Ben Tackie Fights Tonight

Sharmba Mitchell faces a tough test at the City Center Pavilion in Reno, Nevada today (May 16) night when he faces tough African Ben Tackie in an IBF light-welterweight title eliminator.

The stakes are high for both men as the winner will not only have the opportunity to challenge undisputed 140lbs champion Kostya Tszyu but also extract revenge on the Australian based Russian.

Both Tackie and Mitchell have lost to Tszyu, Mitchell by seventh round retirement due to a knee injury in February, 2001 and Tackie by unanimous decision nearly a year ago to the day on May 18, 2002.

The 29 year-old African, who was born in Accra, Ghana, has not fought since the Tszyu defeat while 32 year-old southpaw Mitchell saw ring action in January of this year when he stopped Carlos Wilfredo Vilches in four rounds of an IBF eliminator.

Since the injury loss to Tszyu, Mitchell has won four times, including good wins over Vince Phillips and Bernard Harris so the knee appears to be holding fine. Defeat is not an option for Mitchell, who dreams of nothing more than a rematch with Tszyu to settle what is clearly unfinished business.

In his way though is Tackie, a tough, durable but limited foe, who will stand firm regardless of what Mitchell throws at him. Mitchell knows Tackie can be a dangerous puncher at the highest level as his 24-3-(15), record suggests.

Mitchell will not take any chances early on. He will use his superior technical skills to build up an early lead and coast to clear unanimous decision.

On the undercard of the Showtime televised card, which starts at 10.15pm ET/PT, undefeated puncher Jeff Lacy (right) tests his power against Chicago based Syrian Anwar Oshana (left).

The 26 year-old US Olympian, who defends his WBC Continental Americas super-middleweight title, has stopped 11 of his 13 opponents so far and should do the same to Oshana, by around the halfway mark.