by Ted Sares
“I am not going to change too much, I’m going to go out and put on a show and I am not going to take a backward step.” —Tommy “Boom Boom” Coyle
“I’m here to prove that I still have plenty left to offer – and there will be no questioning my future after Hull.”— Michael Katsidis.
Michael “The Great” Katsidis (30-6) came back after 2 years and MRI CAT SCAN results (that he had scarring of the brain) to stop Eddy Comaro in March 2014.
Then he battered and bloodied Graham “The Duke of” Earl (26-5) from pillar to post on his way to a lopsided UD in Toowoomba, Australia. The scores were 120-108, 120-109, and 119-109 as Katsidis claimed the vacant WBF belt (German version). Earl came out of a five year retirement to take this bout and surprised many by going the route without being decked, but he offered little while taking a pounding against the relentless Aussie .
But picking low-hanging fruit has now ended and Michael (well past his prime) squares off against dangerous Tommy Coyle (19-2) on October 25. Coyle beat hard man Daniel Brizuela in a fight that saw both men dropped four times and ranks high for Fight of the Year. Into the final round it seemed that Coyle had to win it to have any chance of retaining his title – and it was barely 30 seconds old before Brizuela was down again to a big right cross. This was a British classic. This one had it all: Blood-letting head butts, multiple fouls for hitting low and on the break, an intrusive referee, ebb and flow action, momentum shifts,: body shot knockdowns generated by hard Mexican-style hooks to the liver, a late round Froch-like attack, a last round rally, and eight knockdowns in all—count ‘em 8. It was as if someone decided to put all of the ingredients of different FOTY’s into one fight. Of course, this was before the Salido-Kokietgym classic in Mexico in September 2014.
Now Boom Boom steps into the ring against Katsidis in what could be another barnburner. But like Jermain Taylor, the worst thing that could happen is that Michael wins and then fights someone who is higher tier– the underlying danger being that if Katsidis (or Taylor) wins in a convincing manner, he will continue to fight-on. But if he could not floor a totally shot Graham Earl, how will he do against a warrior who is Michael’s mirror image in his prime?
Coyle’s clash with Katsidis also features Luke Campbell against Daniel Brizuela and Gavin McDonnell stepping into international waters for the first time against Vusi Malinga. Look for the Ice Arena to melt with the excitement.
Ted Sares is a private investor who holds a PhD in Business Administration and enjoys writing about boxing. He is a member of Ring 4 Boxing Hall of Fame (Boston) and an active member of Ring 10 (New York). He also is one of the oldest active powerlifters in the world and competes throughout North America under the auspices of the RAW and the Elite Powerlifting Federations
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