Howโs training going?
Itโs been a long time since Iโve really enjoyed it. Iโm enjoying myself. Donโt get me wrong, itโs a killer and itโs hard. I hate how hard it is, itโs so hard but Iโm enjoying myself againโฆ Iโve got a good team.
How big for you is the fight coming up this weekend?
Itโs my life. It is my life. Itโs my kidsโ life as well. Beat him, Iโve got a shot for the world title and thereโs a good chance I can beat the champion as well, [Jorge] Linares. Heโs been stopped three times. Heโs a full [WBC] champion but heโs beatable. I fancy winning. When Iโm in top form, like I am now, 100 percent I can win.
Have you seen much of Daniel Estrada?
Yes, heโs a game, gutsy kid, fights going forward, fights going backโฆ But weโll get hold of him. Weโll see what heโs like when we get in there.
In your last fight, at Wembley, how tough was Ghislain Maduma?
He was the best kid Iโve been in the ring with, even the ones Iโve lost, 100 percent. He had fast hands, good boxing brain, he could punch hard. I was physically ready for him. In great shape, I had a great game plan set out and I was ready. Iโd sparred solidly for ages for it.
We expected to stop it late like that. We were thinking about eight onwards, we didnโt think as late as 11.
ย What went wrong with your check weigh in? [Mitchell was over the limit for the check weigh in so the bout was not an IBF title eliminator for him.]
It was my faultโฆ I never normally put on that sort of weight anyway. It was only a pound and half over, it wasnโt loads, but it was still a pound and a half over the limit. The IBF said heโs got two hours to get it off. The Board of Control said heโs not allowed to get the weight off. A pound and a half, Iโd have toileted that out in the two hours. I was hydrated, [had] my food. These things happen, I got the job done, knocked him out. [Miguel] Vazquez [the IBF champion] didnโt want to fight me. We offered him a good offer to fight over there. He took [Mickey] Bey, he got beat.
Was it a major setback?
It pissed me off really because I wanted my shot. Iโm hungry for it now, you can tell I am. I got the hump with the sport again. I threw my dummy out the pram. Barry [Hearn] got me in the office, gave me a bollocking, told me to buck my ideas up – โWe want the new Kevin Mitchell back. We want him back how he used to be as a kid.โ Back in I went, worked away and here we are. Itโs good.
How do you feel about being the star of the show at the O2? [Anthony Joshua withdrew with an injured back and Mitchell now headlines.]
It doesnโt bother me. Iโve been in big shows before and I werenโt prepared for them and I still went and done them. Now Iโm prepared. When your preparationโs been hard and youโre working hard, I donโt have any worries. Iโll just go out there and enjoy it and do my job. Once the entrance is done, Iโm in there to go to work.
Do you feel youโre getting back the buzz you had earlier in your career?
The atmosphere of it all, the happiness of it all, the enjoyment of it all. Coming to the gym not thinking about financial problems. Now Iโm happy, Iโm buzzing.
I think the supporters are going to be happy with what Iโm doing. I think the West Ham fans are all coming back.
Have you found it easy to shrug off your past losses?
The losses happened. Youโve got to think, before I fought [Michael] Katsidis I was basically a raving alcoholic. I was out clubbing. Iโd just split up with my babyโs mum. I felt I settled down too young. I was hardly seeing my kids.
I was out on the piss all the time. I went out, fought Katsidis, got beat. I was hardly in the gym. You can ask Jimmy Tibbs, I wasnโt doing too great in the gym. I went and got beat.
Eight months Iโd been out the ring [before the Ricky Burns fight was made], I was drinking, boozing.
Iโve matured now. Iโve learned from a lot of stuff, mistakes.
I learned the hard way. I got beat in front of a lot of people. I got embarrassed. I learned the hard way.
DON’T MISS THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF BOXING NEWS FOR THE FULL PREVIEW OF THE SHOW AT THE O2