Live Round by Round Blog: Katsidis vs Escobedo

Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live round by round blog coverage of the Mayweather/Marquez under-card bout between lightweights Michael Katsidis and Vicente Escobedo.

We will also be doing round by round updates of Chris John vs Rocky Juarez and the main-event between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez. Make sure to check back in with us after 9 PM EST for our comprehensive blow by blow coverage of all the action.

Michael Katsidis 25-2 (135) vs Vicente Escobedo 21-1 (134)

If you are here early, check out some our stories on tonight's main-event and next week's Vitali Klitschko vs Chris Arreola heavyweight showdown: The Case for Juan Manuel Marquez Beating Floyd Mayweather Part One & Part Two by Lee Payton Chris Arreola Has The Tools To Rise Above Expectations by Michael Nelson Has Arreola Sacrificed Enough To Beat Klitschko by Lee Payton

Refresh this page often as updates will be frequent 5:15 PM EST... Our round by round coverage will begin after first televised bout between Cornelius Locke and Orlando Cruz. I estimate around 9:45, but check back in with us a little earlier in case the opener's a quick one. 9:15... The show is underway, with Locke/Cruz currently in the 2nd round. Locke put Cruz down and had the undefeated Puerto Rican hurt late in the opening round. 9:22... Excellent action at the end of the 3rd round between Locke and Cruz. Locke hurt Cruz late, and tried to follow up only to get tagged in return. Harold has it 3-0, 30-26 for Locke. 9:25... Plenty of action between Locke and Cruz. Both fighters sitting down on their shots and pounding away, with Cruz having a little the better of it in the 4th. 9:29... Locke sent Cruz crashing to the canvas with a huge right hook, prompting referee Robert Byrd to stop the fight after Cruz got to his feet on unsteady legs. The punch landed flush, as Cruz opened himself up while throwing his own hook. 9:30... The time was 2:08 of round 5. That was a nice fight while it lasted. 9:31... Michael Katsidis vs Vicente Escobedo coming up next. I'll let you know when the fighters are heading to the ring. 9:37... Katsidis is 142 tonight, and Escobedo has re-hydrated up to 139. 9:38... Michael Buffer with the intros. This one is just a few minutes from getting underway. 9:40... We're underway. 9:43... Katsidis a little more aggressive, just opened up with a 1-2. Escobedo has just been using the jab so far. Katsidis comes forward and fires off a hard combo, which Escobedo catches on the gloves. Escobedo gets a 1-2 in there. 1:30 to go. Katsidis edging forward, while Escobedo boxing from the outside looking to counter. Katsidis with a right hand. Katsidis misses wildly with a hook. He lands a right, after Escobedo had fired off a jab. Lampley points out that Kats is already cut over his left eye. 30 seconds left in the round. Katsidis firing off a combo, and Escobedo responds with a right hand. Escobedo with a jab, and Katsidis fires back with a hard 1-2. Solid round for the Australian. 9:44... Katsidis' corner tells him to be careful about loading up with every shot. In the other corner, Escobedo is told to throw his right uppercut. 9:47... Harold has it 1-0 for Kats. Katsidis comes forward, backing Escobedo back into a corner. Kats leans in and fires off a 1-2. Escobedo tries to counter with an uppercut. Katsidis pressing forward, leaning in and looking to rip shots. A nice exchange in the middle of the ring. Escobedo not really letting his hands go enough. He's getting outworked here so far. 1:20 to go. Katsidis fires off a combo. Kats with a 1-2 that backs Escobedo up. Katsidis keeps pushing forward, letting his hands go. Escobedo looking to counter, but not opening up. Kats slips a 1-2 from Escobedo and pushes forward with a hook. Kats with a combo. Escobedo fires back. Another good round for Katsidis. 9:48... Katsidis already looks like a mess. He's got some swelling under the left eye and a cut over the eye. 9:51... Kats pressing forward. Escobedo using the jab as he retreats. Escobedo stops and fires off a 1-2. He's moving to his left as Kats follows. Kats using his jab to come forward as Escobedo backs into the ropes, before they move back into the middle of the ring. Kats with his gloves up, trying to bob and weave under Escobedo's jab. Kellerman is really raving about Katsidis. He's already compared him to Marciano tonight, and favorably to Arturo Gatti. Escobedo stops and pops a 1-2. Escobedo with another 1-2 as the round ends. 9:52... Harold has it 3-0 for Katsidis. 9:55... Harold comments that Escobedo is just not doing enough offensively to win these rounds. Kellerman comments that Katsidis style inspires emotion and makes him want to compare him to those fighters. Katsidis keeps pushing forward. Escobedo not really getting enough room to counter the way he would like. Now he comes forward, but Katsidis fires off a 3 punch combo. Lampley points out the blood streaming down from the left eye of Katsidis. Escobedo with a flurry as the round comes to a close. 9:56... Harold now has it 3-1. 9:59... Katsidis has come out aggressively here at the start of the 5th. He backs Escobedo up with a flurry. Now Katsidis taking a bit of a rest, and Steward points out that he might be a little tired from his activity so far. katsidis just landed a nice right hand as Escobedo opened up. Katsidis now presses forward and tries to flurry with Escobedo along the ropes. Escobedo lands a counter uppercut. Katsidis pushes forward and bangs Escobedo's body. Escobedo tries to flurry a bit, and lands a 1-2. 10:00... We just got a shot of Floyd in his dressing room. he's lying on a couch, looking very relaxed. 