Casamayor-Katsidis clash tonight!

March 22, 2008

By Francisco Salazar

Photo: Tom Hogan/Golden Boy Promotions

Two of the best lightweights in the world will do battle and position themselves for a possible showdown against unified WBA/IBF/WBO champion Nate Campbell.

Joel Casamayor and Michael Katsidis will battle in a 12 round bout for Katsidis' WBO interim lightweight title tonight at the Morongo Casino Resort in Cabazon, CA.

Although Casamayor (35-3-1, 21 KOs) is currently listed as the WBC interim lightweight titlist, only Katsidis' WBO title is on the line. Casamayor (35-3-1, 21 KOs) is expected to once again be stripped of his WBC green belt, this time for fighting the WBO interim titlist Katsidis (23-0, 20 KOs) instead of Jose Armando Santa Cruz in a WBC-mandated rematch. Previously, Casamayor was stripped of the full WBC title for choosing to take a rematch against Acelino Freitas (a bout which never took place) instead of then-interim champ David Diaz, who was elevated to full champion. Casamayor, considered by many to be the linear champion, was eventually reinstated, but only as interim titlist.

The bout will headline a scheduled 10 bout "Desert Storm" card, presented by Golden Boy Promotions.

Also on the card will be a IBF Super Middleweight title eliminator between number five-ranked Librado Andrade and number four-ranked Robert Stieglitz. Both bouts will be televised on HBO's "Boxing After Dark" series.

Casamayor, (35-3-1, 21 KO's) from Miramar, FL by way of Guantanamo, Cuba, took a very close split-decision victory over Santa Cruz in November when he tasted the canvas in the first round. Thirteen months prior, Casamayor defeated the late Diego Corrales, also by a close 12 round split decision, winning the WBC Lightweight title.

As an amateur in Cuba, the 36 year old Casamayor won the Gold medal in the 1992 Olympic Games, where he was awarded a bicycle by the Cuban government. He would defect to the United States before the Olympic Games began in Atlanta in 1996. Three years later, he captured his world title, winning the WBA Super Featherweight title over Antonio Hernandez.

Casamayor would defend his title five times, before losing to Acelino Freitas in a unification bid in 2001. In 2003, Casamayor would score a sixth round technical knockout over Diego Corrales in an IBF Elimination bout, but would lose a split decision to Corrales the following year in an attempt to with the WBO title.

Before the first Corrales fight, Casamayor scored a close 10 round decision over Campbell that was highlighted by the judges' scoring of the bout. Most media felt the fight was closer and even some felt that Campbell did enough to win the fight.

Katsidis, from Toowoomba, Australia, won a hard-fought 12 round unanimous decision over Czar Amonsot in July. It was a hard-hitting affair where Katsidis scored two knockdowns in the fight, but Amonsot was still in the fight and made Katsidis work to earn the victory.

By going in the distance in the Amonsot fight, it broke a string of 13 consecutive stoppages for Katsidis.

He won the WBO interim title prior to the Amonsot fight with a fifth round stoppage over Graham Earl in February of last year.

The hard-hitting Katsidis, who will give up years of experience to Casamayor, fought his first 21 bouts in his native Australia. This will be his second fight in the United States.

In the co-feature, Andrade will hope to earn a shot at current IBF champion Lucian Bute with a victory over Stieglitz.

Andrade, (26-1, 20 KO's) from La Habra, CA, claimed the USBA Super Middleweight title with a seventh round stoppage victory over Yusaf Mack in Las Vegas in October. After suffering a flash knockdown in the first, Andrade would eventually control the bout and earned the stoppage victory after dropping Mack three times in the seventh round.

Almost one year ago, Andrade failed in his only attempt at a world title, losing a 12 round split-decision to former champion Mikkel Kessler. Despite the wide scores, Andrade gave a good account of himself by not only going the distance, but by taking the fight to Kessler.

Andrade won his first 24 bouts of his career and won a few regional titles in the process. Andrade won the NABA Super Middleweight title with a 12 hard-fought 12 round decision over Willie Stewart. Later that year, he defeated former contender Tito Mendoza by unanimous decision to win the NABO title.

Fighting as a professional since 1999, Andrade is originally from Jesus Del Monte, Guanajuato, Mexico.

Stieglitz, (31-1, 19 KO's) from Magdeburg, Germany by way of Ejsk, Russia, scored a 10 round decision over William Gare in October.

Like Andrade, Stieglitz lost his only fight in an attempt at a world title. He was stopped in the third round by hard-hitting Alejandro Berrio last March. Berrio would eventually lose the title to Bute. Stieglitz had previously stopped Berrio in 2005 before Berrio would become champion.

Since making his professional debut in 2001, Stieglitz has won regional titles in the process. He was the former IBF Youth Light Heavyweight champion and IBF Intercontinental Super Middleweight champion. He would defend the title four times.

This will be Stieglitz' second bout in the United States. He defeated Marlon Hayes in a close eight round encounter in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Unbeaten Featherweight Billy Dib will face Edgar Vargas in a 10 round bout.

Dib, (17-0, 9 KO's) from Sydney, Australia, defeated Rogers Mtagwa by an eight round unanimous decision in November in New York City.

Like his compatriot Katsidis, Dib began his professional career in Australia before arriving in the United States for better opportunities. He has scored four victories, all by decision, since arriving to the United States.

Dib is scheduled to face WBC Featherweight champion Jorge Linares on May 3rd on the Oscar De La Hoya-Steve Forbes card. What happens in the Vargas fight to determine if he will fight against Linares remains to be seen.

Vargas, (11-3, 1 KO) from Santa Ana, CA, has won his last two bouts in a row since losing two in a row.

Vargas is coming off a six round unanimous decision over Odilon Rivera in August.

In October of 2006, Vargas lost a controversial six round decision to Anges Adjaho in Chicago.

Lightweight David Rodela will square off against former world title challenger Julio Gamboa in a six round bout.

Rodela, (7-1-2, 4 KO's) from Oxnard, CA, has not fought six round majority decision victory over hard-hitting Jose Luis Soto Karass in July.

After fighting five times in 2005, Rodela has only fought five times in 2006 and 2007.

Rodela was a former amateur champion and has appeared in numerous Reebok commercials.

Gamboa, (28-11-2, 11 KO's) from Managua, Nicaragua, fought for a world title twice in his career. In his first attempt he fought to a 12 round split-decision draw against Felix Machado in 2000. One year later, they fought again, only this time Machado defended his IBF Super Flyweight title with a convincing 12 round decision.

Gamboa, who is winless in his last six bouts, lost a six round unanimous decision to Dominic Salcido last May.

Six more scheduled bouts are on the card, headlined by hard-hitting Carlos Velasquez (6-0, 6 KO's).

Tickets are on sale and could be purchased at the Morongo Casino Resort box office or by calling 1-888-MORONGO.

Tickets are priced at $50, $100, $200, and $300 for ringside. Doors open to the venue at 4PM local time, with first bell scheduled for 4:30PM.

HBO will begin broadcasting the event at 10:05 PM ET/PT. Bob Papa, Max Kellerman, and Lennox Lewis will call the action from ringside.

The Morongo Casino Resort is located at 49500 Seminole Road in Cabazon, located about 20 miles west of Palm Springs.