Mitchell aiming to leave his Mum in wonderland

On Saturday night, Dagenham’s Kevin Mitchell will be cheered on by Premiership football stars, including Chelsea’s Joe Cole, as he attempts to dethrone WBO interim lightweight champion Michael Katsidis at West Ham United’s Upton Park stadium.

But amongst the expected 20,000 strong crowd few will be cheering louder than Mitchell’s proud Mum Alice who has been a permanent fixture at ringside since Kevin’s amateur days. Even at the tender age of ten, Mitchell’s potential was clearly in evidence as Alice recalls:

“During his first year as an amateur he boxed a few bouts but to enter the schoolboys tournament you had to have had a certain number of fights. When Kevin first went up to the gym (in Hornchurch) they knew he would win the schoolboys, that was how confident they were after only seeing him in the gym, so they rushed a few fights through for him just so he could quality to enter. He was a natural born fighter.”

Alice did miss a few fights though, but they were outside of the ring when Kevin waited until after school to settle some scores with his classmates. “It wasn’t anything personal Kevin just loved to fight, but he never got away with it once. I always put him over my knee.”

Alice will not be correcting her son this weekend as he throws punches in the direction of a man who calls himself ‘The Gladiator’ but admits she will be going through her own set of emotions. “I go through your basic nerves and I hope that both boys come out safe. I hope it is a good fight and they both come out not too injured, (because) obviously there will be injuries.”

The week before the fight can see boxers become tense and indifferent and when it’s over go overboard in their celebrations but Alice hasn’t seen that with Kevin.

“He doesn’t change at all, he’s indifferent, no occasion really takes his personality away, you know he is the same boy before and after. I think immediately after the fight like any boxer he is glad it’s over and that he can relax a little bit and not go training for a few weeks but nothing significantly changes."

“He boxes to let his hair down, he loves it. If he is not in the ring or in training he is not happy. Away from boxing Kevin loves films and comes over and watches West Ham, he loves being around his mates and is like any average kid around here.”

And Alice has full confidence in her son coming out on top when the bell rings.

“Kevin will stop him. I don’t think Katsidis has fought anyone who can punch as hard as Kev. If Kev catches him and Katsidis goes down I have got a feeling he might not get up.”

If that happens Alice will be in wonderland and so will Kevin!