By Cliff Rold
Boxing did it again. In a week where the best that was hoped for was a decent scrap, the sport got another exceptional one to cap off a March 2008 that will be fondly recalled by any fans who witnessed it.
This time around it was 36-year World Lightweight champion Joel Casamayor (36-3-1, 22 KO) making his second (and first truly successful) defense of his crown with a rousing tenth round stoppage of 27-year old Australian Michael Katsidis (23-1, 20 KO). The four-knockdown slugfest fit in just fine with the Vasquez’s, Campbell’s, Pacquiao’s and Marquez’s of prior weeks.
Let’s go to the report card.
Speed: The pre-fight report card noted that “the 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist from Cuba, Casamayor, would have been the easy choice in this category was he three to four years younger” and that “Katsidis has solid speed for a puncher and is able to accelerate in combination,” ultimately concluding that “the slick boxer is always assumed to be faster, but in terms of raw athleticism, a different scenario could unfold.” That was sort of the case on Saturday night. There’s no way of turning back the clock to be certain, but Casamayor’s straight shots, with the speed of his earlier years, probably could have exploited Katsidis’s wide open chin earlier. Casamayor at least had more snap on his shots than he did last November against Jose Armando Santa Cruz. As it was, Casamayor made up for what appeared to be a slight general speed deficit with expert timing. The left hook that felled Katsidis in the tenth was the sort of veteran perfection that can always be enjoyed. Pre-Fight Grades: Katsidis B+; Casamayor B/Post-Fight: Casamayor B+; Katsidis B+
Power: Who was the power puncher again? Katsidis still looked the part but may have answered the pre-fight observation that “Casamayor could prove Katsidis just another exciting puncher who gives better than he takes.” Katsidis’s power and aggression made the fight and kept him in it for sure. The left to the body that set up the knockdown of the champion in the sixth was a measure of both. However, as noted, “Katsidis can get caught head hunting; he’ll need to be unpredictable to maintain openings against the veteran.” That propensity was glaring from the seventh forward as he went for the kill and was methodically executed by his elder. Casamayor has never been a mammoth puncher, but in his long amateur and professional experience he’s never played patsy either. His accuracy and reflexes, given his age, made all the difference. He didn’t need an advantage in raw power; he had the advantage in being better at getting his there. Pre-Fight Grades: Katsidis A; Casamayor B-/Post-Fight: Katsidis A; Casamayor B+
Defense: Early on, Katsidis’s willing to put his chin out there got him dropped twice. He forgot those lessons after scoring revenge for those trips to the mat. Once Katsidis went head hunting, Casamayor’s job was easy. Using head movement, pivots against the ropes, and his legs to create distance, Casamayor allowed the younger man to flame out while adding the requisite mix of clutching and accumulated punishment. He ate the occasional hard shot, but he didn’t eat two in a row. Pre-Fight Grades: Casamayor B; Katsidis C+/Post-Fight: Same
Intangibles: With his back against the wall, Casamayor turned in perhaps the most important and memorable win of his career. That’s the mark of a special fighter. His history of close decisions, win or lose, in his biggest fights was replaced with the sort of concussive finish fans demand in separating the good from the best. Casamayor never really changed gears, he never panicked, regardless of if he was on the deck or sending Katsidis too it, until the time came to seal the deal. Katsidis has a boat load of guts and some solid physical gifts. This is the fight in his career that will looked back on to determine whether he has the ring acumen to compliment all his physical attributes with a bit more ring sense. Paraphrasing Jack Dempsey, Katsidis can’t forget to duck. If he doesn’t learn that, he may be at his accomplishment ceiling already. Pre-Fight Grades: Casamayor B+; Katsidis B/Post-Fight: Casamayor A; Katsidis B-
Overall Report Card: Casamayor B+; Katsidis B
So where from here? Casamayor mentioned meeting World Jr. Lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao, a fight that would be worth so much to him economically that it become the one exception to the obvious. The obvious of course is that Casamayor owes a rematch to Santa Cruz, who earned a second chance by beating Casamayor last year even if the judges said otherwise. It’s what an honorable champion would do, his Joe Louis-Jersey Joe Walcott test if you will.
The other choice that leaps out is Nate Campbell. Campbell is the number one contender, and holder of three alphabelts, off of his win two weeks ago over Juan Diaz. The two have met before, with Casamayor taking the nod in a narrowly decided bout in 2003. Have times changed? We won’t know until the leather flies.
Casamayor took a big step in validating his maligned title reign on Saturday. The next contract he signs will go a long way towards dictating the course of that momentum.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
