Australian boxer Michael Katsidis lands WBO world title fight

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27647398-5009280,00.html

Hard-hitting Australian boxer Michael Katsidis has secured a world title fight against Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez.
Marquez has accepted terms to defend his WBO belt against Katsidis in Las Vegas on November 27, Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer announced.

Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) is generally considered Mexico's top boxer.

He decisively won a rematch with Juan Diaz on July 31 in his first fight since losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year.

After failing to interest Manny Pacquiao in a third fight, Marquez agreed to a mandatory title defence against Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs), who has revitalised his career with four straight victories following back-to-back losses to Joel Casamayor and Diaz.

Does the Aussie stand a chance?

On behalf of boxing fans everywhere PLEASE do not refer to alphabet straps. They mean less than squat. Thank you

What IS important about JMM is he is THE MAN at 135, the CHAMPION and is recognized by Ring Magazine as such.

Now, Michael Katsidis has a chance under one or more of the following conditions (in no order)

-Marquez gets hit by a bus the week of the fight
-Katsidis hires someone to give Marquez the Nancy Kerrigan treatment
-Marquez drinks his brother's urine by mistake and then decides he's a slugger
-Marquez fights with one hand behind his back
-Marquez thinks the fight is in Las Vegas New Mexico and goes to the wrong place and Katsidis wins by forfeit
-Capetillo and Panama Stewart wrap Katsidis' hands in private
-Marquez decides to take tactical advice from Chad Dawson
-Katsidis undergoes a gene splicing procedure and is injected with Dwight Muhammad Qawi's DNA
-Katsidis keeps his Spartan Helmet on throughout the fight

OK, I'm done. I find Katsidis admirable but insufficiently talented to compete with Marquez. His best shot is that Marquez has grown old and we just haven't seen it yet.

marbleheadmaui wrote:

On behalf of boxing fans everywhere PLEASE do not refer to alphabet straps. They mean less than squat. Thank you

I usually don't but when it's a fellow Aussie fighting then it's a world title

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

On behalf of boxing fans everywhere PLEASE do not refer to alphabet straps. They mean less than squat. Thank you

I usually don't but when it's a fellow Aussie fighting then it's a world title

My point is in this case it REALLY IS a world title. Marquez is widely considered THE MAN at 135. The WBO thing is a detraction from that.

I suspect this is a bigger fight than you think it is. If I'm wrong and Katsidis wins this? He gets mentioned with the Ike William's and Roberto Duran's and Benny Leonard's as lightweighjt champions. Katsidis would then get mentioned with other TRUE Aussie Champions like Young Griffo and Jimmy Carruthers and Lionel Rose!

Australia's greatest ever 2 fighters are Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tzsyu. I don't think he'll reach their level. The only title I care about is The Ring Magazine one.

Katsides is a live dog IMO. Marquez is fighting a few divisions up from his prime and Katsides os younger. Marquez is by far the superior fighter in all aspects I just don't think we should write off a guy that is on an upswing against an aging fighter fighting above his prime. My prediction is Marquez via UD 116-112 somewhere around there.

I think Marquez's body will betray him. I don't think that will occur in this fight. I can see that occuring late next year.

too much technical brilliance by Marquez with his uppercut causing cuts over one or both of katsidis's eyes (he isn't hard to cut). Late stoppage due to cuts and or/swelling around the eyes or a UD for Marquez.

Look forward to it. The very least you can ask when you have a fight where you think you know the outcome is action and this fight will have it.

Katsidis will get cut too pieces, and stopped late in the fight. If an old faded Casamayor could KO Katsidis, and if Juan Diaz could out-box him, what do you think JMM will do to him?

Katsidis is a tough, exciting fighter, but he will lose everytime he steps up to that upper level of competition.

JMM in 9....

i don't know Mr Marble, Marquez was puffing a lot in the "championship rounds" against Diaz, Diaz gave a half-a-ssed performance as well. in their first encounter Diaz had a lot of success early in the fight and gave Marquez a lot of trouble when he was piling on the pressure which is exactly what Katsidis will do. I think Marquez will get the victory but i think it is going to be closer than expected. I can see the fight ending up being decided on a technical decision seeing how bad Katsidis marks up and if that happens then who knows what the verdict could be especially if Katsidis gets some early rounds in the bank. Marquez is due to get old in the ring sometime or the other, Katsidis really seems to be 100% focused from what i hear of his intense 12 week training camps in Thailand, isolating himself from everything. I think Marquez will be made to work very hard in this fight and we will see what he has left in the tank. Should be a great fight though, i'm pleased with this news

FOTY candidate

Katsidis has a good chance to win this fight, Marquez is now 37 years old and seems to get tagged alot easier now, Juan Diaz wobbled him in the first fight and Baby Bull doesn't possess the same power as Michael does. I also noticed in the rematch with Diaz that Marquez's accuracy and sharpness wasn't the same as it was before the Mayweather fight, he seemed to missing with alot of his shots.

