Golden Boy Boxing: Marquez vs. Katsidis For Unified Lightweight Title Nov 27

Boxing fans will have plenty to be thankful for Saturday, Nov. 27 when Golden Boy Promotions celebrates Thanksgiving Day weekend with a 12-round championship battle between two of boxing’s most exciting warriors, WBA and WBO Lightweight Champion Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez and WBO Interim Lightweight Champion Michael “The Great” Katsidis, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“Given the styles of both fighters, Marquez vs. Katsidis has Fight of the Year written all over it,” said Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. “Marquez looked better than ever against Juan Diaz in his last fight and Katsidis is in top form coming off of a big knockout win over Kevin Mitchell; so boxing fans will be in for a treat on November 27.”

“Michael Katsidis is a very aggressive fighter and that’s the style I like to fight against the most,” said Marquez. “Styles make fights and my style and his together will give fans a great show in November, but I’m not about to give my titles away.”

“What more can you say about Juan Manuel Marquez,” said Katsidis. “He’s one of the best in the world pound-for-pound, and a future Hall of Famer. I’m ready for the challenge though, and I don’t think he’ll be able to hold me off for 12 rounds. I’m coming for those belts.”

“The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is noted for its great lineup of sports action and family get-togethers. This fights card fits in perfectly,” said Kery Davis, senior vice president of programming HBO Sports. “We are excited to be presenting it to our subscribers.”

A three-division World Champion who currently holds the WBA and WBO belts at 135 pounds, Mexico City’s Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) has firmly established his legacy as one of the greatest Mexican fighters of all-time.

While that would be enough for some, the 37-year-old “Dinamita” is far from finished, and considering that his resume over the last three years includes wins over the likes of Marco Antonio “Barreta” Barrera, Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz (twice) and Joel “Cepillo” Casamayor, there’s no question there’s plenty of gas left in this legendary fighter’s tank.

The hard-charging pride of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, Michael “The Great” Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs) is a thrill-a-minute warrior who has thrilled fans around the globe with his “go-for-broke” fighting style.

A two-time, and current, holder of the interim WBO lightweight crown, the 30-year-old is currently sporting a four-fight winning streak which includes a stoppage of Jesus “Matador” Chavez, a stirring win over Vicente Escobedo, and a three-round blitz of 31-0 Kevin Mitchell. On November 27, he faces his biggest challenge ever.

“Warriors: Marquez vs. Katsidis,” a 12-round World Championship bout, will be presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Boxing Promotions, and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and DeWalt Tools. The bout will be televised live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 pm ET / 6:45 pm PT.

Tickets for “Warriors: Marquez vs. Katsidis,” priced at $350, $250, $150, $100 and $50, go on sale Saturday, Sept. 25 at 10:00 am PT. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.