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Michael Katsidis: Heart of a champion
There was a line in the movie Heartbreak Ridge that has always stuck with me. Clint Eastwood told his rag tag group of Marines that as Marines they would now improvise, adapt and overcome. As men, fighting men, these traits would come in handy and build character.
I don’t remember seeing Michael Katsidis in that movie, but perhaps he could be the inspiration should they make a Heartbreak Ridge II.
For Katsidis has recently been forced to do all of those things and more in the wake of his brother’s death. Reports say that the two were close. I mention that only because in today’s world it is easy to lose the focus on what is most important in life, and family should definitely be high on the priority list.
Immediately following the announcement of Stathi’s passing, rumors swirled throughout the media that the Katsidis-Juan Manuel Marquez fight would be put on hold. To most of us it was never accepted as a rumor, it would have been selfish and inhumane for us to ask Michael to even consider fighting after such a tragic event.
But some people in this world have enough resiliency for a hundred men. Michael Katsidis is obviously one of them.
In a surprise statement Katsidis declared, “The fight will go on! I will do this for Stathi, my family and myself.”
Michael went on to say that he felt his brother in him and he knew that this is what his brother would want.
And so the fight will in fact, go on. And what a fight it should be. This is not a four rounder in the neighborhood bar. This is for the world Lightweight title. It isn’t for one of those trinkets that we seem to have too many of either.
Juan Manuel Marquez, future hall of famer, defends his Ring magazine belt against Katsidis on November 27thin Las Vegas.
This will be Katsidis’ second shot at the belt. Two and a half years ago he took on then champion Joel Casamayor. After surviving two knockdowns in the first Michael stormed back to take a slight lead on two of the scorecards, even scoring a knockdown himself in the sixth.
Unfortunately, a brief defensive lapse in the tenth allowed Casamayor to catch and end Katsidis’ dream.
But that was then and this is now. It is hard to imagine Michael being anymore determined than he has become following his personal tragedy. And so he fights on.
The human spirit allows people to do amazing things. From disregarding dangerous situations to feeding off of the kind of tragedies that would emotionally cripple a lesser man.
Katsidis has chosen to honor his brother’s memory and go forward. As a fan of Katsidis it would be ashame if he didn’t walk out of that Las Vegas ring with the champion’s belt. He already has the heart to go along with it.
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