10:00... 4-1 on Harold's card. 10:03... Katsidis comems out quickly for the 6th and flurries with Esobedo's back to the ropes. Escobedo trying to get space to counter fires back and slips away from the ropes. Katsidis though presses forward and backs Escobedo right back again. Escobedo fires off a 1-2. Kats is just short with a right hand. Action now in the middle of the ring. Steward and Kellerman both like the way Escobedo is looking right now. He's looking more comfortable, but I think a lot of that has to do with Katsidis not fighting at the same intense clip he was at the start of the fight. Katsidis fires a heavy 1-2. he lands another right hand that backs Escobedo up. Escobedo backs up, tries to throw a 1-2 which is blocked. Kats presses forward with a flurry and Escobedo fires back. 10:04... Katsidis is told in his corner not to give Escobedo any room to box. 10:07... Katsidis comes out on the attack, backing Escobedo up. Esscobedo tries to stand his ground and fire back, but Katsidis is crowding him, not giving him room. Harold has it 5-1. Escobedo just landed a nice combo. Escobedo now standing his ground in the center of the ring. He sticks the jab out and throws a right. Kats now fires a hook, and then a 1-2 backs Escobedo up. Escobedo with a flurry. Escobedo with a 1-2. Escobedo standing his ground and firing, and having a good little stretch. He just landed an uppercut. Katsidis pushes forward, trying to close the gap. Not quite with the same intensity as earlier though in his attack. now he fires off a 1-2. There's the bell. 10:08... 6-1 on Harold's card. I think I might have it a little closer. 10:11... Katsidis on the attack to start the round. Kats pressing forward, throwing his hook and his right hand. Escobedo backing up over the first minute of the round. Kats on the attack. Gloves up, elbows in, looking to get close and rip. Escobedo backing up. he stops and throws a 1-2, although Katsidis immediately responds with his own right hand. Kats pushing the action. he leads with a jab and fires to the body. Escobedo trying to catch him between shots, but not standing his ground enough. Kats having a really good round. He lands a nice little uppercut in close. he digs to the body with his right hand. Lampley comments that Escobedo looks weary heading back to his corner. 10:12...Nacho Beristain asked Escobedo if he wanted to stop the fight between rounds. 7-1 on Harold's card. 10:15... Katsidis just landed low early in the 9th, prompting a brief break in the action but they are back at it. Steward says that at some point Escobedo needs to stand and fight. He really doesn't have the boxing skills to outbox Katsidis. he's not quick enough. He needs to stand his ground and rip some counters. Katsidis keeps plugging away, and lands a nice right to the body. Katsidis backs Escobedo up against the ropes and Escobedo grabs a hold of him. Katsidis fires off a combo. Escobedo with his back to the ropes as Katsidis pushes him from one side of the ring to the other. Kats digs downstairs with a hard hook. Kats pressing forward. Escobedo tries to throw back, but he's almost entirely in retreat. 10:19... Steward comments that Katsidis is punching with a lot more leverage and that Katsidis is throwing his shots while backing off. Katsidis backs Escobedo into the ropes with a flurry. Kats presses forward. Escobedo just landed a nice counter... and another, but Kats took both well. Kats pushes Escobedo into the ropes. Steward says that Escobedo needs to start gambling and trying to time Katsidis on the way in with something big. Katsidis keeps coming. he lands a jab, and flurries as Escobedo retreats. Escobedo flicking the jab as he backs away. Steward just said that Katsidis tonight would be a tough fight for any lightweight in the modern era except maybe Pernell Whitaker. I'm rolling my eyes at that nonsense. Katsidis backs Escobedo up with a flurry. 10:20... Katsidis as usual looks like a mess around the eyes. 10:24... Kats comes out as he's done the whole night and backs Escobedo up. Kats with the gloves up, plowing forward, letting his hands go. Escobedo just landed a nice counter, but Katsidis took it well. Kellerman comments that Escobedo is really focused on protecting his body right now. he tries to flurry with Katsidis pressing forward. Katsidis landing a right hand. The HBO crew is really raving about Katsidis. I'm not quite as impressed. He's still wide open for counters whenever he throws. Escobedo is just not good enough to take advantage of it. Kats keeps pushing away, constantly backing Escobedo up. 10:27... 1 more round to go. Harold has it 9-2. Katsidis comes out pushing forward. Escobedo fires back with a counter. Kats plugging away. he backs Escobedo up into the ropes with a flurry. Escobedo with a 1-2. Esco with another 1-2. Kats gets inside, and gets tied up. Kats with a combo. he backs Escobedo up into the ropes. Esco backing up. Katsidis has major swelling on the right side of his jaw. To go with his swollen eyes, he doesn't look good at all. he's winning convincingly and there's only 50 seconds to go, so it shouldn't be an issue. Kats presses forward, flurrying and backing Escobedo up. Escobedo tries to flurry with a combo, but Katsidis just fires back and backs Escobedo back again. There's the bell. 10:28... Harold had Escobedo winning the 12th. he's got it 117-111 for Katsidis. 10:30... 116-112 for Escobedo, 115-113 for Katsidis, 118-110 for Katsidis. Winner by split decision is Michael Katsidis. 10:31... 8-4 for Escobedo on 1 card. That's a bizarre scorecard. 10:32... That's it for the first two fights on the card. Let's go to Chris John vs Rocky Juarez.

