Banks-Mitchell II to include Broner's first defense

NEW YORK -- Undersized heavyweight Johnathon Banks and Seth "Mayhem" Mitchell will likely meet in a rematch as part of a double-header to include the first defense by newly-crowned WBC lightweight beltholder Adrien "The Problem" Broner, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer informed RingTV.com on Saturday.

On Nov. 17 in Atlantic City, Banks (29-1-1, 19 knockouts) floored Mitchell (25-1-1, 19 KOs) three times in the second and final round, ending a streak for Mitchell that had gone for 23 consecutive victories, 18 of which were knockouts, including the past 10 straight.

Banks also rose to 9-0-1, with five stoppage wins during thar run as a heavyweight, last falling in his final bout as a 200-pound cruiserweight by eighth-round stoppage against Tomasz Adamek in February of 2009.

A former WBO junior lightweight titletholder, Broner (25-0, 21 KOs) scored an eighth-round knockout to dethrone Antonio DeMarco as WBC lightweight titleholder. The victory was the fifth straight knockout for Broner, 23, ending DeMarco's streak of five consecutive wins, four of them by stoppage.

"We will exercise the rematch option, and HBO will buy it. We're currently working on a date. It would be a double-header with Adrien Broner defending his title," said Schaefer.

"And the rematch between Jonathon Banks and Seth Mitchell. I have to start working on that next week. We will notify them on Monday that we are exercising the option."

Tom Loeffler, Banks' promoter with K2 Promotions, said he welcomed the rematch.

"We would like the rematch. Golden Boy has the rematch clause. They have 30 days from the date of the fight to exercise it, and if they exercise it then we do the rematch," said Loeffler.

"If not, then we'll have to see who else makes sense. With that win, that elevates Banks to the top of the division, and we'd like to capitalize on that."

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Photo by Tom Hogan, Hogan Photos, Golden Boy Promotions

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com