Katsidis primed to produce
Australia's Michael Katsidis is primed to produce the performance of his boxing career as he makes his big screen debut in his lightweight world title fight in Las Vegas this weekend.
The twenty-nine year old Queenslander Katsidis, (25-2, 21 KO’s) is taking on twenty-seven year old 2004 American Olympian Vicente Escobedo (21-1, 13 KO’s) for the WBO interim lightweight title on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez welterweight super fight at the MGM Grand on September 20th.
Katsidis' fight will also be part of the program shown in more than 170 American movie cinemas - the first time live boxing has been shown at the movies in over 20 years. His commitment to winning the belt he lost to Juan Diaz last year prompted Katsidis to knock back the opportunity of receiving a prestigious award in person at the annual WBO convention last month in Budapest, Hungary.
Katsidis won the WBO's Asia-Pacific Fighter of the Year, but opted not to travel to Europe and interrupt his preparations.
"We didn't go, we've been locked down, head down, bum up in camp for almost three months. His physical and mental preparation has been second to none; I expect that Australia and the rest of the world will witness the greatest performance ever from this young bloke. He is going out to get that belt that he had around his waist once before and Escobedo has got a very dangerous boy in front of him." said Katsidis' trainer Brendon Smith who was speaking from Las Vegas.
While Katsidis couldn't attend the WBO convention, an announcement made there could have significant ramifications for him in the future. Katsidis and Escobedo are fighting for an interim title as the current full WBO lightweight champion Marquez is unavailable after moving up to welterweight for his clash with Mayweather.
"Less than two weeks ago at the WBO convention, the president ordered that if Marquez loses the fight to Mayweather he must defend his title against the winner of Michael and Escobedo, if he doesn't then the winner of Katsidis and Escobedo is declared the outright WBO lightweight champion." Smith said.
Escobedo has defeated two former world champions in lighter weight divisions, Kevin Kelley and Carlos Hernandez.
"He's a very good fighter, he had great amateur experience and represented America at the Olympics and he has fought and knocked out some good names in his (professional) career, however he hasn't had a Michael Katsidis in front of him as yet and Michael believes that Escobedo is going into the lion's den, however he does not underestimate him." Smith said of Escobedo
Katsidis and Escobedo are not strangers as they shared a dressing room when they fought different opponents on a card in Texas back in April.