Burns and Mitchell get ready to rumble

Kevin Mitchell’s eagerly-awaited WBO world title showdown against Scot Ricky Burns will be staged at Glasgow’s massive SECC indoor arena on September 22, after earlier plans for a soccer stadium had been counted out.

Kevin Mitchell’s eagerly-awaited WBO world title showdown against Scot Ricky Burns will be staged at Glasgow’s massive SECC indoor arena on September 22, after earlier plans for a soccer stadium had been counted out.

Promoter Frank Warren delayed the announcement of the venue to consider the options of staging the ‘Battle of Britain’ clash at an open air venue.

It was originally scheduled to take place at West Ham’s Upton Park ground as Warren’s big summer show attraction, but the Scot decided he should have champion’s choice of the venue.

Burns clearly considered that the Upton Park pitch would give the challenger home-town advantage.

So the promoter dropped plans for the lightweight showdown and instead turned to heavyweights David Haye and Dereck Chisora to provide the feature fight headliner for the summer spectacular on Saturday.

So now the former West Ham amateur must take the high road for the world title bid before an estimated 10,000-plus crowd at the Glasgow exhibition centre in September.

Not that the switch worries the confident challenger, whose single defeat in a 34-fight career came in his world title bid against tough Aussie Michael Katsidis at Upton Park two years ago.

Burns’ record shows two defeats in 36 fights, but includes a good win over Katsidis.

“Ricky does not want to risk his title at West Ham so I will just have to go to Glasgow and beat him in front of his own fans,” said Mitchell.

However, those Scottish supporters will have competition from the couple of thousand Cockney fans looking to travel north to cheer their hero.

With the fight just eight weeks away, the challenger is building up his training routine at Canning Town’s TKO Gym under the guidance of father and son partnership Jimmy and Mark Tibbs.

It’s strange that just a year ago Burns and Mitchell sparred before a handful of gym regulars at the TKO.

The next time they swap punches it will be before those 10,000 fans plus a TV audience of millions around the globe watching the fight that will be screened at home by Warren’s BoxNation TV channel.