Kevin Mitchell vs Ismael Barroso

"Smiley" the venezuelan KO artist and the experienced UK boxer on the undercard of the Jones fight. Who wins this?

And have you ever seen a boxer crack a smile so damn much? He cant even keep a straight face in the staredown. Seriously, If they weren't boxers i would think he was gay. But then again, maybe hes laughing at the fact he will put you to sleep on fight night

 

Mitchell stands a little to tall, chin untucked, with guard a little loose from his face... its gonna be like a steak in front of a hungry pitbull.

The Venezuelan besides being a happy go lucky KO artist, keeps decent technique and footwork in the ring, something a lot of heavy handed guys abandon relying on there power to lead to victory

 

Well, that may be true, but assimilating style matchups is not an exact science. Even experienced boxing professionals may not percieve it accurately. Especially when you are picking fighters that have not faced world class opponents on a big stage, there is a tendency to downplay what they can do if you put them there. Khan vs Prescott as an example

Here's what I see from the two fighters

Mitchell: His balance is excellent. He can pick off your aggression and block every shot while staying in the pocket not moving backward when he is focusing on defense. His footwork allows him to pick and move and sit and move all night long. Offensively He's got a stiff good-enough-jab, hes got some slight speed to work with, hes got good swift combinations. He has a favorite ace in the hole, a go to move that he probably uses a little to often, though it is effective, to score big shots. When in range, he will crouch down, shift weight, take a hard step forward to switch lead feet, then explode off his right lead foot to throw a power left. This has the double effect of hurting and also confusing the opponent as to ' wtf wait how'd he do that'? He's an awkward boxer puncher, picking his spots and moving and picking and moving. He is not a natural athlete, which is a testament to his skill level and work ethic to have achieved what he has in the sport so far.

Weaknesses: He has a habit of holding his head and chin are held very erect and straight up, even in range at times. A little to much confidence in his strong balance and footwork and blocking abilities to always escape unscathed from this nono. After landing combos, he has the dreaded ability at times to do *nothing* but pose, begging for a counterpunch. At times he drops his right hand when he jabs like a beginner. When picking and moving at times when he moves out of range he will just shuffle straight back or laterally with hands loose and chin straight up in the air. This is a dangerous practice, and can be completely exposed by the right opponent. A lunging left hook or right hand could KO him because of how erect and exposed his chin is and how not prepared to defend himself he is in those spots.

Barroso: This guy is not just some crude unskilled brawler. To start he's a southpaw. But he shows a surprisingly ability and good knack for finding distance. His balance and footwork, not world class but its actually pretty decent. He has a long stiff jab which he sets up his attack with. He comes straight at you, but he shows ability to think and adjust in the ring. Theres some control and intelligence to go with that power which is a formidable combo in a fighter. He's not superfast but he's not slow, hes not going blown out or out outspeeded by the quicker Mitchell. He has two modes, either bouncing and shuffling or sitting down in the pocket. When he sits down in the pocket... lookout. He looks to land bombs in a controlled fashion.

Weaknesses: His right hooks are a little too rounded and indeed crudish sometimes. He doesn't always utilize the most accurate punch combination for his positioning.Although his balance and footwork are fundamentally solid, he is not a subtle slick boxer by any means. Angles can be utilized against him with success. His workrate isn't especially high, for a guy with his power hes pretty measured. That can be both an advantage but it can also be a disadvantage and win rounds against him if he trys to outbox you.

All in all i would say this is a bad stylistic matchups for Mitchell. His stance flaws and defensive lapses are exactly what you don't want to put in the ring with a guy like this Barroso, and while Mitchell is a really good boxer, from what I've seen Barroso is not crude enough to be blown out or confused by what Mitchell will present. I expect an early to midround KO.

 

Mitchell was KOed