By Sean McDaniel: Brendan Smith, the trainer for World Boxing Organization interim champion Michael Katsidis (27-2, 22 KO’s), says he doesn’t think that WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KO’s) will take the fight against the 29-year-old Katsidis. In an article at BBC Sport, Smith says “I really don’t see it happening. This is a very risky fight for Amir and one they would not take at this stage. There was an opportunity for the two to fight in Amir’s U.S. debut, but it was turned down by Freddie Roach and instead Paulie Malignaggi was chosen.”

Smith has a point. If Khan was allowed to fight a dangerous puncher like Katsidis, this would be a huge departure from the past for how Khan has been matched. Thus far, Khan has mostly been put in with 2nd tier opponents, weaker punchers or fighters that are on their last legs. The one big puncher that Khan was put in with, Breidis Prescott, made short work of Khan, stopping him in the 1st round.

Tellingly, Khan was never put back in with Prescott to try and avenge the defeat. Instead, Khan has been served up fights against beatable, weak punchers like Andriy Kotelnik, Oisen Fagan, Paulie Malignaggi, and Dmitry Salita. Khan also fought 36-year-old Marco Antonio Barrera, who had only recently moved up in weight and looked horrible before his fight with Khan and in his fight with him. This is why it would seem out of the norm if Khan was allowed to fight Katsidis, even though Katsidis is a weight division below Khan’s.

Recently, Katsidis destroyed Brit lightweight contender Kevin Mitchell in three rounds on May 15th in Upton Park. The fight was a total slaughter and not really all that unexpected. Mitchell, beaming with confidence and looking ahead towards bigger things, was out of his league against Katsidis, taking huge shots to the head and quickly folding in the 3rd round. Mitchell seemed to come unglued once hurt in the 3rd, turning his to his side along the ropes and looking nothing like a professional fighter during that time. Instead of trying to hold and ride out the round, Mitchell tried to fight the powerful and fast Katsidis and was annihilated with heavy shots.

Khan and his management team, Golden Boy Promotions, are rumored to be looking at fighting Katsidis or Joel Casamayor on July 31st, the same night that WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez faces off in a rematch against Juan Diaz in the United States. Khan’s promoter Richard Schaefer is hoping to have the winner of the Marquez-Diaz fight face Khan. That might happen if Diaz emerges as the winner, but less likely if Marquez wins, because his trainer has already declined a fight with Khan earlier in the year. But Khan and Marquez, 36, share the same promoter, so the fight could still happen if they waive enough money under Marquez’s nose to make it worthwhile for him to take on the much younger 23-year-okd Khan.