MICHAEL KATSIDIS vs VICENTE ESCOBEDO

In what could be the most action-packed fight on Saturday’s big pay-per-view show, Australia’s colourful and aggressive Michael Katsidis faces U.S. Olympic representative Vicente Escobedo for the vacant WBO interim lightweight title.

Each man overcame a veteran former world champion on the same show in April, with Katsidis overpowering Jesus Chavez in seven rounds while Escobedo won a unanimous decision over a very tough and determined Carlos Hernandez.

Since then Escobedo, 27, has scored another win, easily blowing out the ageing Kevin Kelley in two rounds.

Katsidis, 29, is the slight favourite because he is the more experienced fighter who has boxed at a higher level, but this is close to being an even-money fight.

Escobedo’s only loss was on a split decision to the capable Daniel Jimenez in his 10th bout, but he has improved under the direction of esteemed trainer Nacho Beristain in Mexico City.

Although the fight with Hernandez was a gruelling struggle, Escobedo showed probably the sharpest boxing he has yet displayed, twice dropping his durable opponent.

Escobedo is a more polished boxer than Katsidis but the rugged Aussie must be considered physically the stronger man.

This is the sort of fight in which each man can hurt the other. Katsidis was dropped by Graham Earl in a wild fight in London, and he almost got stopped in the opening round by Joel Casamayor, so despite his muscled frame he can be vulnerable — and Escobedo can punch, as he showed when flooring Hernandez and delivering a beautiful left hook to flatten the fast and flashy Dominic Salcido, who was winning their fight on the scorecards.

Katsidis has a slugger reputation, but the Aussie showed smart boxing and good movement in a competitive loss on points to Juan Diaz in Houston. He has stopped 21 of 25 opponents but I see him as more of volume puncher than a big one-punch hitter.

Unfortunately for Katsidis he tends to cut and swell easily around the eyes, but he has shown the ability to fight through the handicap of blood and bruises.

Escobedo hits crisply enough to inflict damage, but I think he might find it hard to keep Katsidis off of him for 12 rounds. Katsidis seems to have boundless energy, and he is very difficult to discourage — he came back from a very shaky start to have Casamayor sagging from body blows.

A win for either fighter would not be a surprise but I like Katsidis in the fight. Escobedo will look good when he has the room to be a sharpshooter, but I can see Katsidis moving around him, attacking from angles and putting his punches together busily when he gets close — I don’t think that Katsidis will simply charge straight ahead.

Escobedo might well be up on the scorecards in the early rounds, but I feel that Katsidis will begin to take over with strength, punch-volume and fast pressure in the second half of the contest. Escobedo was hard-pressed to stave off a 38-year-old Carlos Hernandez, and on Saturday he meets a high-energy fighter who might be at his peak. Escobedo could, of course, rise to the occasion and box at a higher level of ability than he has previously shown, in this, his biggest fight by far, but I will go with Katsidis to snatch victory with a strong finish, either by decision or possibly even on a stoppage in the last few rounds.