It would have been similar to Nelson/Fenech I....in other words....excellent. Mitchell was a very tough and ring savy pressure fighter....kind of like a better version of Mickey Ward....or a 130 lb. Ricky Hatton. Nelson was better though. Nelson W12 Mitchell.
Mitchell was cute and cunning he nearly always found a way to win. Nelson was cute and cunning and nearly always found a way to win rematches.... So the outcome: Mitchell to win fight one WM15; Nelson to win the rematch WU15 and the decider TKO13.
Good matchup here. I know some will almost obligingly pick Nelson, but Mitchell is a very live body in this one. Nelson was an aggressive boxer-puncher, and frankly that's how Mitchell liked 'em. It was the cuteys that gave Mitchell problems sometimes, but he always looked stellar against bangers. Mitchell lost once as a pro (in his 12th fight) and avenged that loss twice over. He wasn't a big puncher, but he had a rock-like chin and good overall skills. He always fought better with his back against the wall and in every single title defence he fought away from home, more often than not in the other guy's back yard. That shows a rugged mental resillience which would help no end against a quality fighter like Nelson. He also displayed quite a bit of versatility in terms of strategy. (Look at the two Lopez fights) His big weakness was that later in his career he tended to cut quite easily. All in all I think Nelson is the better fighter, but his style would have made Mitchell look great. Put it this way: in a two fight series, they each win one. The rubber match would be one for the ages and I wouldn't like to pick a winner.
I just watched a couple of Mitchells bouts and I gotta tell you-hes a MUCH better boxer then Nelson.He does so many things in a slick way its not even funny.
Nelson is one of my favorite ever, and I would pick him. However, Mitchell was kinda screwed in his career due to the political circumstances of the time. And because of such, he is very very underrated. I encourage people to go back and watch his fights.
Nelson has another gear at his best, he'd take it more likely that not. But if he comes in like he did against a Juan Laporte or Mario Martinez the first time round, Mitchell could conceivably edge it.
I always liked Mitchell, but I think people are going way overboard in their praise of him here. He was never tested against the kind of firepower Nelson had, and his facial skin was as solid as wet tissue paper. Nelson clearly deserves to be favored here IMO.
A better matchup would have been Mitchell - Fenech / Esparragosa. A round robin with these 3 would have been great
