The World’s Most Exciting Fighter – Michael Katsidis
By Jasveer Singh Gill
“You won’t have eyes tonight; you won’t have ears or a tongue. You will wander the underworld blind, deaf, and dumb, and all the dead will know: This is Hector, the fool who thought he killed Achilles”.
This quote, spoken by Brad Pitt when portraying the great mythical Greek warrior Achilles in the film Troy, was blared out prior to Michael Katsidis entering the arena to fight Graham Earl. Coming out in his traditional Spartan helmet, it was the day Katsidis became a world champion and the day he announced himself as one of the world’s most exciting fighters.
He did it in a fashion which has since become typical of the Greek-Australian, going toe-to-toe with Earl and brawling for five brutal rounds, eventually stopping him to become the WBO lightweight champion. The pulsating fighting style, as well as the dramatic ring entrances, have now become part of what makes Katsidis a fans’ favourite. He has since gone on to contest in some epic bouts with the likes of Joel Casamayor, Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz, whilst also sampling films such as Gladiator and 300 to makes his ring entrances just as dramatic.
This weekend Katsidis takes on Scotsman Ricky Burns in London, fighting for the WBO title which has now become so familiar to him. Fighting in England is something that Katsidis has done with aplomb previously, stopping both Earl and Kevin Mitchell in world title fights. Burns has gotten the title shot based on his world title exploits at super-featherweight which include defending the title three times and bouts against highly rated opponents such as Alex Arthur and Roman Martinez, yet it is doubtful whether he is ready for a fighter like Katsidis.
Katsidis is a savage of a fighter, a come-forward brawler that is willing to take a punch to land one. He fights with a vicious aggression, looking only for the knockout, stopping 23 of the 28 opponents he has beaten. One of the few that went the full 12 rounds with him – Filipino Czar Amonsot – had to stay out of boxing for two years after their bout because of head injuries he suffered during it. He is also a very powerful man, possessing a massive frame for a lightweight fighter. The pressure Katsidis applies is relentless, pushing opponents constantly. Only fighters that have managed to hurt Katsidis have been able to beat him comprehensively, but still not easily.
Casamayor hit the canvas three times, one of them sending him through the ropes and onto the floor, in his bout against Katsidis. Behind on the judges score cards, only a perfect left-hook in the 10th round from Casamayor stopped Katsidis in his tracks. Even the great Marquez hit the deck following a chopping right from Katsidis, but showed his champions heart to rally back and start dominating, eventually stopping Katsidis in the ninth round. His loss to Juan ‘Baby Bull’ Diaz was a controversial split decision loss, in Diaz’s home state of Texas, which could have easily gone to Katsidis. Only his last loss, a 12 round unanimous decision against Roberto Guerrero, was a fight where Katsidis probably could have done more. However, he has since stated the passing of his brother only four months before the bout stopped him from training properly.
Nevertheless, even the bout against Guerrero was not a boring one. Katsidis’ style is one which is never going to be boring to watch, which is why he has continually found himself favoured for a title shot. We hear the term “boxing is a business” a lot these days, and in this business Katsidis is a product that sells better than most.
He has actually insisted he will look to tempt Ricky Hatton out of retirement if he can beat Burns. Whilst it may seem impossible right now, Katsidis brings the kind of viewing figures that could tempt anyone into a fight with him.
These types of fighters, popular with fan’s and boxing’s marketing men, can often grow old over night, thanks to the accumulative effect of the numerous wars they fight in. Katsidis, having had no real regard for defence thus far in his career, will certainly come to a time when he can no longer take the punishment. So at this point, coming into his final years aged 31, we should appreciate the entertainment he gives us as fans every time he steps in the ring.
There is another quote from Troy, which may shed some light on the mentality of Katsidis; “We ask ourselves: will our actions echo across the centuries? Will strangers hear our names long after we are gone and wonder who we were, how bravely we fought?” For Katsidis, the answer is yes.
