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"The fight before that I was cut for the first time in my career against Czar Amonsot, and I had to deal with that adversity. These are all valuable lessons to take on board in the boxing game and I think everything added up together, it is a lesson and let's not make it a mistake by doing it twice. I've taken everything on board that I've learned and I deal with it in stride and I'll become a much better fighter and make it all right come this fight with Juan Diaz on September the 6th."
 
Katsidis and his management are also going against conventional reasoning by going after such a formidable foe so soon after a physically taxing fight. But to them, tune-ups are for automobiles.
 
When asked why they wanted Diaz so badly, his manager/trainer Brendan Smith, counters, "My answer to that would be - why not? Why not make this fight happen? Both boys have come off a similar loss, why not make it? Michael, for one, doesn't want to be in this sport forever and a day. He's here to make the most of it and do the best he can out of it. He pulled up very, very good in the last fight. Look, he's in this level, so why not take it? It was perfect, he's had a good fighter under his belt and if we didn't believe we could win the fight, we wouldn't be here."
 
A question that is always asked in this sport is just how a fighter reacts to their first loss. Apart from the physical toll, there is also the psychological damage that can exist. When you ask Smith about his fighter, he believes they came out relatively unscathed.
 
“Mate, no problems, whatsoever, we took the down time after the fight. Look, I wasn't even overly disappointed with the last fight; the main thing was he pulled up very well from the last fight, he was uninjured from the fight. So I can say I was happy because it's not all about winning and losing, it's about being OK after each fight. So no, it wasn't difficult to get him back. We set for the time, we had good time to prepare for it. We started working five weeks before an official 10 week training camp, just coming into it slowly, all to peak at the right minute, of the right hour on September 6th."
 
Katsidis is perhaps the closest thing this sport has to a modern day gladiator. To him, this is much more than just a profession or a means to make a living. It's who he is as of this moment and there's a certain honor he upholds with that responsibility.
 
"Look, I don't like the easy ones, mate. I believe this is the fight game and you got a fighter in me," he states with conviction." And I just really appreciate doing a good, hard 12 rounds and earning my wins hard, and at the end of the day, I look back and think, 'Geez, that was a great fight.' I really like doing the tough job and if it was too easy, it just wouldn't feel like you've done a good job. So look, I'm not going to take an easy fight or any easy options. I just like it this way. I'm a worker, I'm not here for a long time. This is the fight game and I want to make hay while the sun shines."
 
The words 'Michael Katsidis' and 'fight of the year candidate' are synonymous with each other. His last three outings against Earl, Amonsot and Casamayor have been barnburners. This bout with Diaz has 'can't miss' all over it. These two seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly.
 
"It has the makings to be the 'Fight of the Decade' on paper when you look at styles," says Smith, noting that neither man will have a tough time locating each other in the ring. "It has the makings to become the start of a trilogy, I believe, but we've prepared for anything and everything. Until the kickoff time, we don't know. I'm 100-percent sure that Juan Diaz will be at his utmost best of his career with this fight. So what type of fight do I expect?
 
"Well, we'll just have to wait and see. But we have prepared to adapt to whatever we have to, to win the fight."
 
Katsidis understands the price that both of them may have to pay to come out victorious.
 
"This is such a big fight and look, to be honest, it has the potential for someone to get seriously hurt with the two styles put together and I'm taking that very seriously. This is the fight of my life. If I wasn't that way, then I don't think I'd really want to be in it because I do it for the thrill of it.

"I love it."
 
BOLTING
 
There was a press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Liberty Grill (near the Staples Center) in Los Angeles to officially announce Showtime's October 11th doubleheader featuring the light heavyweight showdown between Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson.
 
And I have to say, it's the quickest media gathering I've ever attended. Gary Shaw made it a point to keep it short and focus in on Tarver and Dawson (who were both in attendance) and everybody else followed suit. You didn't have endless rambling about sponsors or ancillary figures babbling on and on. Everyone got right to the point on the dais and then everybody got to have their time with the fighters.
 
Everybody could leave satisfied. They got a free lunch and they got to talk to the participants - all in less than 75 minutes.
 
It was the Usain Bolt of press conferences.
 
SMALL MEN, BIG FIGHT?
 
Sources have told Maxboxing that a fight between IBF jr. bantamweight titlist Vic Darchinyan and WBC/WBA champion Cristian Mijares is being seriously discussed between promoters Gary Shaw and Lou DiBella.
 
The only question would be (what else?) money and which network would pony up to make this fight become a reality. It seems Showtime has the most interest, which is no surprise given that their management actually knows who both of these fighters are.
 
Depending on how the rest of the fall/winter schedule plans out, this fight could take place as soon as November or early next year.
 
MID-WEEK FLURRIES
 
I read where Michael Walker is rematching Antwun Echols. But isn't using Echols at this stage now just a form of Russian Roulette?....Any chance Robert Alcazar trains Oscar De La Hoya, now that Floyd Mayweather Sr. is working with Ricky Hatton? Just kidding.....As a huge fan of 'Peanuts', a RIP to animator Bill Melendez, who passed away at the age of 91. 'Snoopy Come Home' is still one of my all-time favorites.....Seriously, does Nacho Beristain now train De La Hoya?....Thursday night is the return of 'Chef Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares'. I can't wait.....