Veteran Casamayor Floors Aussie Katsidis To Capture Interim WBO Lightweight Title

Cabazon, CA (AHN) - Joel Casamayor sent 27-year-old Michael Katsidis staggering to the canvas in the 10th round in a come-from-behind victory that won him the interim WBO lightweight title at Morongo Casino Resort and Spa on Sunday.

Casamayor, a 36-year-old Cuban southpaw, floored the Australian twice in the first round but saw himself reaching for the ropes in the fourth as Katsidis recovered with a flurry of combinations to even the match.

Katsidis, who was set to fight Juan Diaz until promoter problems called off the bout, dictated the pace from then on but Casamayor survived the sixth and seventh rounds, allowing him to return for the eighth, where he was deducted a point for a low blow to Katsidis.

Casamayor, who won the gold in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as a bantamweight, fought tons of attack at the start of the 10th and found an opening with a counter left hook that rifled right through Katsidis.

"They say age is wasted on youth. I had the fight but I went out there and just went stupid in the last round," Katsidis said. "I got excited and I got caught. I did my best but I lost focus and that all comes down to experience. But I'll take this lesson away and learn from it."

It was Katsidis' first career defeat, and his record dropped to 23-1-0, with 20 victories by knockout. Casamayor, on the other hand, hiked his mark to 36-3-1 (22 KOs).