Following his horrendous showing against world junior welterweight king Kostya Tszyu, former junior welterweight champ Sharmba Mitchell told Boxingtalk.com, "I did something I never do...I turned into a go getter instead of a boxer at the wrong time. When I got hit with the first punch and got hurt, my head went to another place. And that's something I vowed I would never ever do. You can't get caught up in the emotions, intensity or anxiousness of a fight without paying the price.

GL: Why the hell didn't you box?

Sharmba Mitchell: "I boxed in the first round but I didn't even box the way I usually do. Coming into the second round, when I got hit with the punch I got into another mode. I just wanted that motherfucker and I went in there with the wrong state of mind and killed myself. I can't blame anyone but myself because I did just what I said I wouldn't do."

"Everybody keeps on telling me, 'that didn't look like you, who was that guy?' I just couldn't get into a flow. When I got hit with that first punch and it stung me, I said to myself, 'I'm going to kill his ass!'

GL: Were you surprised at how sharp Tszyu was after all this time off?

SM: "Naw. Some people take time off and come back better than before. I just beat myself by falling into the trap of fighting how he wanted to fight. I saw what he wanted to do and I think he was fighting like he wanted to get it over with because he didn't want to see any of the later rounds, so he was shooting all of his hard shots then.

"Shit, I've been beating myself up about that the whole time since the fight because I did something I said I would never do. After all this waiting, I was so overanxious that I got caught up so I deserved just what I got, I was trying to prove something and I didn't fight my fight so I deserved just what I got."

GL: That was pretty much the biggest fight of you career and it turned out to be the worst showing of your career. You know how the boxing world is so I don't need to tell you some of the things people are saying and some of things people will write...

SM: (cutting in) "I could deal with whatever they write or whatever they say. Just dealing with myself over what the fuck I did is harder to deal with than other people. I know what I did and I know what I'm capable of, so that's the hardest thing for me to deal with. You had the two best junior welterweights in the world in there...

GL: (cutting in) And based on how good he looked against you, I mean, you sure did help him look like superman (maybe Tszyuperman) by fighting the way you fought.

SM: "And that's true, and that's good. He deserves all the credit he's going to receive just like I deserved what I got for fighting how I fought. Right now I'm looking to move up in weight, capture one more belt, and call it a day.

"Boxing has been good to me but it's not like it's something I actually need. I'm going back to college to finish and get my degree. I'm going to run the business I own and leave boxing behind."

GL: Are you concerned that many will view that performance as your defining moment?

SM: "Naw, because I'm here to fight another day. I'm injury free and I believe I'm going to be more effective at welterweight."

GL: Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?

SM: "I did something dumb. I did something I said I would never do, but things happen. Right now I'm telling you, I'll be back! Don't ever count me out."




 

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