Sharmba David Mitchell
(born August 27, 1970), better known plainly as Sharmba Mitchell
, is a boxer who was world Jr. Welterweight champion.
Mitchell, nicknamed "Little Big Man", is a native of Takoma Park, Maryland, but a resident of Washington, D.C..
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SHARMBA MITCHELL TICKETS
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Professional career
He began his professional boxing career on
September 23,
1988,
knocking out Eddie Colón in three rounds at
Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Mitchell had a mark of 14 wins and no losses, with seven knockout wins, including victories over former
Olympic Games bronze medalist
Aristides Acevedo, and over
Dana Roston, when he met a former or future world champion for the first time inside a ring. On
March 8 of 1990, he beat the famed former world champion,
Rafael Limon, by an eight round unanimous decision in Atlantic City, but he endured what was probably an embarrassing moment for him, when Limon stripped Mitchell of his trunks during round seven. The fight was
televised in the
United States, and the pants-pulling moment made it into a number of
blooper videos.
Mitchell kept on winning, and, after running his record up to 27-0, with sixteen knockouts, which by now included a win against former world title challenger
Miguel Santana as well, he fought the former world champion,
Rocky Lockridge, on
April 22 of 1992, Mitchell winning a ten round unanimous decision.
Mitchell lost two fights in a row to begin 1994: one against future world champion
Leavander Johnson, in eight rounds, then to future two time world Lightweight champion
Stevie Johnston, in nine rounds. He wouldn't lose another fight in the next seven years.
After six more wins in a row, including one over future world champion
Terron Millett, Mitchell fought for the
WBC continental Americas Jr. Welterweight title, on
April 11,
1996, in
Dallas, Texas. He won the title by knocking out
Gilberto Floes in the second round.
On
May 10,
1997, he beat
Jose Rafael Barboza by a twelve round decision in
Miami, Florida to win the
WBA's
Fedelatin belt in the same weight division. After two more wins, he got his first chance at winning a world title.
On
October 10,
1998, he beat
Moroccan Khalid Rahilou by a twelve round unanimous decision in
Paris, France, becoming the WBA's world Jr. Welterweight champion.
Mitchell retained his world title four times, his last successful defense being against
Puerto Rican Felix Flores on
September 16,
2000, at
Las Vegas. Mitchell was dropped in the first round, but he recovered and edged the Puerto Rican challenger by two scores of 116-111 and one of 116-113.
First fight with Tszyu
After this fight, demand rose for a unification title bout between Mitchell and
Russia's
Kostya Tszyu, the
WBC's world Jr. Welterweight champion.
The highly anticipated match took place on
February 3,
2002, in Las Vegas. It had a controversial outcome, as Mitchell broke his
knee early in the fight, and he could not continue after round seven. Although Mitchell was not knocked out in a conventional way, nevertheless, this counted as a knockout loss in his record.
Mitchell has fought eight times since, winning each of them, including victories over former world champion
Vince Phillips and top contenders
Lovemore N'Dou and
Ben Tackie.
Rematch with Tszyu
Negotiations for a rematch with Tszyu had been taking place long before the fights with the aforementioned rivals. Tszyu, however, had his own
health problems, and the fight kept being cancelled. First scheduled for
Australia and then for
Moscow, Russia, the fight finally took place in
Phoenix, Arizona, where they fought their
rematch on
November 6,
2004.
Mitchell was floored four times in the second bout with Tszyu, before being stopped in round three, losing by knockout.
Losses to Mayweather and Williams
On
November 19,
2005, Mitchell was defeated by
Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their 147 lbs. non-title bout in
Portland,
Oregon. Mayweather dropped Mitchell in the third round with a straight right hand to the head, and again dropped him in the sixth with a
hook
to the body, ending the fight. On August 19, 2006 mitchell was knocked down in the third round, and three times in the fourth round in a bout with
Paul Williams, referee Drakulich stopped the bout at 2:57 when Mitchell arose wobbly from the final knockdown.
Mitchell has a professional boxing record of 56 wins and 6 losses, with 30 knockout wins.
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