Union City, NJ- To perform under the constant shadow of a legend is no easy feat, and thanks to the boxing genius of Joel Casamayor (36-3-1, 22 KOs) last Saturday night, it appears the Arturo Gatti (40-9, 31 KOs) parallels have no end in sight for lightweight crowd-pleaser Michael Katsidis? (23-1, 20 KOs). Much like his predecessor, Katsidis has all the makings of a champion: iron fists, a decent chin, and a heart bigger than Nikolay Valuev (48-1, 34 KOs). His predisposition to dramatic cuts and facial injuries only exacerbates the crowd?s excitement when he fights. Saturday?s loss adds yet another line to the laundry list of similarities: just like Gatti, Katsidis only goes down to the slyest of champions, and not without a fight.
AUSSIE BROUGHT IT & GOT HAMMERED
It would be unfair to call this Katsidis? fight to lose, however. The only thing on the Australian?s side was a generous 9-year age advantage; against him the experience of one of the division?s trickiest boxers and his own inexperience with big-name fighters. He himself has only recently scratched the surface of anonymity in his zealous attempts to escape it at the price of several permanent facial scars. Against him also stood the pressure of finally breaking the mold and defending his title against a fighter whose reputation fed off of victories against the likes of Diego Corrales (40-5, 33 KOs) and current lightweight champion Nate Campbell (32-5-1, 25 KOs). Granted, most coming into the fight considered the bout an easy boost to Katsidis? career given his meteoric rise and the lackluster performances of his opponent lately, but most also underestimated the stamina and technical brilliance of the Cuban fighter that had gotten him to where he is today.
FIGHT DICTATED BY SLICK OLD MAN
As long as Casamayor had a say, the fight was not to be a blood and guts brawl, and despite being completely blown out of the water (and literally out of the ring) in the sixth round by a crystal clear body shot, only to be pursued fiercely for the next three, Casamayor kept his cool and evaded the most potentially devastating shots until he could get in his own. Even at his weakest, luck clear disassociated itself from Casamayor?s survival; he ducked when he had to and-rare for a fighter his age-he saw the punches before Katsidis even thought of throwing them. The comparatively small number that he did not see were enough to knock him down and keep him weak for the second half of the fight, but neither the effects of the first two knockdowns on Katsidis nor the frustration for him to still see the elder fighter on his feet were wasted. Only a tone such as that Casamayor set for the fight early could have permitted him a victory by strategy (the knockdown took only one punch following an uncomfortable round for the winner). Those two knockdowns in round one gave Casamayor the confidence that he had the power to take his opponent down before he himself fell, and it was enough to end the fight.
INTERVIEW BY MAX A ?NEST OF DIASTER?
The biggest question post-fight was, of course, the future of Katsidis? career, now uncertain other than Gatti-esque in its brilliant failures. Katsidis gave little of interest regarding his future, unlike his opponent, who was quick to light up the division through the mayhem of his post-match interview. The exchange between Casamayor and the HBO camps fell victim to a motley crew of unfortunate circumstances ranging from Casamayor?s incoherent Spanish ramblings to his translator?s morally questionable reinterpretations in English to Max Kellerman?s deer-in-the-headlights confusion, springing from the fact that no less than four people would scream at him simultaneously in an unintelligible rainbow of permutations of Casamayor?s native language. Fortunately for the interested parties, the name ?Pacquiao? was just about the only clear statement that managed to slip through the translator?s death grip on what Casamayor was actually trying to say. Of course the translator failed to repeat the names Casamayor called out, but for those fluent enough in Cuban Spanish to ignore the fighter?s incompetent sidekick during the interview, his challenge was clear. This challenge suddenly succeeds in a task Pac-fans have spent their lifetimes trying to achieve in vain – making a fight involving Pacquiao sound interesting.
JOEL MAKES PACMAN INTERESTING
While Pac-haters will inevitably scramble out of the woodwork in droves to criticize him for fighting yet another old fighter, it is worthy of note that Casamayor is neither Mexican nor washed-up, and the mind games he is capable of in the ring would make him Manny Pacquiao?s most dangerous opponent yet. Don?t believe me? Ask Michael Katsidis, whose 20 KOs out of 23 fights highlight him as more than a worthy opponent himself against either fighter. In this bountiful season surfeited with boxing wishes come true, fans must demand of promoters that the careers of these two fighters meet.
