Boxers often tend to elect to slip on a mask in the build up to a fight.
Ribs bruised from sparring, a broken toe or a bust-up with the missus - little or big problems are usually meticulously kept under wraps before the bout and with good reason as a fighter bids to project confidence and avoid showing his opponent a weakness.
There is a British boxer who knows better than most about keeping a lid on bubbling issues and his name is Kevin Mitchell. He's due to fight the relentless Mancunian John Murray this weekend for the European lightweight title. Both men are talking about trying for WBA king and ferocious pitbull Brandon Rios next.
Last year Kevin Mitchell was blitzed in three rounds by Australian Michael Katsidis. Despite a promising opening where Mitchell got on his toes and peppered away with jabs he eventually succumbed to the much bigger Katsidis who deftly chopped the ring down, closed the gap and stopped the Dagenham man in front of his home fans.
It was a devastating loss which was compounded by revelations that Mitchell had apparently been suffering domestic problems with an on-off relationship with his partner and mother of his children. There was talk he had been kipping on sofas, rowing, switching from house to house and even talk of drink. This had been kept quiet and even Mitchell's promoter Frank Warren seemed unaware until after the fight.
As a professional fighter Kevin Mitchell should have known better. He would have been better served using the method adopted by a good proportion of the top-level boxers - shut himself off from distractions and trained like an animal. Katsidis certainly took that approach and looked in magnificent condition, displaying a steely focus for the job in hand. Mitchell struggled to get down to the weight and by the time he did, looked smaller and weaker than his foe.
All this talk of problems, or excuses some might say, leads on to this weekend's tasty encounter with John Murray in the other corner.
Despite legal issues concerning allegations he was involved with a cannabis factory surrounding Mitchell in the build-up to the occasion, he has been projected an aura of confidence. This week he even reeled in dwindling 'Cockney geezer' actor Danny Dyer to hold his pads as he wailed away.
"Look at his mince pies!" Dyer chirped away, nodding at a determined-looking Mitchell. Note - that's cockney rhyming slang for eyes in case you wondered.
The question is - how much of this projected mindset is real and how much is false? A mask?
John Murray, meanwhile, would love to take the Ricky Hatton 'man-of-the-people' title. They hail from the same city and have the same come-forward style but in front of the camera Murray is a little more dour and understated.
He hold the advantages in size against a natural super-featherweight and will look to plough through his smaller foe. Murray is 31-0 to Mitchell's 31-1 and, if comparing records, it's fair to say Mitchell has the edge after he saw of Amir Khan's conqueror Breidis Prescott and domestic dangerman Carl Johanneson. Murray has had something of a slow-burning career and his record is dotted with decent domestic operators.
John Murray will see this as his coming-out party where he can make a statement in front of a big crowd at Liverpool's Echo Arena, while Kevin Mitchell sees the shot as a chance to right a wrong from last year and get back on track.
On the surface this fight is a 50-50 contest. John Murray is the bigger fighter who will look to trap his man on the ropes and overwhelm him with pressure. Mitchell has the better boxing skills with an underrated jab and decent footwork. Will Murray wear him down or will Mitchell box his way to victory?
It's hard to call this fight but with Mitchell having been out of the ring for 14 months I think the mountain is too big to climb. Credit to him for getting back in there with a dangerous and worthy opponent but I see Murray pulling away in the second half of the fight. Mitchell will have his moments but I worry the Katsidis fight has taken something out of him mentally and Murray appears to be the fresher fighter in this one.
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