Of course Katsidis on the other hand is about as limited as you get and should be tailor made for Marquez's world class counter punching, but the kid proved with the Casamayor fight that even his relentless style can be difficult to deal with.

It's going to come down to simply how much Marquez has left in the tank, and judging by Marquez's performance in the Diaz rematch he should have enough to overcome Katsidis.

I'll be shocked if it isn't entertaining while it lasts.

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

Australia's greatest ever 2 fighters are Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tzsyu. I don't think he'll reach their level. The only title I care about is The Ring Magazine one.

Really? Fenech never was a lineal champ and Kostya wasn't really an Aussie.

marbleheadmaui wrote:

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

Australia's greatest ever 2 fighters are Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tzsyu. I don't think he'll reach their level. The only title I care about is The Ring Magazine one.

Really? Fenech never was a lineal champ and Kostya wasn't really an Aussie.

Ask any Australian and they'll say the same thing. Fenech won 3 titles. IBF Bantamweight, WBC Super Bantamweight, WBC Featherweight. Also, Kostya fought under the Australian flag so we'll claim him.

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

Australia's greatest ever 2 fighters are Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tzsyu. I don't think he'll reach their level. The only title I care about is The Ring Magazine one.

Really? Fenech never was a lineal champ and Kostya wasn't really an Aussie.

Ask any Australian and they'll say the same thing. Fenech won 3 titles. IBF Bantamweight, WBC Super Bantamweight, WBC Featherweight. Also, Kostya fought under the Australian flag so we'll claim him.

Good to see the Aussie fans are as clueless as the US's are.

marbleheadmaui wrote:

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

Australia's greatest ever 2 fighters are Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tzsyu. I don't think he'll reach their level. The only title I care about is The Ring Magazine one.

Really? Fenech never was a lineal champ and Kostya wasn't really an Aussie.

Ask any Australian and they'll say the same thing. Fenech won 3 titles. IBF Bantamweight, WBC Super Bantamweight, WBC Featherweight. Also, Kostya fought under the Australian flag so we'll claim him.

Good to see the Aussie fans are as clueless as the US's are.

Why are we clueless for?

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

Australia's greatest ever 2 fighters are Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tzsyu. I don't think he'll reach their level. The only title I care about is The Ring Magazine one.

Really? Fenech never was a lineal champ and Kostya wasn't really an Aussie.

Ask any Australian and they'll say the same thing. Fenech won 3 titles. IBF Bantamweight, WBC Super Bantamweight, WBC Featherweight. Also, Kostya fought under the Australian flag so we'll claim him.

Good to see the Aussie fans are as clueless as the US's are.

Why are we clueless for?

Valuing alphabet straps.

people there think Green and Mundine are world champs , for a start.

Tzsyu is about as Aussie as James Toney. I love Australia and spent a year there, does that make me an Aussie?

Canvas wrote:

people there think Green and Mundine are world champs , for a start.

Tzsyu is about as Aussie as James Toney. I love Australia and spent a year there, does that make me an Aussie?

Dunno, have you a criminal record and can you say Oy, Oy,Oy.

I think those are the two requirements.

I've thought about moving to Oz. I love that country. Bizarre combination of England and Canada, with a touch of USA set in a warm climate with freakish animals.

And the toilet swirls in the opposite direction when it flushes. lol.

Canvas wrote:

people there think Green and Mundine are world champs , for a start.

Tzsyu is about as Aussie as James Toney. I love Australia and spent a year there, does that make me an Aussie?

No we don't. Green's a joke and got destroyed by Mundine. Mundine won't fight overseas and only fights bums so no to him either.

Canvas wrote:

I've though about moving to Oz. I love that country. Bizarre combination of England and Canada, with a touch of USA set in a warm climate with freakish animals.

And the toilet swirls in the opposite direction when it flushes. lol.

And they drive on the wrong side of the road which makes right hand turns dangerous.

The first time I rented a car there I was driving from the heart of Sydney to Canberra in rush hour traffic. I was sweating and had white knuckles until we were well clear of the city. That was stressful.

I dont know why anyoe is giving Katsidis a chance, Marquez knocked out the guys that beat Katsidis. Katsidis will be knocked out, at least Diaz and Casa had some defense. Katsidis earned his shot, buut he still doesnt stand a chance. Mismatch

I thought JMM showed signs of aging in his last fight.

To be fair on Freak it's not his fault for talking about the straps, the media is really to blame for validating them. If they simply boycotted and stopped mentioning all the worthless trinkets people would take notice.