A few years ago, late August would signal the start of the college football season for Michigan State’s Seth Mitchell, but on August 27 of this year, “Mayhem” will be in the ring at HP Pavilion in San Jose, California for the most important bout of his boxing career, as he faces Mike Mollo in the HBO Boxing After Dark co-main event.
In the featured bout of the evening, WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Marcos “Chino” Maidana meets WBO Interim Lightweight World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in a 12 round fight for Maidana’s title.
A former stand-out linebacker at Michigan State University, Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell (22-0-1, 16 KO’s) found his way to the boxing ring after injuries ended his gridiron career. Little did he know that he would become one of the heavyweight division’s top prospects, a devastating puncher who has 12 knockouts in two rounds or less. Hailing from Brandywine, Maryland, 29-year-old Mitchell, who is considered by many to be the United States’ best prospect for heavyweight world champion, has stepped up his game since 2010, finishing off veterans Johnnie White, Derek Bryant and Taurus Sykes in short order. In his most recent win, he needed less than one round to knock out Evans Quinn on May 13and looks forward to his toughest test to date in Mollo on August 23.
Midwest favorite Mike Mollo (20-3-1, 12 KO’s) has built a loyal fan base around his hometown of Oak Lawn, Illinois, but he’s eager to bring some Windy City thunder out west to San Jose on August 27. The 31-year-old has stopped Kevin McBride and Art Binkowski and also has his fair share of early finishes, as evidenced by his nine first round knockouts. But the experienced fighter can also go into deep water when necessary as he went 12 rounds against both Andrew Golota and Jameel McCline, making him a dangerous test for Mitchell.
