411’s Prizefight Preview: Juan Diaz vs. Michael Katsidis
Posted by Matt Knowles on 09.05.2008
Two former lightweight champions with action-packed styles look to revive their careers this Saturday night on HBO’s Boxing After Dark!
Photo by Tom Hogan / Golden Boy Promotions
Welcome back to the Prizefight Preview! The month of August was a slow one in the professional boxing world, as the Summer Olympics and baseball pennant runs took center stage in the general sports world. September, however, will be a completely different story, as current and former champions in the lighter weight classes will be showcased on a number of different networks. Here's a sampling of what we have to look forward to this month:
* September 6, HBO: Diaz-Katsidis, 12-round lightweight fight; plus Juarez-Barrios
* September 13, SHO: Campbell-Guzman, IBF/WBA/WBO lightweight titles; plus Bradley-Cherry for the WBC super lightweight title
* September 13, PPV: Casamayor-JM Marquez, linear lightweight championship; plus the Mora-Forrest rematch for the WBC super welterweight title
* September 27, HBO: Mosley-Mayorga, 12-round welterweight fight; plus Berto-Forbes for the WBC welterweight title
Today we'll take a look at the first order of business on the jam-packed September schedule, as lightweight brawlers Juan Diaz and Michael Katsidis will look to go toe-2-toe in what will be a guaranteed slugfest. Those who have seen each of these men fight before are well aware of the offensive capabilities of each man, which makes this a "fight fan's fight" if there ever was one.
Whenever you have two guys matched up that tend to throw defense out the window and look to go to war, you know that we will be in for some entertaining boxing action. This will definitely be the case this Saturday night when the two former champs lock horns in the center of the ring at the Reliant Center in Diaz' hometown of Houston, TX.
Beyond the style similarities, these two guys have quite a bit in common. Both men were undefeated world lightweight titleholders going into their most recent bouts, only to get beaten by more experienced boxers (Diaz by Nate Campbell, Katsidis by Joel Casamayor). Both are young lions who have yet to reach their athletic primes.
In my opinion, there are only two ways that you can react from a loss: you can be a hero, show the heart of a lion, and come back with a vengeance; or you can become the coward, put your tail between your legs, and fold like an accordion. In the recent past, we have seen a little of both reactions in the boxing world.
Looking back to Manny Pacquiao's loss to Erik Morales in their first bout, it may have been the best thing to ever happen to his career. Since that setback, he has rededicated himself to his training and conditioning, only to become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. For all of the negative press, Wladimir Klitschko has shown a world of improvement since his meltdown against Lamon Brewster a few years back.
For every positive reaction, of course, there are the negative circumstances to balance. Jeff Lacy lost a 1-sided decision to Joe Calzaghe, and has been a shell of his former self ever since that dreary night in the UK. Francisco Bojado looked to be the future of the light/welterweight divisions, only to fall apart at the seams once he dropped a couple of bouts on the world stage.
Now, we must look these two combatants and ask ourselves: who is the hero, and who is the coward?
Based on their most recent triumphs and trip-ups, I don't think it would be fair to call either man a coward. Both have shown big hearts and competitive spirit during the good times and the bad. With the warrior-like styles of each man, it's fair to say that they both have remarkable careers ahead of them, regardless of Saturday night's outcome.
The best example of this notion would have to be the man, the myth, the legend: Irish Mickey Ward. Fight fans never turned their back on him, which is rare since in his prime he had upwards of 10-12 losses. Instead, they embraced him as a hero, due to the fact that he embodied a fighting spirit like no other. The same can be said about both Diaz and Katsidis, and hopefully each man will garner the attention and fame that Mickey Ward attained in the late stages of his career.
I do feel the need to mention, however, that Michael Katsidis looked like a broken man in the post-fight interview following his loss to Casamayor. He seemed infinitely discouraged, and looked completely embarrassed (even though his challenge of Casamayor was valiant and courageous). This isn't to say that he can't come back, but relatively speaking, he seemed to be the epitome of misery.
Juan Diaz, on the other hand, took his decision loss to Nate Campbell in stride. He knew that the better man on that night had won the fight, and that he would be back for many future battles at the elite level. His positive outlook (so rare these days for young American athletes) was a breath of fresh air, and an indication to his fans that he would be back to fight another day.
Sure, it's unfair to completely judge men by their reactions to losses, especially in boxing where an unbeaten record brings with it a sense of invincibility. It looks to me, however, that Juan Diaz wasn't fazed by his setback to Campbell. In the past few months, he has left Don King, signed with Golden Boy, and is looking for a fresh start to his still-blossoming career.
As for the action on Saturday night, expect nothing less than a blood and guts battle between two great fighters looking for bigger and better things. Due to the encouragement of the hometown crowd (and the fact that TX officiating is sketchy at best), a Diaz decision win is the most likely outcome here. Regardless, you better have your DVR boxes in full effect, because there will be plenty of highlights, haymakers, and good old fashioned toe-to-toe exchanges in this one.
Prediction: Diaz by a close-but-competitive decision
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