Results for Marquez-Katsidis, Caballero-Litzau & Berto-Hernandez:
Marquez defeats Katsidis! Juan Manuel Marquez is still the World Lightweight Champion after repelling the game challenge of Michael Katsidis.
Marquez vs. Katsidis Results
In a great fight, Juan Manuel Marquez defended his World Lightweight Championship with a riveting 9th round TKO over brave Michael Katsidis.
Katsidis performed valiantly. He seemed better tonight than in his two previous unsuccessful title tries. He stayed right on the chest of Marquez, winging away.
Marquez controlled the first 2 sessions with his speed and sharpness. His left to the body was on point and he was keeping Katsidis from imposing himself. In the third, however, a sizzling left hook downed Marquez. He displayed stunning recuperative powers, as he weathered the followup attack and even returned fire to the point where he seemed to regain control by the end of the round.
From the 4th until the end, it was difficult to give Katsidis a round, but that should not reflect the spirit of his challenge. Though cruder, he continued to throw himself into the woodchipper that is Marquez. “JMM” was masterful, excelling in the lost are of close-range sharpshooting, as he pelted Katsidis with blow after blow. Still, Katsids was making him fight at a pace outside his comfort zone.
Marquez began to pull away a bit. His increased sharpness and body shots seemed to be slowing Katsidis, who stayed dogged throughout. The 7th was a real treat, with each taking turns bashing each other. Marquez stood up well to the Katsidis bombs, except for the 3rd round knockdown. For 37, he was exceptionally sharp and his punch resistance and energy level seemed better than ever.
A vintage performance ended in the 9th. Katsidis began to crack–the punches of Marquez now having a discernible affect. After another of seemingly 100’s of combinations, Katsidis sagged. Kenny Bayless jumped in with a perfectly timed stoppage to end a great fight.
Everyone acquited themselves well on this night. Kenny bayless showed why he is one of the best in the business with a sharply-timed intervention that was brilliant.
Katsidis, in defeat, has nothing to be ashamed of. What he brought to the table on this evening could only be withstood by supreme champions of the highest order. Against a lesser titleholder, it would have been more than enough. He was unlucky to draw a fighter who is a legend and absolute beast.
When looking back on the resume of Marquez, this win might not particularly stand out. Let it be noted, however, that he stood up to an ultra-spirited challenge from a rugged and capable contender. At his age and after so many wars, it was truly remarkable how he was able to fight.
Marquez looked better than ever–fast, combinations flowing like fine poured wine, and impossible to dissuade. That 3rd round knockdown was not of the flash variety. It reminded one of when Larry Holmes climbed off the canvas after Earnie Shavers decked him. The ability to soldier through punches that would destroy mere mortals and win fights is what separates good champions from great ones.
The victory was so compelling, it might even slingshot Marquez back into serious consideration for a 3rd Pacquiao fight–a prospect that was dwindling before this bout. In any event, Marquez cemented his status as one of the top-few fighters of today and adds to a growing legacy.
Berto vs. Hernandez Results
In a surprising result, Andre Berto retained his WBC belt with a 1st-round blastout of Freddie Hernandez. The fact that Berto won is certainly no great shock, but Hernandez was expected to provide a stiffer challenge. Sure, Hernandez, now 29-2 (20), was considered to be a 2nd-tier contender, but few expected this quick of a stoppage.
A sizzling right hand put hernandez down and the fight was then stopped by Russell Mora. Berto looked good, but let’s see him do this against a better opponent. To his credit, he managed to impress in a spot that was almost a no-win proposition.
Caballero vs. Litzau Results
In a (the?) leading contender for Upset of the Year, Jason Litzau, 28-2 (21) won a split decision over heavily-favored Celestino Caballero. The scores were 97-93 and 96-94, with Caballero winning 96-94 on the other card. Before getting into the fight and with all respect to Michael Buffer, his act is getting predictable. When announcing split decisions, he invariably announces the winning scores for the loser first. The suspense is gone, Michael. Switch it up!
Now to the fight, Jason Litzau was fantastic! He had Caballero flummoxed for big stretches of the fight. Litzau served notice around the 2nd round that he was not going to go quitly. In the 3rd, Caballero let loose, trying to end the fight. Litzau crisply returned fire and had Caballero looking a bit uncomfortable.
Even during the moments of early-rounds success for Caballero, Litzau was not getting bowled over. He was more coy, tight, and tactical than normal. HE used movement rather deftly and featured an over-the-top right hand. This punch rattled Caballero, especially in close, where Litzau rough-housed with it a bit.
The middle rounds were all Litzau, as the upset possibility began to crystallize. Litzau grasped his Rocky Balboa moment and continued to perform with aplomb. This fight was a testament to the mental component of the sport of boxing. Caballero thought he was getting an easy fight, while Litzau was looking at it as his opportunity of a lifetime. This radiated in their demeanor in this fight. That’s how you have a situation where a fringe contender afterthought can hang with a pound-for-pound entrant.
It seemed Litzau faded a tad over the final 3 rounds. The 9th featured good back-and-forth action in a close round. Just as Litzau looked to be throwing it away, he came back hard in the final minute of the 10th in inspiring fashion, which might have edged him the fight.
This writer scored it a 95-95 draw, but Litzau is a deserved winner. Sometimes you think the dye has been cast on a fighter. Litzau’s upset speaks to the human spirit. He believed in himself and rose to the occasion to pull of a shocker.
For Caballero, who is now 34, the future seems uncertain. This was a major setback. He could conceivably re-establish momentum with a quick revenge rematch, but the damage is done. He looked terrible, frankly. At times, he lacked guts, almost curling up under the Litzau attack. His punches appeared amateurish. This can all be attributed to him overlooking Litzau, but it was a career-damaging showing for Caballero.
