By Jim Dower: Former three division world champion and current WBA super world lightweight and WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KO’s) faces his biggest puncher in the past two years in facing Australian and current WBO lightweight interim champion Michael Katsidis (27-2, 22 KO’s) at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Katsidis, 30, fights well against older former champions and contenders, but has failed when he’s stepped it up to fight world class opposition like Juan Diaz and Joel Casamayor. Katsidis was stopped in the 10th round by Casamayor in 2008, and then lost a close 12 round decision to Diaz in September 2008.

The fight was technically close, but in reality, it looked like lopsided win by Diaz. Katsidis fought passively and appeared to be trying to survive rather than fighting as aggressively as he’s fought in the past. However, Katsidis has fought much better in the past two years and has won his last four bouts beating Jesus Chavez, Vincente Escobedo and Kevin Mitchell among the four. It doesn’t look good for Katsidis that the 37-year-old Marquez has beaten both Diaz and Casamayor by knockout. Based on those wins, you would think that Katsidis has no chance of winning this fight.

However, Marquez has aged more in the past two years and was beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jr. and looked beatable in his recent 12 round decision win over Diaz. Katsidis is peaking right at the same time that Marquez is starting to deteriorate as a fighter. This is perhaps the best possible time for Katsidis to be fighting Marquez, because if this fight had taken place a year ago, I wouldn’t give Katsidis any chance of winning. Never the less, Katsidis is going to have problems with Marquez in the early going while Marquez is still fresh.

But I can see Katsidis wearing Marquez down with his power shots and maybe earning a decision if he can stay on his feet the whole way. Katsidis could take the later rounds and combined with the rounds he wins early in the fight, he could get as a win over Marquez. It’s going to take even more pressure by Katsidis than what Diaz did in his fight with him. Katsidis is going to have to be willing to take shots because he’s going to get hit a awful lot in this fight. If Katsidis’ delicate skin holds out, he could hang in there long enough to get the win.