‘That was not good enough’ says Levi after points victory

Levi Vaughan…made it a hat-trick of wins at Eastside Rooms

LEVI Vaughan was in no mood to sugar-coat his performance after outpointing fellow Brummie Leon Mitchell at the city’s Eastside Rooms last night.

“I’m not happy with that,” the tall cruiserweight said. “The aim is to make it to the top and I won’t make it to the top with performances like that.”

It’s an unusual post-fight analysis. Boxers, when addressing the media, usually push home the positives and bury the negatives.

But, then, 26-year-old Vaughan has an unusual background for a professional fighter.

He comes into the game with a degree in bio-technology. “That includes molecular genetics and genetic engineering,” he told me. By day, he’s a business development manager.

And the southpaw, now unbeaten in three, may be being a little harsh on himself. He dropped tough Mitchell in the first of their four rounder and definitely deserved the win.

He did flag markedly down the stretch and allowed 30-year-old Mitchell to force the action in the last, a round Leon clearly won on my card – on referee Ryan Churchill’s card, too, I suspect. He scored the four rounder 39-36.

Mitchell, who has now lost two of three, deserves full credit. He took his lumps, chugged forward, worked the body and landed uppercuts. He showed grit.

“My energy went,” Vaughan admitted. “I need to manage my weight better. It’s a steep learning curve.”

Yet it initially appeared Vaughan (13st 4lbs) was in for a comfortable, even early, night. A looping left dropped Mitchell (13st 11lbs) in the first for a count of three and Vaughan, looking relaxed, put together smooth combinations.

Mitchell bulled forward in the second, only to cop left counters and one-twos.

He refused to be subdued, however. Leon missed wildly with one swing in the third, was caught by a crisp left uppercut, yet had some success with left hooks to the ribs.

His persistence finally paid off in the last, a round in which my notes state: “Vaughan not doing enough.” Levi was forced to give ground as Mitchell, with little coming back, threw left hooks to the body, right uppercuts to the head.

Vaughan said afterwards: “I didn’t do myself justice. I may have to go full time (as a pro).”

That may have something to do with making weight, but we shouldn’t forget it also had something to do with Mitchell.