Mitchell was stopped inside three rounds at Upton Park on Saturday

By Ben Dirs BBC Sport at Upton Park

Promoter Frank Warren read Kevin Mitchell the riot act after discovering he had been cutting corners in training before his defeat to Michael Katsidis.

Mitchell was stopped in three rounds at Upton Park, after which trainer Jimmy Tibbs revealed he had not been happy with his charge's preparations.

"If you want to be champion of the world, you've got to live the life, there are no short-cuts," said Tibbs.

"It annoys me hearing about Kevin's preparation," added Warren.

"If Kevin doesn't want to play at this game I'm not financing it. If you don't want to play the game, don't waste my time.

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"If he wants to be a world champion and play the game I'm the person to help deliver that, if he doesn't want to play the game then he should go somewhere else and play around, because I'm not in the business of being involved with fighters who play around.

"But I don't want to take the slightest thing away from Michael, he came here in magnificent condition and he deserved to win the fight because he put everything into it."

Mitchell, who was challenging for Katsidis' WBO interim lightweight title at the home of his beloved West Ham, conceded he had not been as focused as he should have been in the lead-up to the fight, but said there were legitimate reasons.

"About five weeks ago Jimmy said 'you haven't prepared for this fight properly, you keep messing around'," said Mitchell, 25, who now has 31 wins and one defeat.

"There were things I wasn't doing and I was having a few late nights and this has given me a kick up the backside.

"But I've got a young family and there have been a lot of rows that people don't understand about. That's made things hard. One minute I'm living at my mum's, the next I'm back at my flat."

Tibbs, who trained former world champions Nigel Benn and Barry McGuigan among others, said he had not given up hope of Mitchell one day landing a world title of his own.

"I still say this kid [Mitchell] can go on and do something at world championship level, if he prepares right," said Tibbs. "That's why Michael Katsidis is a great fighter, because of his preparation."

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