The title chosen for Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing event at the Hull Ice Arena seems an apt description of differing grades for the main event and chief support bouts in what promises to be an eventful evening in Humberside.
Tommy Coyle v Michael Katsidis (12 x 3 – IBF International Lightweight Belt)
Tommy Coyle now 19-2 (8KO’s) is thrust into the biggest test of his career, on paper at least, against the Australian banger Michael Katsidis 30-6 (24KO’s) for the IBF International Lightweight title. Both fighters find themselves at a crucial stage in their careers where a defeat would be fatal to any aspirations they have of continuing to top the bill on shows such as this.
I like Coyle in this fight for many reasons, but most of all because Michael Katsidis is just not the fighter he was when he ironed out Kevin Mitchell at Upton Park in 2010. Since then he has lost 4 in 7, with a 2 year lay off between 2012 & 2014 littered with personal troubles, which do not seem to have subsided. I should say at this point that Juan Manuel Marquez, Robert Guerrero and Ricky Burns make up 3 slots in the 4 defeats mentioned, but it is his most recent fight that I believe to have been more telling.
Katsidis fought to a clear unanimous decision win against former foe Graham Earl in July, who had not entered a boxing ring for 5 years. Okay, he won the fight but it was the inability to get rid of or even drop Earl, who has been stopped since, which leads me to believe that Katsidis is not even close to the fighter he was and is there for Coyle, if he can execute for the full 12 rounds.
Tommy Coyle’s last outing was a fight of the year candidate, but not one he will have been happy to be a part of I’m sure. He showed the heart and desire required to reach the top, getting of the floor 4 times to stop Daniel Brizuela in the last round of 12, but according to his own trainer he didn’t do the weight properly and maybe took his eye of the ball for a moment. Should Coyle enter the ring in similar condition heart and desire might no come into. I don’t see it though, I expect to see the Tommy Coyle who consummately outbox a really good fighter in Derry Mathews for 10 rounds before catching that ‘one’ punch that we all know can end any fighters night.
This is his chance to take a real scalp and make a statement and I expect him to be in pinnacle condition and outwork the decorated but ultimately weathered Michael Katsidis, winning unanimously on the cards.
Luke Campbell v Daniel Brizuela (10 x 3 – Lightweight)
Hometown hero and Olympic Gold Medalist Luke Campbell 8-0 (6KO’s), will provide chief support in an intriguing bout and his first real test against Tommy Coyle tormentor Daniel Brizuela now 26-3-2 (8KO’s).
It looks almost certain that Campbell will face long time friend Coyle in a mouthwatering fight in Hull in the summer of 2015 and this fight will be seen as a barometer as to how that fight will turn out. I strongly believe Luke Campbell is the class in the division domestically, despite being a relative novice I believe he will clear out the division both at British and European level in less than two years.
Tomorrow will see the beginning of this rise, Tommy Coyle may have under trained for the fiery Argentinian, but this will not be the case for Campbell. Fundamentally Campbell has just too much technically for Brizuela who I feel will find this heavy going and be stopped in the middle to late rounds.
Really excited to see Campbell in the flesh for the first time, if you haven’t had the chance before I suggest you board that bandwagon early.
Gavin McDonnell v Vusi Malinga (12 x 3 – WBO International Super Bantamweight Championship)
Completing the showpiece events of the evening will be what promises to be a real war of attrition between Gavin McDonnell (Twin to current WBA Bantamweight Champion Jamie) 11-0-2 (4KO’s) and Stuart Hall victim Vusi Malinga 21-5-1 (12KO’s).
If I have ever seen a McDonnell in a bad fight, I cannot remember it and I expect much of the same here. Coming off a draw against Josh Wale, which many people, including this writer thought should have gone to Wale, Gavin has something to prove and a victory over Malinga, a career Bantamweight who has mixed repeatedly at world level will definitely do the trick.
This is a fight of the night candidate and one I wouldn’t like to pick, so I will sit back and watch it unfold and enjoy, as this will be a cracker.
Remaining Card
Robbie Davies Jnr v Kakhaber Avetisian (6 x 3 – Light-Welterweight)
Samir Mouneimne v Michael Ramabeletsa (6 x 3 Featherweight)
Tom Knight v Gary Cooper (6 x 3 Light-Middleweight)
Charlie Payton v Ibrar Riyaz (4 x 3 Lightweight)
Connor Seymour v Dee Mitchell (4 x 3 Middleweight)
