From The Telegraph: Kevin Mitchell’s victory over alcoholism

May

Kevin Mitchell (R) vs. Daniel Estrada on Jan. 31, 2015. Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.

Maturity, aged 30, has given the Londoner a new lease on life ahead of title fight against Jorge Linares

Kevin Mitchell has meandered through the British boxing scene for twelve years, desperate to reach world championship level, but he was his own worst enemy. He was suffering from alcoholism, but refused to admit it. The lightweight was fighter by name in the ring, but reckless outside it.

The first time that his name was up in lights, five years ago, in front of 20,000 fans at the East Londoner’s beloved West Ham United, he blew it against Michael Katsidis, knocked out by the Australian. Two years later, he was the victim of Ricky Burns. An interim world title and a world title had slipped away.

But Mitchell, now 30, has rebuilt his life, attended Alcoholics Anonymous, met the wreckage of others’ lives, and on Saturday night is part of a blockbuster event at the 02 Arena in London as one of four British fighters in world title fights on the sold-out card …

Read the full story by Gareth A Davies, boxing correspondent for The Telegraph, by clicking here.