By James Slater: Imagine this almost certain FOTY candidate taking place later this year: Brandon Rios Vs. Michael Katsidis! Some match-ups, the moment they are announced or even suggested, set the pulses racing, and this one – a real possibility for this year according to promoter Bob Arum – excites more than most.
Unbeaten, 28-0-1(21) Rios, the WBA lightweight champion and also a thrill-a-minute warrior on the verge of stardom, is never in a bad fight. While blood and guts campaigner Katsidis is probably incapable of even spelling the word boring! Between them, the two have already given us at least five classics, and the fight between the two could perhaps be the best yet.
Arum, as quoted by bettor.com, said the following:
“Rios’ next bout will be his second lightweight title defence, most likely against Australia’s Michael Katsidis, who has fought hard but lost recent battles against Juan Manuel Marquez and Robert Guerrero.”
Katsidis, 27-4(22) came up short against “Dinamita” and also against “The Ghost,” but no-one who saw either fight will forget “The Great’s” sheer courage and immense fighting heart. Set to face Michael Lozada in something of a homecoming affair in Australia next month, 30-year-old Katsidis could well be one win away from another shot at a major title. Never letting his fans down, win or lose, is something Katsidis is known for and it’s unlikely anyone will begrudge him getting another chance.
But against 25-year-old Rios, a fighter who is as hot as they come right now, Katsidis will be in for one helluva hard night. Katsidis likes it that way, as we know, but how much more can the Toowoomba slugger’s oft-damaged features take? Then there’s the long term effects of the punches he’s taken and looks set to continue to take. Certainly having the look of a fight that will not in any way be for the fainthearted, Rios-Katsidis is almost sure to be brutal and punishing – for both men.
Katsidis needs to look good and prove he has plenty left against Lozada, and he would also be wise to try and practice using a few defensive moves. Defensive moves? Michael Katsidis! Sure, the two don’t immediately go together, but Katsidis does have skills; as he showed when dismantling Britain’s Kevin Mitchell a little over a year ago. But how much can Katsidis change his style today, and what possible surprises can he have for “Bam Bam?”
In all likelihood, and if the fight does actually go ahead, the two gladiators will lock horns at the first bell, neither guy willing to give an inch. The action will be as mesmerising as it is hard for some to watch, and the blood will flow. Without the wear and tear he has picked up in those epic losses to the likes of Joel Casamayor, Marquez and Guerrero, I’d have given the Katsidis that was too tough for Graham Earl a genuine shot against Rios. But today, with Katsidis having already battled beyond the call, and with the new champ really coming on and being on a roll, I can see only one winner.
No way will it be in any way easy or close to it for Rios, who will have to fight harder than he ever has before, but the WBA belt will, after a gruesome and unforgettable war, stay in the Californian’s hands.
Wherever this fight is held – be it in America, Australia or Mexico – the fans will ensure a quick sell out.