Undefeated heavyweight Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell and Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon are ready to continue their quest to prove that the concept of the great American heavyweight is alive and well when they face each other in their upcoming Saturday, April 28 bout as the 10– round co-main event of the “Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson: Once And For All” world championship showdown.
The Mitchell vs. Witherspoon fight had been in place for some time, and while it has been met with mixed reviews in terms of the level of competition for Mitchell, it’s nonetheless another opportunity to see the undefeated American heavyweight hopeful in action.
The fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. For both of these college graduates, this upcoming bout will not only put regional bragging rights on the line with Mitchell hailing from the Washington, DC area and Witherspoon from the Philadelphia area, but also be the biggest fights of their respective careers as they each look to come one step closer to contending for the heavyweight title.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to fight a great contender like Chazz,” said Mitchell. “I think that our ring experience and comparable size makes us a really good match. Beating Chazz will be a challenge, but I’m going to work hard and prepare for anything. I know my fans are going to come out and support me in full force and they will not be disappointed.”
“He can’t take me lightly and I am not going to let him,” said Witherspoon. This is going to be a big night for both of us, but I am going to be the one with my hand raised at the end of the fight.”
Widely considered to be the top American heavyweight fighting today, 29-year-old Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell (24-0-1, 18 KO’s) has given fight fans in the United States a reason to be excited about the sport’s glamour division again, and he’s not about to let up on his goal to take on the division’s titleholders. A pro since 2008, the 6-foot-2, 240 pound former standout Michigan State University linebacker took up boxing when a knee injury derailed his plans for a professional football career.
Mitchell truly hit his stride in 2011 with three early knockout wins over Charles Davis, Evans Quinn and Hector Ferreyro that were followed by a devastating second round finish of contender Timur Ibragimov, the first time the Uzbekistan native had ever been stopped, in Mitchell’s HBO debut in December. Now he hopes to capitalize on that huge victory by defeating Witherspoon.
A cousin of former heavyweight champion Tim Witherspoon, Philadelphia’s Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon (30-2, 22 KO’s) is doing pretty well in the family business himself, with 22 of his 30 wins coming by way of knockout. The winner of seven of his last eight bouts, including stoppages of Adam “The Swamp Donkey” Richards and Livin Castillo, the 6-foot-4, 234 pound banger has the size, savvy and strength to be the first to blemish Mitchell’s unbeaten record on April 28. A 2005 graduate of St. Joseph’s University, with his hometown fans just a short drive away, expect a huge crowd on hand to cheer on “The Gentleman.”
