The moment of truth beckons for Boholano ring icon Czar Amonsot today as he challenges the undefeated Australian knockout artist Michael Katsidis for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim lightweight crown at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Amonsot-Katsidis duel serves as one of the undercards of the super middleweight showdown between Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins and Winky Wright headlining the “Coming to Fight” card put up by Golden Boy Promotions of boxing great Oscar de la Hoya.
A scuffle ensued after the official weigh-in yesterday when Hopkins shoved Wright’s face. Wright retaliated by pushing Hopkins but proverbial pacifists swiftly stepped in to put the situation under control.
Katsidis came in 135 pounds, but Amonsot showed he’s in top form and in the best shape of his career by touching down the scales at 133 pounds.
Against Katsidis, Amonsot is on a mission of exorcising the ghost that constantly haunt him since his embarrassing first-round knockout defeat to Indonesian Simson Butar-Butar before a stunned Boholano crowd on September 23 last year in his hometown Tagbilaran City.
Amonsot gamely admitted his faults and vowed to change for the better. Given a second chance by his ever-supportive benefactors in ALA top honcho Antonio “Bidoy” L. Aldeguer and Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Neri Lim, Amonsot delivered by eking out a split decision win over Korean Da Woon Jung to seize the WBO Asia Pacific lightweight title last February 9 at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul.
Despite being armed with a decent 18-2-1 win-loss-record dotted with 10KOs, Amonsot is a heavy underdog over the power-hitting Katsidis, who is unbeaten in 22 fights that include 20 victories by knockout.
In addition to his frightening resume, the 26-year-old Katsidis has some undermining words for Amonsot that he will destroy anyone who stands on his way.
“Anyone they put in front of me I will destroy,” Katsidis told sportsnut.com.au. “I’m ready to make my mark on the world stage and I will crush anyone who challenges me.”
Curiously, Katsidis is making his first ring appearance in the United States. Amonsot had already fought twice in the US, winning over Mexicans Cristian Favela and Jose Reyes by decision both at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas last year.
Vegas bookmakers gave the 21-year-old Amonsot the slimmest of chances to overthrow Katsidis, but the hard-puncher from Queensland must be extra cautious as the Filipinos are big-hearted fighters who recorded the most shocking upsets in boxing history in recent years.
Just two weeks ago, Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, Jr. rocked the boxing world when he scored a stunning fifth round stoppage of the previously undefeated champion Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan to clinch the IBF and IBO flyweight titles at the Harbour Yard Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
And who could forget Manny Pacquiao’s brutal 11th round destruction of Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera on November 16, 2003 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas?
While he acknowledged that the Filipino ring gladiators are on a roll right now, Katsidis seemed unfazed by it.
“The Filipinos are on a very big roll at the moment, he’s going to pull out all the stops in this fight. He is going to be extremely fit and I think he’s going to have a fair bit of power,” said Katsidis.
“I believe that with all the years of dedication and work I’ve put into it, things are now finally falling into place for me. “With so much at stake, there’s no way I’m going to lose this fight.”
But if lady luck coupled with the collective players of the 80 million-plus Filipinos work well on Amonsot’s side, the Philippines might end up having three legitimate world boxing champions in just a two-week span after the gallantry of Nonito Donaire and Florante Condes, who dethroned Indonesian Muhammad Rachman to reign as the new IBF minimumweight titlist.
