously.

However, the stocky Brummie, who looked as though he might fulfill that early promise after beating Concepcion, lost for the ninth consecutive time (and for the eleventh time in 12) on Monday night (February 21), going down over eight rounds (78-74) to returning Paul Burns, now 11-1-3 (1), in Scotland.

Jon Pegg-trained Mitchell, 34 and now 9-13 (2), is much better than his record suggests, durable and always provides decent arguments to those he's matched with on the road, which includes no fewer than five one-point defeats.

But this latest loss, against a man who i feel he could have beaten on the evidence of what i saw at the start, suggests he's now settled and comfortable with a career that sees him test prospects rather than regularly scalp them.

Another Midlander, Nuneaton's Kristian Laight, tasted defeat on the same show at Glasgow's Radisson Hotel. Kristian recently punched for pay for the hundredth time but was shut-out over six rounds by undefeated Arran McKelvie to see him lose for the 89th time.