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"Lightweight Lightning" A Hit!

By Lee Payton

Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions produced a PPV attraction that showcased a colourful cast of top lightweights, and the result was a fight card that delivered the goods.

Though some of the PPV line-up was sort of patched together in a hurry, the fighters took care of their end of the bargain with 4 conclusive finishes. The crowd at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas created a fun atmosphere for what must have been a memorable live show.

Edwin Valero is something of a mysterious southpaw prodigy to many boxing fans around the world because of a fuzzy medical issue involving a blood clot resulting from a motorcycle accident. The injury left athletic commissions in the U.S. reluctant to grant him a license to perform, so this was his first shot on the big stage in America.

This is only my second time seeing Valero in action, but he looks like he's for real.

Now 25-0 (25), the unique left-handed hitter scored a fantastic TKO victory in the 2nd round against seasoned puncher, Antonio Pitalua. A crunching right hook twisted the old veteran's head around and planted him on his back.

Brave, but with little control over his legs, Pitalua rose only to be put down twice more by an overwhelming attack that ended matters. The main event served it's purpose in a big way; Edwin Valero has arrived.

The kid has a few flaws (the most obvious being how high his chin can get during delivery), but he's very fast, and loves the KO. The lightweight division is full of intriguing match-ups that could tell us more about what he's got inside.

