Katsidis shatters Mitchell dream
http://www.whufc.com/articles/20100515/katsidis-shatters-mitchell-dream_2236884_2053206Kevin 'The Hammer' Mitchell's dream of becoming a world champion at the home of his beloved West Ham United was shattered by Michael 'The Gladiator' Katsidis on Saturday night.
Mitchell was stopped by the powerful Australian one minute and 57 seconds into the third round of their Interim WBO world lightweight title bout at the Boleyn Ground.
Despite the support of nearly everyone in the 14,000-strong crowd, the Dagenham-based boxer was unable to contend with his powerfully-built opponent, and once the fight descended into a brutal, toe-to-toe battle, he always looked in trouble.
Mitchell's entrance was as spectacular as anything the Boleyn Ground has ever seen, with the fighter being accompanied to the ring by a special version of 'Bubbles' performed by The Cockney Rejects.
Even Katsidis, dressed as always as an ancient Greek gladiator, could not outshine the home hero, nor his vociferous supporters. Unfortunately, it was a different story once the opening bell was rung.
Following a stirring rendition of the national anthem from X Factor star Stacey Solomon, the Australian started the better of the two, unleashing a flurry of blows to slow Mitchell's early charge.
Into the second round and 'The Hammer' regained this poise with his superior boxing skills, eluding Katsidis's powerful blows with intelligent movement and landing some telling shots of his own.
The third was non-stop action from the opening bell, with the champion striking first to send Mitchell stumbling backwards to the ropes.
Although the unbeaten Londoner appeared to rediscover his composure, 'The Gladiator' went on the offensive again, pinning the 25-year-old to the ropes before forcing a stoppage with a relentless barrage after one minute and 57 seconds of the third round.
Earlier, Olympic middleweight champion James DeGale, who won gold in Beijing in 2008, produced a powerful display in knocking out Sam Horton in the fifth round.
DeGale sent Horton to the canvas with a left hook in the second round, but the Midlands-based fighter recovered to continue after a count of eight.
It was only delaying the inevitable, however, as 'Chunky' produced a convincing performance in front of a passionate London crowd.
Dressed in fetching pink shorts, DeGale enjoyed the moment, posing with his WBA international super-middleweight title belt after extending his unbeaten record to 7-0.
It was Mitchell who the vast majority of the crowd had come to see however, and there was a stunned silence when referee Dave Parris stepped in front of their hero to stop the fight.
While the outcome of the main event was not what the locals would have wanted, the success of 'Hammer Time' will ensure that the first night of world championship boxing held at the home of the Hammers is certainly not the last.
