The fight between Joel Casamayor and Michael Katsidis was termed as experience vs. youth. The question was whether an old cagy veteran could use his guile to overcome a young and hungry lion. The fight started off in the worst possible way for an overly anxious Katsidis, who ran into a Casamayor left hand only seconds into the fight. The left hand put a stunned Katsidis on the canvas; Casamayor followed up with another left as his opponent was already down, drawing no response from the referee. To his credit Katsidis jumped up quickly only to run into another straight left hand and taste the canvas for the second time in the first round. Katsidis would once again beat the count and finish the round throwing back. 

The momentum would change in round four as Katsidis was able to hurt Casamayor and punish him for the entire round. Around the same point Katsidis began to concertedly focus on Casamayor's body. In round six the relentless pressure Katsidis put on Casamayor paid off, and a body shot seemed to hurt Joel, leaving him open for a barrage of overhand rights that sent him through the ropes. Casamayor barely beat the count as he managed to get into the ring on the count of nine. For the next few round Katsidis increasingly looked like it was only a matter of time till he would be able to break down the old veteran. Nevertheless, in round nine Casamayor seemed to make an adjustment in his game plan as he would once again begin to land straight left hands. In round ten Katsidis, true to form, came out with a head of steam and continued to go after Casamayor with reckless abandonment. This recklessness would cost the young boxer the fight, when for the third time in the bout he walked into a well placed Casamayor left. Katsidis, a true warrior beat the count, yet his legs were clearly gone, forcing the referee to stop the fight after Casamayor landed a few more clean left hands.  

In a fight that was his for the taking Katsidis let the magnitude of the moment get to him, and his anxiousness would overrule his good sense. However, for a guy with an exciting Arturo Gatti like style you can hardly blame him for being reckless at times. This was simply a product of inexperience and takes nothing away from Katsidis, who fought a great fight, and who seems to improve every time we see him.

Casamayor managed to add another stunning knockout to his highlight reel. He used his much touted experience to outsmart a stronger and more determined opponent. At the very least Casamayor earned himself another premiere fight, whether against Nate Campbell or another top lightweight still remains to be seen. Casamayor also managed to once again silence the critics who keep waiting for his age and ring wear to eventually be his undoing. At least for now his toughness and ring acumen seem to be more than making up for his age.  

In other action, Librado Andrade stopped Robert Stieglitz 2:53 into the tenth round to become the top challenger to IBF super middleweight titlist Arthur Abraham.
 

Questions? Comments? Write Oleg Bershadsky

3-22-2008