SPARTAN NATION CAUGHT UP WITH PRO BOXER AND FORMER SPARTAN, SETH MITCHELL

Rising to the top of the boxing world is a torture test.  Not because of the repeated shots to the head and vicious body blows, but because of the mental toll the sport takes.  But Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell isn’t concerned; he’s been through much worse.

Mitchell signed on to play linebacker for Michigan State, and was an impact player early in his career.  However, after a devastating injury which caused many to doubt if he’d ever be able to compete athletically at any sport again, Mitchell was forced to give up football.  He graduated from Michigan State, but couldn’t get the competitor out of his system.  That’s when Seth decided to take up boxing. Seth had been through the ringer physically because of his injury, but he worked his way back into peak physical shape despite numerous naysayers. He could handle anything the boxing world could throw at him.

Since then, Mitchell has worked his way up the ranks to one of the fastest rising heavyweight contenders.  He’s amassed an 25-0-1 professional record with 19 knockouts, with the most recent coming in a hard fought third round TKO of Chazz Witherspoon.  Witherspoon came out swinging in the first round of that fight, and really gave Mitchell a tough time in that round.  That didn’t phase Mitchell though. He said of the early adversity, “It was a tough first round, but I weathered the storm and I pulled through like a true champion.”

Mitchell later went on to explain where his perseverance comes from. “Once I got to my stool I just started thinking about how hard I had worked,” he said.  “He should have taken me out while he had the chance, because I was about to really fight, really dig and get the victory.”  Mitchell couldn’t let Witherspoon take him out though, because he was fighting for more than just himself.  He explained, “I was thinking about my family.  My wife, my daughter, and where I’m trying to go and how much a loss would set me back. And I just wasn’t ready for that setback.”

While many may see a tough first round as a negative, that just isn’t Mitchell’s style.  He’s constantly working to make himself a better boxer, and getting his tail handed to him for a round is just the fuel he needs to keep going strong.  “I want to thank Chazz for doing what he did in the first round, because it will do nothing but make me better,” he stated confidently.  And there was another silver lining to that first round according to Seth as well.  “This last fight could have been a blessing in disguise.  People saw that I got rocked in the first round, so now a lot of people are calling me out,” he said.  “Before that I had a lot of problems getting opponents. Now I can work on what I need to work on, and be a much improved fighter.”  Without fighters ducking him, now may be the time for Mitchell to make his move to the top.

However, he doesn’t see himself getting a title shot any time in the immediate future. Mitchell thinks that he needs “2 or 3 more fights” before he’ll get his opportunity to fight for the title.  However, he doesn’t want to wait too long. “No more than three fights and then I should get my opportunity,” he said.

When he does get that shot though, it won’t be just because of his skills in the ring.  It will be because of his devoted fan base. “The fans really make you,” he began. “If you’re a boxer and you don’t have a fan base, you’re considered nothing.  If you can’t draw a crowd, you might be undefeated, but you won’t get the big prices because they want ratings.” Mitchell shouldn’t have any problems there, as he has already amassed a sizable following, and with additional publicity now coming his way, should attract many more fans.  “I’m just glad that my style resonates with them,” he said.

While Seth Mitchell may not be at the peak of boxing’s mountain just yet, he can certainly see it with the naked eye by now.  And he’ll continue to climb, because as Seth says himself: “I have a tremendous will.”