Round By Round: Joel Casamayor vs. Michael Katsidis

Some nice pre-fight staring down and a little pre-fight mind games and shoving. Always nice to add a little spice. Katsidis came out in his normal Warrior gear; maybe the Brush, El Cepillo, didn't appreciate the entrance. This ring announcer is not Michael Buffer.

Shane Mosley in the crowd. He may overtake Chris Byrd for most boxing matches attended.

Round 1
Feeling out and Katsidis goes down in the first 30 seconds from a left! Unreal, flurrying and Katsidis down a second time in the first minute! Announcers thinking he is not ready for that straight left. Shades of Pacquiao-JMM I. Katsidis looks tentative, but he is still trying to take the lead by coming forward. Cagey Casamayor showing a lot of movement and his usual pot shotting. Katsidis looks like he could get tagged again at any time he is open.

Uatu - Casamayor 10-7

Round 2
Well, now Kats comes in without throwing, probably to not be open. Casamayor blocking and pot shotting. Clinching too. Left from Joel. Mike trying to be aggressive but Joel will grab if he gets too close. Nice left from Joel and he gets away. Lennox steals a line talking about Joel being cagey. Decent shot by Mike. Overhand left from Joel. Joel looks totally different from his last fight. This is a more active Joel due to his opponent. Post-round stare down and trash talking. Entertaining fight at this point but Joel all the way.

Uatu- Casamayor 10-9

Round 3
Although if this keeps up, it may get boring. Now THIS is ineffective aggression. It's like a poor man's Hatton-Mayweather, at least as far as the stakes, crowd and hype go. No disrespect to the fighters. They are both trying hard, but Kats isn't really getting to Joel. And even if Joel is not a one-punch power fighter, he could stop Kats at some point in the same way. Joel doing some clowning with his hands down. Kats really trying to work the body against the ropes but Joel doesn't seem bothered. Tough round to score.

Uatu - Casamayor 10-9

Round 4
Interesting fact from Lederman. Casamayor was forced by the commission to shave because his beard was too long. More of the same. Kats aggressive. Kats finally gets to him! Joel is hurt! Another strong right from Kats! An exchange of big crosses! Casamayor really trying to hold on. Still throwing though. Very gritty stuff. Kats throwing bombs but Joel throws too and then grabs. This is no longer a Hatton-Mayweather clone. That notion has just been thrown out the window! Big momentum change.

Uatu- Katsidis 10-9

Round 5
Joel on his bike and Kats stalking. There is drama in every exchange now. Kats trying to brawl and throwing hard again. Joel grabs. Can Joel last the night? Action slows because Joel grabs. And grabs again. Kats not an open book like before because Joel has to be careful as Kats presses. Low blow from Kats, retalitation from Joel. Kats trying more and more body shots. Have to go with Kats.

Uatu - Katsidis 10-9

Round 6
Kats is an action brawler as advertised. Kats right back at it. Joel not really keeping him as honest as before. Digging and digging away at the body. Kats not getting to him as much. Joel doing some good boxing and moving. Kats rocks Joel in the side of the head! He then finishes Joel, knocking him out of the ropes! Joel survives but he is weakened. The round ends and saves Joel. Kats looks to have everything going his way now. It was left to the body, left to the ear and body to knock him through the ropes.

Uatu - Katsidis 10-8

Round 7
Joel back on thie bike. He is trying to keep him away. Big shots from both. Joel seems to be getting his legs back but danger is one punch away because Kats is throwing bombs. Sneaky left from Joel. Bike and pot shotting. Big time left from Joel. Kats goes back to the body. Kats landed next to nothing in that round to get excited about.

Uatu - Casamayor 10-9

Round 8
Hey, there's Bernard in the crowd too. Lederman gave round 7 to Kats. Disagreed. Not too much landed early. Jabs ahoy from Casamayor. Kats coming forward but not throwing much. Kats pops Joel. Joel gets away. Joel gets through another round without too much struggle. Tough round to score as neither man had the success of the previous rounds, or any success really. Was considering an even round but Casa did more.

Uatu - Casamayor 10-9

Round 9
Point deduction for a low blow. Who was that for? Casamayor apparently. Kind of a rip-off call. Kats back to his ineffective aggression. Head butt warning to Joel. Punches exchanged and some clinches. Nice right from each. Actually Joel's was a left. Another boxing round from the Brush.

Uatu- Casamayor, so it's 9-9

Round 10
Joel lands with about the biggest punch ever in the first 20 seconds! Kats wobbles around and up! Surprising this is even continuing. And it's not anymore! It's waved off!

It was an enormous left right on the chin to Kats. He was open by throwing a wide punch and was hit. Kellerman for some reason is saying the stoppage may have been quick. He is saying he wouldn't have stopped it.

Kats's face looked like a person who was not entirely there. Uatu has no idea why it wouldn't be stopped. Lennox says he would have stopped it. Agreed.

Joel Casamayor by TKO 30 seconds into round 10!

Uatu looks like a genius for the earlier Hatton-Mayweather comparison. Retract the earlier retraction. Just kidding. Similar to that fight, this knockout was unexpected, but unlike that fight, it wasn't really like Joel was wearing him down. But it was an aggressor versus a master boxer and the master boxer had the guts to to throw the big punches when needed and got the other man out of there.

Post-fight, Joel says Kats is not that good of a puncher but puts a lot of pressure on. Joel says he was not badly hurt and he slipped out of the ring. That is questionable. Joel said he had to sit down on his punches because his fights have been stolen before. Kellerman makes a smart comment about winning some robberies and losing some robberies.

Joel is looking for the big money fights. Nate Campbell is there saying he wants to make the fight. A somewhat raucous interview. Joel's interpreter is an animated fellow.

They interview Kats. HBO must really love him. Kellerman was all over him during the fight.

Kats seems like a decent chap. He doesn't dispute the stoppage and said the ref was doing his job. He seems very disappointed, understandably, and apologizes to Austrailia.