After a dispute late last week over what brand of gloves would be worn by Michael Katsidis and Juan Diaz nearly caused another cancellation of this highly anticipated slugfest, the two lightweight standouts will finally meet on September 6th as the headlining performers on HBO’s ‘Boxing After Dark’ from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Last week, Willie Savannah, the manager of Diaz, protested the usage of Cleto-Reyes by Katsidis, believing that the horsehair padding of those mitts made his fighter more prone to cuts. The only problem was that Katsidis and his management had already signed their bout agreement, which stipulated they could wear any brand of their liking.
After agreeing to go into ‘the Baby Bull’s’ hometown and taking short money, they were not about to give back this concession.
?Very clear, mate, that was something we negotiated on early in the piece,” said Katsidis? trainer/manager, Brendon Smith, who hails from ‘Down Under’. “So of course Michael fights in the Reyes gloves and that’s what we stipulated we wanted to do.”
Word is that Savannah, who came to Golden Boy Promotions after an acrimonious stint with Don King, was none too happy about Katsidis being given the option of using Cleto-Reyes, and not just Everlast, their preferred brand. There was talk that this issue would cause a cancellation of this fight. Sources say that Savannah was told by the Golden Boy higher ups that if he pulled out of this fight, Katsidis would be moved to their September 13th pay-per-view show and Diaz would be left without a date for the rest of 2008.
With that ultimatum, Savannah would give in.
“He’ll wear whatever he wants, we’ll wear whatever we want,” said the manager, who noted that they would soon be getting a pair of Cleto-Reyes to look over and try out. But one thing that Savannah was insistent on was that, unlike their experience in Cancun, Mexico (where Diaz would lose his lightweight belts to Nate Campbell), drug testing would be performed.
“You bettter believe that there’s going to be a urine test. We’re doing one before the fight, the day before the fight, we’re doing one after the fight,” says Savannah, still haunted by what took place in March. “That’s something that you never thought that you would have an issue with. You never would think that that would be a problem, especially in a world title fight, the drug test. The only thing that I thought when we got ready to go to Mexico was would they falsify, tamper with the urine? And so that’s why we did a urinalysis at a clinic here on our way to the airport.
“Lo and behold, hell, there was no God-damn drug test.”
Team Katsidis has no problems in obliging Savannah – they are willing to piss the equivalent of Niagara Falls to make this fight a reality.
“Mate, I am under the understanding that the drug test is to whatever the Nevada commission and the other commissions are requesting and we’ll both go through the same tests,” said Smith. “That’s where I’m on the understanding with that. And mate, we got no problems going through any drug tests.”
What’s interesting about this matchup is that it’s a fight that pits a pair of boxers coming off losses- yet still has the makings of a ‘B.A.D.’ classic. While Diaz was decisioned by Campbell, a couple of weeks later Katsidis was stopped in the tenth by Joel Casamayor in what was a dramatic contest.
In many other instances, fighters coming off their first professional losses would look for soft touches. Yet both come-forward warriors seem to relish the challenge that’s in front of him.
“I think this fight between Katsidis and myself is a fight that the fans want to see,” Diaz would say a couple of weeks ago as the fight was being ironed out. “It’s a fight that Katsidis and myself want because we just love to be in there and go toe-to-toe. That’s what we?re paid to do – please the fans – and that’s what we love to do. From what I’ve seen, Katsidis loves to fight, and from what I know, my personal experience, what I love to do is fight. So I think this could be one of those legendary nights.”
On his end, Katsidis states, “These are the fights that I need. I feel I’m very lucky, very fortunate that I get such a big fight after my loss to Casamayor, having that out of the road, I gained a world of experience and to have a fight like this, it’s just what I need to get back on the horse. And this is what’s going to bring me back into the game.”
While the issue with the gloves was being ironed out, Katsidis says his focus was squarely on the fight.
“I like to keep it very simple,” he would say to Maxboxing. “I fight in the championship gloves and if anyone wants to fight me, I want to come as a fighter and be prepared as a champion should. Look, I’m not going to enter into a fight if there’s not going to be a man coming to party. I wasn’t too concerned; there was no fight if it was going to go the other way.”
It’ll be interesting to see who can bounce back to form after their respective losses. While Diaz went the distance with Campbell, he was clearly beaten down the stretch by the wily veteran. Katsidis, after taking two trips to the canvas, had actually pulled ahead on two of three scorecards before running into a Casamayor left at the start of round ten as he charged out at the Cuban.
“Look, I got caught and that’s what happens. I was a completely different fighter on the night. But it was my first main event on HBO and I wasn’t myself and you just learn from every single fight,” says Katsidis. “If there’s one thing that I learned it’s just about having my mind on track for the things I’ve taken for granted over the time. This wasn’t something that was just going to fall into my lap and now I’m prepared to do the work and work is something I can do.
“And for this fight, this is right down my alley with Juan Diaz.”
MID-WEEK FLURRIES
OK, Alex Rodriguez, this guy is un-clutch. Madonna? That would’ve been a grand slam, say in, 1988. He certainly is no Derek Jeter in this department. But I can see it now, this is the next Yankee documentary on HBO – ‘A-Fraud’ – which of course, just has to be directed by Billy Crystal. I can see an Emmy now….So with Golden Boy now forming a ‘strategic alliance’ with USA Boxing, forget Jay-Z, this is the real Takeover….The official kickoff presser for Diaz-Katsidis takes place today in Houston. By the way, September 6th just happens to be the same day when the Miami Hurricanes take on the Florida Gators at ‘the Swamp’. I don’t know what will be bloodier, Diaz-Katsidis or Tim Tebow versus a very green and inexperienced ‘Cane defense….Kicking off that September 6th broadcast is Rocky Juarez-Jorge Barrios….So, Amir Khan has re-signed with Frank Warren, huh? I wonder, based on his past experiences with Naz Hamed and more recently, Joe Calzaghe, does he dare bring him over to the USA and televise him on HBO? I can see it now in 2010, ‘I Khan Do My Own Promotional Company? is formed in association with Golden Boy…..With over 11,000 at the Mandalay Bay and nearly $3.4 million at the gate for their latest show, I don’t think that Dana White and the UFC will be blaming George W. Bush for anything in the near future….As for Christie Brinkley, she’s still my ‘Uptown Girl’……
