by James Slater – According to the man with all the news, Dan Rafael over at ESPN.com, two intriguing fights are currently being worked on, and they may both take place on the upcoming Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez bill on September 19th. The word is, Allan Green and Sakio Bika may meet on the under-card, in what would be a very good super-middleweight clash, and lightweights Vicente Escobedo and Michael Katsidis may also meet on the Las Vegas show. Let’s hope both fights get made..
Bika, nicknamed “The Scorpion,” has been unhappy as of late, due to the fact that he has been unable to get the big fights he wants. A fight with the once-beaten and never stopped Green would surely give him what he wants. For if the Cameroon-born warrior, 28-3-2(19) were to make a statement by becoming the first man to stop Green – and on such a high profile fight card, at that – the 30-year-old would almost certainly be rewarded with another big fight.
Green, 28-1(20), is coming off one of his best showing to date; a 2nd-round annihilation of the useful Carlos De Leon Junior. Green too has been craving a big opportunity, ever since his sole loss, on points, to Edison Miranda. It’s likely the 29-year-old would get motivated for a fight with the man Joe Calzaghe once said gave him one of his toughest fights. A statement would also be made if Green were to become the first fighter to put Bika away.
As for the talked of Katsidis-Escobedo match-up, according to ESPN this fight will go ahead later this year even if it does not take place on September 19th. Good thing too, because this pairing is a fine one. 28-year-old Katsidis, 25-2(21) is rarely in a bad fight, while Olympian Escobedo, 21-1(13) a year younger at 27, will be having his first test at top class level. An exciting-looking boxer-puncher type affair, the lightweight battle would certainly add greatly to the September show at The MGM. However, this fight is that good it may be better off topping its own bill at a later date.
The two match-ups are now being worked on by Golden Boy, with Jeff Wald of Contender fame working alongside Oscar De La Hoya’s company on the Green-Bika fight. If one or, even better both, support fights do happen in September, Mayweather and Marquez will have to go some to ensure their main event is not overshadowed!