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By CompuBox - Every so often boxing fans are treated to a “can’t miss” fight, a fight featuring fighters whose styles have the potential to produce an electrifying spectacle.
On Sept. 6 at the Toyota Center in Houston, punching machine Juan Diaz, nearly a 3-1 favorite, will meet the rampaging Australian Michael Katsidis in a fight that six months ago could have been a clash between two of the sports hottest undefeated lightweights. But in fights held two weeks apart in March, Diaz lost his WBC/WBA/IBF lightweight belts to Nate Campbell while Katsidis was stopped in 10 rounds by Ring Magazine champion Joel Casamayor. It is a tribute to their fighting spirts – and the bravery of their management teams – that they chose to fight each other anyway. Diaz (33-1, 17 KO) is a 3-to-1 favorite to defeat Katsidis (23-1, 20 KO) and advance toward a match with the winner of either Campbell-Joan Guzman or Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez.
Whether in victory or defeat, Diaz always sets a hyperkenetic pace and forces his opponents to stay with him. On Oct. 13, 2007 WBC/WBA champ Diaz met IBF counterpart Julio Diaz to further consolidate the 135-pound belts, and Julio vowed that he would beat Diaz at his own game. He turned out to be half correct, for while he out-threw his two-belt rival in each of the first seven rounds (averaging an incredible 117 punches per round to his opponent’s 99), the younger Diaz out-connected him in every round (43 to 25). The “Baby Bull” topped 40 connects in rounds two and three (42 and 44) and exceeded 50 in rounds five through seven (56, 53 and 51) while the elder Diaz topped 30 connects just once (31 in round two, a round that also saw him throw a fight-high 130). [details]
On Sept. 6 at the Toyota Center in Houston, punching machine Juan Diaz, nearly a 3-1 favorite, will meet the rampaging Australian Michael Katsidis in a fight that six months ago could have been a clash between two of the sports hottest undefeated lightweights. But in fights held two weeks apart in March, Diaz lost his WBC/WBA/IBF lightweight belts to Nate Campbell while Katsidis was stopped in 10 rounds by Ring Magazine champion Joel Casamayor. It is a tribute to their fighting spirts – and the bravery of their management teams – that they chose to fight each other anyway. Diaz (33-1, 17 KO) is a 3-to-1 favorite to defeat Katsidis (23-1, 20 KO) and advance toward a match with the winner of either Campbell-Joan Guzman or Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez.
Whether in victory or defeat, Diaz always sets a hyperkenetic pace and forces his opponents to stay with him. On Oct. 13, 2007 WBC/WBA champ Diaz met IBF counterpart Julio Diaz to further consolidate the 135-pound belts, and Julio vowed that he would beat Diaz at his own game. He turned out to be half correct, for while he out-threw his two-belt rival in each of the first seven rounds (averaging an incredible 117 punches per round to his opponent’s 99), the younger Diaz out-connected him in every round (43 to 25). The “Baby Bull” topped 40 connects in rounds two and three (42 and 44) and exceeded 50 in rounds five through seven (56, 53 and 51) while the elder Diaz topped 30 connects just once (31 in round two, a round that also saw him throw a fight-high 130). [details]