By Jake Donovan

Some fighters obsess over maintaining a glossy ring record, sacrificing entertainment value in the process. Others throw caution to the wind, but quickly find the losses piling up and without actually learning anything in the process.

Seth Mitchell has maintained a check list from the moment he engaged in any type of athletic activity – to excel at whatever field he chooses; to make sure his paying audience gets its money’s worth and that he’s better the next time than he was in his previous appearance.

That very mentality, coupled with a Spartan-like work ethic (befitting of his time spent playing college football at Michigan State) is what has allowed Mitchell to make the smooth transition to boxing once he chose to take up the sport just a few years ago.

Learning while earning, Mitchell has quickly advanced from novice to budding American heavyweight star. The unbeaten contender made his HBO debut last December and now appears on the network for his second straight fight when he takes on Chazz Witherspoon on April 28 in Atlantic City.

What led him to HBO was his commitment to bringing the pain in each and every fight, recognizing that while it’s a business, it’s still the entertainment business.

“I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to look impressive,” Mitchell (24-0-1, 18KO) admits when asked if looking good is every bit as important to him as winning. “It’s an entertainment sport. That’s why I’m back on HBO Sports. At the same time I’m not going to go out there reckless. I’m going to work my jab and put my punches together.”

That very strategy has led to nine straight knockouts, including a two round blitzing of Timur Ibragimov last December. While Mitchell holds Witherspoon in the highest regard in and out of the ring, the Maryland native has no reservations about putting on his game face once the bell rings.

“I don’t want my knockout streak to stop and I’m here to entertain but at the same time I have to be smart. Win, lose or draw I have to be smart. I have to keep winning. If I don’t keep winning, all of that talk stops. All of my plans are contingent on me winning and keep improving with each fight. So far, I believe I’ve done that.”

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com. Follow Jake on Twitter at twitter.com/JakeNDaBox or submit questions/comments to JakeNDaBox@gmail.com