MANILA, Philippines - Juan Manuel Marquez, chasing a third fight with Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao, tries to boost his stock as he goes for a victory against Michael Katsidis in their duel for the WBA and WBO lightweight titles in Las Vegas Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
The 12-round fight, billed as Warriors: Marquez vs Katsidis, will be telecast on SOLARtv and Solar Sports starting at 1 p.m. tomorrow with a replay on Solar Sports at 7 p.m.
After losing to Floyd “Money” Mayweather last year, Marquez bounced back with an inspiring performance over Juan Diaz. The Mexican warrior has been itching for another shot at Pacquiao since he lost a close split-decision to the Pacman in 2008. Marquez knows that a good performance over Katsidis will get him closer to a third fight against Pacquiao.
Katsidis, on the other hand, comes off four straight victories since suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Joel Casamayor and Diaz. The Australian fighter of Greek descent has ascended the ranks in the boxing world with his crowd-pleasing all-action brand of fighting. He is now boxing’s premier blood and guts warrior, an honor that used to belong to the late Arturo Gatti. A win over the aging Mexican warrior will undoubtedly place Katsidis’ name on the short list of Pacquiao’s possible opponents.
“Given the styles of both fighters, Marquez versus Katsidis has Fight of the Year written all over it,” says Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. “Marquez looked better than ever against Juan Diaz in his last fight and Katsidis is in top form coming off of a big knockout win over Kevin Mitchell; so boxing fans will be in for a treat.”