MANILA, Philippines?Former Olympic gold medalist Joel Casamayor, Ring magazine?s true lightweight champion, pinned a first defeat on Australian Michael Katsidis with a come-from-behind technical knockout in the 10th round Sunday to add the WBO interim lightweight crown to his resume.
After the fight, WBC lightweight champ Casamayor said he wants Filipino superstar and newly crowned WBC super featherweight king Manny Pacquiao to be his next foe.
?I beat Nate Campbell (WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight champ) with three weeks of training,? said Casamayor. ?Now I want Pacquiao.?
Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach and Top Rank boss Bob Arum have said they are lining up the Gen. Santos City lefty against WBC lightweight champ David Diaz, not the Cuban Casamayor.
Falling behind on the scorecards of two of the three judges, Casamayor picked himself up from a knockdown in the sixth round to unleash a big left on Katsidis? jaw in the 10th round.
Katsidis managed to beat the count after a hard fall, but Casamayor hit him with another big shot, prompting referee Joh Schorle to stop the bout 30 seconds into the round.
Katsidis, who beat Filipino Czar Amonsot prior to the Casamayor fight, suffered his first setback in his pro career.
