Casamayor Wins In Exciting Fashion

Unlike previous fights that I have written about for this blog, I did not post a preview for the fight that occurred Saturday night between Joel Casamayor and Michael Katsidis. Shame on me for not doing so because this fight was unquestionably the best that I have seen since I began posting.

From the moment both of the fighters stepped into the arena it was entertaining. It all began when Michael Katsidis (who before the fight was undeafeated and one of the division's best up and coming prospects) entered the ring dressed like a Spartan warrior from the movie 300.

Although Katsidis had all the looks of a warrior in his walk into the ring, he did not fight like one in the opening round. Casamayor knocked Katsidis down TWICE in the first minute of the opening round and it appeared as though the fight would be stopped early. However, in the sixth round Katsidis hit Casamayor with a hard shot to the body and a few shots to the head that sent Casamayor through the ropes and his entire body out of the ring. Casamayor managed to climb back into the ring before he was counted out and he did not seem to be very hurt.

In the ninth round Casamayor got a point deducted for hitting Katsidis with an obvious low blow right in front of the referee, even after both fighters had already been warned for hitting below the beltline. This point deduction might've been a huge factor if the fight went the distance but just 10 seconds into the 10th round Casamayor caught Katsidis with a perfect left hook while Katsidis was coming in that sent him down. Katsidis was able to get up but a quick combination by Casamayor forced the referee to stop the fight.

Even though I knew that this fight was going to be on last night I still wasn't planning on watching it because along with boxing I am also an avid Houston Rockets fan, and they were playing last night. However, after halftime the Rockets were losing by double digits so I chose to check out this fight. Luckily for me I caught a fabulous fight between a wily veteran and a relentless youngster. Michael Katsidis came into the fight dressed as a Spartan warrior. Although this fight might be his Thermopolye, a valiant battle that ultimately ended in defeat, it remains to be seen if Katsidis, like the Spartans, is able to regroup and have another important and definitive fight in his future.