TSYZU, MITCHELL FINALLY GET IT ON IN PHOENIX

Resolute Kostya Tszyu or determined Sharmba Mitchell never lost patience waiting nearly three years for a much anticipated rematch now at hand Saturday, Nov.6 at the one-year-old Glendale Arena outside Phoenix.

Good thing too, considering this twice-postponed unification 12-rounder for the WBC/ IBF junior welterweight crown has all the ingredients to be a strong contender as boxing’s ‘Fight of the Year’ with the action televised by Showtime starting at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Nevada’s licensed oddsmakers have Tsyzu, 35, installed as a 5-2 favorite but that quotation may be purely academic with both champions having re-occuring injuries that has forced this heavily-hyped match-up to be reset twice in nearly three years.

Resumes: Tszyu 30-1, 24 KOs, Mitchell 55-3, 30.KOs.

Perhaps it may be an unfair query to test even the most avid fight buff’s memory on when these super skilled adversaries last traded punches considering it was Feb. 3, 2001 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The original lived up to its advance billing with both fighters laying on the pressure and Tszyu being docked one point by referee Joe Cortez for rough housing Mitchell in the fourth round.

That may have been the start of an abbreviated night for Mitchell, 34. The WBA 140-pound champion from Takoma Park, Md., began to favor his legs. Tszyu scored a questionable knockdown late in the seventh round and his cornermen noted the left knee was damaged. post-fight tests disclosed Mitchell suffered torn ligaments and a cart-lage in the joint and later underwent surgery that kept him idle for 13 months.

The judges’ official scoring in the sudden ending had Chuck Giampa with a 68-64 reading while Daniel Van De Wiele voted 68-66, both for Tszyu, and Keith McDonald’s tab was all even at 66-66.

Tszyu’s spectacular career has been well documented., a native of Serov, Russia, he took his pro career to Australia in 1992, fighting early in Melbourne and Sydney. Tszyu was on a roll and a box office star with the Aussies, who appropriately adopted him as “The Thunder Down Under.”

Having won the IBF junior lightweight title by stopping Jake Rodriquez in Las Vegas in 1995, Kostya made three defenses in Sydney, and Newcastle to enhance his reputation. However, Vlad Warton, his astute promoter, knew Tszyu was anxious to fight in Moscow, which would also be a stadium.

The return match with Mitchell appeared set for last year in the former USSR. However, Tszyu suffered an Achillies tendon while in training and the fight was re-slated for last Feb.7 in Las Vegas.

Tszyu’s karma obviously continued in a nose dive when he suffered a badly torn shoulder tendon while working out for Mitchell.

The adopted Australian is still ranked as the IBF’s 140-pound king but because of Tszyu’s enforced inactivity, he was given a medical exemption. The IBF then matched Mitchell to fight Lovemore N’Dou Feb.7 for the interim title, the former winning on a 12-round round decision.

Because of injuries, Tszyu has fought only once since TKOing Zab Judah to unify the IBF belts November, 2002, the other victories coming on a decision over Ghna’s Ben Tackie and a six-round TKO from former champ Jesse Leija Jan.19, 2003 in San Antonio.

Even though it has been nearly three years since the last bell, Mitchell hung tough and never lost sight of his motivation to win another championship.

“I’m very healthy and I have been waiting three years for this fight. I learned from the first fight that Tsyzu can’t beat me. I am very motivated when I want something, I go get it and this is what I want,” Mitchell issued an edict. “My knee is stable right now and very sound but they say it will never ever be 100 percent. That’s something you just have to live with. The first fight was unfinished business because of my knee. Now i plan to finish it.”

Tszyu said earlier he would give Mitchell a rematch but he’d “have to go out and earn it.” The sleek-boxer-puncher from Maryland more than did the job, winning eight straight bouts since his loss to Tszyu, with the string including N’Dou, Tackie and Mike Stewart.

Mitchell respects the interim championship but he won’t be satisfied until he replaces it ‘with the real McCoy.”

“It’s a title but it doesn’t mean much until you fight the man who is considered the undisputed champion. I consider it something they give you to be satisfied for a minute, but I don’t want to be satisfied for a minute,” said the challenger with a “title.”

Tszyu, whose only loss was that 10-round TKO scored by Vince Phillips May 31,1997 in Atlantic City, doesn’t buy some ring analysts’ theory that “Mitchell used an injury ploy about having a bad knee to quit in his corner.”

“I’m not looking at that talk about Mitchell quitting. I’m confident he will be very strong and not come with any excuses. My fight plan doesn’t include alibis. I’m very happy I’m back in the ring. Those injuries took me out way too long. Trinidad looked very good and he was away longer than me,” Tszyu reflected.

“ Mitchell is a lefty. I’ve known some southpaw champions out there but none of them have ever been a problem for me. Speed and movement are going to be factor in this fight. You always have to make some adjustments for any fight. I have studied films of Mitchell’s fights but they are against somebody else, not me. In his last fight, I believe it was Stewart. If Sharmba Mitchell says he’s the No.1 champ, we’ll see on Nov.6......

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and a regular contributor to Ringsports. com and other national sports magazines)