Is he ready for World Lightweight Champion, Juan Manuel Marquez? I'm not sure about that. However, his speed and power would surely make Marquez uncomfortable for awhile. I just think 12 rounds is a bit too long for him to go without getting caught by one of those beautiful counter shots. The champ is just too seasoned, in my view.

A fight with former champion, Juan Diaz, is a natural. Two all-action fighters who could fill the house anywhere in Texas. How would Diaz go about attacking a quick, powerful lefty who shoots almost everything down the middle? Is Valero ready for that kind of step up in class? What does he have on the defensive side? I'd love to find out, and I think we will by the end of the year.

While I'm sure this guy will be entertaining against just about anyone, I think a fight between Edwin Valero and Humberto Soto is one of the best fights in boxing. It would be a battle of offensive machines who take different paths on their way to turning the lights out. Anything could happen! Hopefully Oscar and his old pal, Bob can make that one a reality soon.

There's also a barbarian from down under...

Hometown fighter, Jesus Chavez, broke my heart yet again when he was forced to retire after 7 bruising rounds with Aussie fan favourite, Michael Katsidis. At 36, Chavez just didn't have the stuff to keep the younger, stronger man off, or meet him-head-to-head without getting hurt, so the plug was pulled.

A wildly supportive crowd tried to will their man to victory, but the snake-bitten warrior's 36 year old body just couldn't stand up to the heavy hands and suffocating style of Katsidis, who never let him catch his breath.

Chavez had some early success with the cutest moves I've ever seen from him. He gave the brute some smart angles, found success with a few right hands from the outside and turned many uppercuts beautifully from underneath.

Eventually though, superior fitness took over. Katsidis pounded away relentlessly, silencing the once delirious crowd with the thud of his powerful blows.

I'm not sure if Chavez ended it himself, but the people in his corner should have known enough to stop it. Either way, I've never been hard on a fighter who knows he is beaten. If he did quit, that's OK with me. In my opinion, there is no dishonour in surrendering to the better man.

Michael Katsidis is a tough hombre, and I look forward to seeing him again, but I just wanted to touch on some of the poor luck that has plagued Jesus Chavez's career.

His first ever title shot was against none other than Floyd Mayweather. There are something like 21 title belts per division these days and this is the number he draws...?

In his next big fight, he goes to war for 3 rounds with Mexican great, Erik Morales, only to injure his right arm so bad that he couldn't use it for the remaining 9. He literally fought El Terrible with one arm and went the distance. It was an unbelievably courageous effort.

Then he won his first title against Leavander Johnson, who died in the hospital 5 days later, as a result of the injuries he received during the bout.

No fights in 2006.

Finally, a torn up knee knocked him out in his first fight back from a year and a half on the sidelines.

Chavez is proof that boxing, and life, isn't always fair. I'd like to see him get out before something else happens.

Vincente Escobedo earned a hard-fought 10 round decision over comebacking Carlos "Famoso" Hernandez of El Salvador. It's a good win for the Olympian, who had lost his way a little bit before hooking up with Nacho Beristain. Nothing came easy on this night, but he was a clear winner, and his career now seems to be back on track.

I want to send special recognition to Hernandez for the heart and desire he displayed in taking the fight to his younger, more gifted opponent all night. The hunger he showed in that thrilling final round was something special for a fighter his age. It was a helluva way to end a respectable career.

Rolando Reyes opened the card by knocking out Julio Diaz in 5 rounds. The first 4 rounds were slow, with little in the way of clean punching. Some sharp work put "The Kidd" on queer street, and he was never able to recover.

It was reported that Diaz was just under the jr. middleweight limit on fight night. This likely had something to do with the way he reacted to every punch Reyes landed.

Here's hoping that this PPV is enough of a financial success that the brass at GBP decide to keep offering similar fight cards. It really was a lot of fun. I told some friends of mine, who follow boxing very casually, to check this one out...

The next time Valero and/or Katsidis fight, they want to know.

e-mail Lee Payton
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