Michael Katsidis blasts Michael Lozada away in three rounds in super lightweight bout; By; Petra Kirsch - Gelsenkirchen
Michael Katsidis' homecoming was a hellacious one as he inflicted a sustained beating to the midsection of Michael Lozada who was eventually halted in the third round of a super lightweight (10 stones/ 140lbs) contest in Australia's Gold Coast on Saturday, August 13. A win was a mandatory requirement for "The Great" Katsidis who had suffered two successive losses to Juan Manuel Marquez and then Robert Guerrero.
A win was a formality for Katsidis as Lozada, despite his pre-fight record of 38-8-1, 30ko, had already been kayoed in six rounds in 2010 by the relatively light-hitting Paulie Malignaggi and sustained a first round knockout to defeat to Pier Olivier Cote earlier this year.
Katsidis, meanwhile, despite being widely regarded as a Las Vegas favourite due to his thunderous performances, even in defeat, has to notch up another W on his resume following the aforementioned defeats. Against Guerrero, Katsidis' best round came late in the fight when he began inflicting a number of heavy-handed hook shots to each side of Guerrero's body and it was this tactic that was again adopted against Lozada.
The Australian, who had not fought in front of his home fans since 2006, felt his opponent out early in the first round but following an opening exchange began targeting Lozada's body. In the second round, the 30-year-old - considered a game gatekeeper from the lightweight pool - went headhunting as he caught Lozada flush with an overhand right. Lozada was even felled later in the second round but the referee - Adrian Cairns - deemed it a slip.
The ending finally came in the third round as Lozada failed to make Cairns' count after a severe body-beating from Katsidis. With victory, Katsidis rose to 28-4-0, 23ko and, following the fight, mentioned that his motivation for his barnstorming performance was fighting in front of his family, friends, Australian fans as well as stepping-up to the 140lb weight limit.
Katsidis is now hoping to secure lucrative contests at the new weight, including a bout against Lozada's countryman - three-weight world champion Erik Morales.
In an upset on the undercard, journeyman Jack Asis (24-18-4, 13ko) recorded a second round knockout over world-ranked (IBF; 15) bantamweight Nestor Rocha (23-3-0, 8ko); a former world title challenger.
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