HBO Boxing: Joan Guzman – Michael Katsidis

ByBoxing Press

The numbers almost say it all for two division world champion Joan Guzman and interim WBO lightweight titlist Michael Katsidis. A combined 49-0 with 37 knockouts, this pair of 135-pound standouts has left a trail of destruction in their wake which is virtually unmatched in their weight class. Guzman will face Katsidis on May 26th at The Arena at the Anaheim Convention Center, on HBO After Dark, it was announced today.

But there are more than just numbers to consider when it comes to Guzman and Katsidis. There’s punching power, skill, desire, heart and styles that could easily be described as “Relentless”. The last time The Arena at the Anaheim Convention Center featured boxing was on April 25, 1980 for the Carlos “Sugar” De Leon v. Waldemar Paulino fight. Now, 27 years later, Guzman and Katsidis will collide in a bout that will make serious waves on the pound for pound list.

“Relentless”, a night of world-class professional boxing headlined by the 12-round interim WBO lightweight title bout between Katsidis and Guzman, as well as an intriguing 12-round bout for the interim WBC featherweight championship between Oscar Larios and Jorge Linares, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Sycuan Ringside Promotions, Rockstar Energy Drink and Tecate. HBO Boxing After Dark will air the show live beginning at 10:30 pm EST and delayed on the west coast at 10:30 pm PST.

Tickets for “Relentless”, priced at $100, $65, $45 and $25, go on sale on Thursday, April 19th at 10:00am PST at The Arena at the Anaheim Convention Center, Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone 714-740-2000, on-line at www.ticketmaster.com and at all participating Ticketmaster retail locations.

Interim WBO lightweight champion Michael “Rocky’ Katsidis (22-0, 20 KOs) is one of boxing’s most exciting young fighters. A stellar amateur who compiled a record of 75-6 and represented his native Australia in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, has zoomed to the top after turning pro in 2001. A hard-hitting knockout artist who has won 13 in a row within the distance, the 26-year old Toowoomba native won the interim title in February with a fifth round stoppage of Graham Earl in an early Fight of the Year candidate. On May 26th, he hopes to add to his resume with a win over Guzman.

Joan Guzman (27-0, 17 KOs) is no stranger to quick knockouts and outstanding success in the ring himself, as he is the WBO junior lightweight champion and former junior featherweight champion who has never tasted defeat in the pro ranks. A 1996 Olympian for the Dominican Republic, this native of Santo Domingo turned pro in September of 1997 and was quickly dubbed “The Sycuan Warrior’ for his prodigious punching power. By 2002, he was a world champion, having knocked out Fabio Oliva in three rounds to win the WBO 122-pound title. After two successful defenses, Guzman moved up to the featherweight division and quickly earned the WBO’s number one contender position. But after a series of postponements of a fight with champion Scott Harrison, Guzman decided to move up to 130 pounds, where he easily outpointed former world champ Javier Jauregui in his divisional debut and then pounded out a 12-round win over Jorge Rodrigo Barrios to win the WBO 130-pound crown. Now he looks for his third divisional title against Katsidis.

Despite being a native of Barinas, Venezuela, highly touted Jorge Linares (23-0, 14 KOs) has made his name in the boxing world while fighting in Tokyo, Japan, where he has rapidly become a fan favorite in the Land of The Rising Sun for his exciting style and stellar skill set. A former WBA Fedelatin and Fedecentro champion, the 21-year-old Linares has won his last two fights by knockout and he is currently ranked number one in the world by the WBA, number two by the WBC, number seven by the WBO, and number nine by the IBF, as he prepares for his US debut against his toughest test to date, Oscar Larios.

A no-nonsense warrior who proudly lives up to the legacy established by the great Mexican champions of the past, Guadalajara’s Oscar “Chololo’ Larios (59-5-1, 37 KOs) has been at or near the top for much of his 13 year pro career. A longtime super bantamweight world champion who defended his WBC crown nine times before losing it in his rubber match with Israel Vazquez in 2005, Larios flirted with the 130-pound weight class in a hard fought loss to Manny Pacquiao last year before deciding that the best weight class for his second title run would be the featherweight division. Winner of three in a row since the Pacquiao fight, the 30-year old Larios is charged up for his big fight with Linares on May 26th.