Mitchell tickets available

Tickets go on sale from today for fans wanting to see Kevin Mitchell's bid to claim world title glory in front of thousands of boxing-mad West Ham United supporters.

Hammers fanatic Mitchell - nicknamed 'The Hammer' - will take on Australian Michael Katsidis for the interim WBO lightweight title as part of a big night of boxing at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 15 May.

Tickets for the fight were to go on sale through the West Ham United ticket office from 9am. A range of prices are being offered for a night that will see the Mitchell-Katsidis bout as the main event on a packed bill featuring ten contests. The fight night starts at 6pm, with turnstiles open from 5pm.

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Mitchell cannot wait to return to action just a stone's throw from where his boxing career began at the age of eleven. "It's crazy," Mitchell said. "When we were talking about it being a world title fight, I was more than happy, but when they talked about it being at West Ham, I thought it would never happen.

"When I found out, it was unbelievable. To get a world title fight and to fight here is fantastic.

"I was saying to my Dad that my first ever amateur fight was round the corner at the East Ham Working Men's Club and now I've come full circle and I'm fighting at Upton Park in a world title fight. It's crazy, but it's happening, so I'm ready to go.

"I was eleven years of age and fighting for Hornchurch ABC. The lad I was fighting was a lot more experienced and it was a fight people didn't want me to take. I took it and out-boxed him in one round.

"My first ever pro fight was at Goresbrook in Dagenham, but other than that, this is the closest venue to home I've ever boxed at. To fight in a world title fight in front of 25,000 West Ham fans will be crazy.

"I'll be wearing claret and blue shorts - they're being made now. I've got to wear claret and blue. Me and my family are having a talk about making a big entrance and what sort of music to use, but I'd say 'Bubbles' will be in there."

Promoter Warren believes the event, which also features Olympic heavyweight gold medallist James DeGale and a host of the brightest talent in British boxing on the undercard, will be a historic evening in East End sport.

"When he spoke to me, Kevin said he wanted to fight in London and have home advantage and you couldn't get more home than this - it's in his own backyard, in his football club's ground. I'm sure he'll be well supported.

"This is the first time they've had boxing at this ground - certainly the first time they've had a title fight here, so it's a bit of history in the making. Hopefully Kevin will beat Katsidis and we're quite confident he will do that. When he does, who knows, but we could be staging many more title fights here."

Aside from Mitchell's showdown with Queenslander Katsidis, the undercard will see DeGale fight for the WBO Intercontinental heavyweight title, while fellow Olympians Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders will also be in action.

Enigmatic heavyweight Danny Williams, who once knocked out Mike Tyson, is scheduled to fight Sam Sexton for the British heavyweight title, while popular heavyweight Derek Chisora is also on the card.

(Photo courtesy of Richard Pelham)