I think Kevin Mitchell is going to get knocked out

[yiddo14]

Er, Katsidis fought Casamayor straight after he beat Earl and Amonsot.

I cite the Casamayor(even though Casamayor was a little old) fight as one of the reasons why he might not beat Mitchell. Katsidis took a lot that night.

[oliverfennell]

Er, Katsidis fought Casamayor straight after he beat Earl and Amonsot.

I cite the Casamayor(even though Casamayor was a little old) fight as one of the reasons why he might not beat Mitchell. Katsidis took a lot that night.

Yes he did, but his improvement since that fight has been undeniable.

Anyway, point taken about the timeline, but somehow, sometime, he got a lot better between Amonsot and Casamayor. The Katsidis who fought Amonsot and Earl would have been trounced by Casamayor and, indeed, Mitchell. But the post-Amonsot Katsidis, well, the results speak for themselves. And don't forget Casamayor, while up there in years, was still the linear LW champ at the time and would go on to give Marquez a real see-saw battle to prove he wasn't shot.

[steevyp]

We honestly dont know until we see him fight at the weight.


Katsidis is more than a gatekeeper though, and Kev will have a lot on his hands but he is one tough fighter so I think he will be ok.

[hurlock]

Don't 95% of Hammers, "real" Eastenders and mockneys come from Dagenham and other assorted areas of Essex anyway?

Come fight night I suspect the most spoken phrase in the stadium will be "yeah, I live In Essex now but I was born and raised in Bethnal Green/Stepney/Bow(etc) weren't I?"

people are proud of there root's obviously, i mean who would want to live in a carzy like bethnal green its full of illegal immergrants.

[Happy Slapper]

Seems to me the general consesus is that this is a real tough fight to call. Which I'd agree with.

Still think Katsidis KO 8 or 9.

[NazNaci1]

Katsides to win. He will be too agressive for Mitchell and Mitchell will end up slugging with him and lose.

[1southpaw]

Don't 95% of Hammers, "real" Eastenders and mockneys come from Dagenham and other assorted areas of Essex anyway?

Come fight night I suspect the most spoken phrase in the stadium will be "yeah, I live In Essex now but I was born and raised in Bethnal Green/Stepney/Bow(etc) weren't I?"

MUG

[yiddo14]

Don't 95% of Hammers, "real" Eastenders and mockneys come from Dagenham and other assorted areas of Essex anyway?

Come fight night I suspect the most spoken phrase in the stadium will be "yeah, I live In Essex now but I was born and raised in Bethnal Green/Stepney/Bow(etc) weren't I?"

MUG

Pwoper nawty.

[Counter-puncher]

Er, Katsidis fought Casamayor straight after he beat Earl and Amonsot.

I cite the Casamayor(even though Casamayor was a little old) fight as one of the reasons why he might not beat Mitchell. Katsidis took a lot that night.

Yes he did, but his improvement since that fight has been undeniable.

Anyway, point taken about the timeline, but somehow, sometime, he got a lot better between Amonsot and Casamayor. The Katsidis who fought Amonsot and Earl would have been trounced by Casamayor and, indeed, Mitchell. But the post-Amonsot Katsidis, well, the results speak for themselves. And don't forget Casamayor, while up there in years, was still the linear LW champ at the time and would go on to give Marquez a real see-saw battle to prove he wasn't shot.

good points oliver and i too am on the Katsidis bandwagon here

[Datsue]

Finally got around to watching Katsidis' last fight, vs Escobedo. His work ethic & pressure is quite frightening at times, but I'd forgot just how shockingly easy to hit he is. The Mex/American hit him so flush it was painful, really really drilled him on the button, but could not punch his way out of a wet paper bag so couldn't do anything to keep the Aussie off him. Also, Escobedo didn't really have it in mind to box & move, tried to cover up & pot-shot, which as he couldn't hurt Katsidis was a particularly stupid thing to do.

I can see Mitchell putting him over, simply because Katsidis throws himself into counter punches at times. But then again I can see him catching "Kev" flush, & Mitchell getting his hackles up & trading, & being carried out on his back.

I have no idea who is going to win this fight, but Katsidis' hoplite mask sucks donkey balls.

[Counter-puncher]

Finally got around to watching Katsidis' last fight, vs Escobedo. His work ethic & pressure is quite frightening at times, but I'd forgot just how shockingly easy to hit he is. The Mex/American hit him so flush it was painful, really really drilled him on the button, but could not punch his way out of a wet paper bag so couldn't do anything to keep the Aussie off him. Also, Escobedo didn't really have it in mind to box & move, tried to cover up & pot-shot, which as he couldn't hurt Katsidis was a particularly stupid thing to do.

I can see Mitchell putting him over, simply because Katsidis throws himself into counter punches at times. But then again I can see him catching "Kev" flush, & Mitchell getting his hackles up & trading, & being carried out on his back.

I have no idea who is going to win this fight, but Katsidis' hoplite mask sucks donkey balls.

haha. wondered what you would think.

i think the contrast you make between box n move vs cover up and potshot, is the key here

IF Mitchell is good enough to box and move under that kind of pressure (much, much more pressure than Prescott's caveman footwork- in the words of McIlvanney, looking like he learned it at a school for deepsea divers- could bring to bear), then he could do what his boosters are suggesting

i think i have more cover and potshot in mind, though. my fear for Mitchell would be he needs to step into his shots a bit to hurt Katsidis or put him off. if he's boxing on the backfoot too much I'm not sure he will have the pop to do enough with Katsidis.

[Des1]

If Earl can put him down and hurt him I'm sure Mitchell can do more, like put him down and KO him or by points. Either way Mithell wins and I will have have personal bet with anyone who wishes. £500 I'm starting of with. Anyone wishing to bet PM me.

[glahn]

I think both fighters have improved a lot over the last year or two. I can't wait for this fight because I think it will be a war. No doubt Mitchell's trainers will tell him to box and I'm sure he will do that too, but Mitchell strikes me as the kind of kid who will wade in as soon as the bombs start flying and turn it into a tear-up. I think either or both guys could end up on their arse at some point, but I still see it going the twelve rounds.

[black panther]

Bookies making Mitchell the favourite.

[Rixxy]

I think Mitchell will win but it will be a close fight. He needs to box clever and he has shown in the past that he has that ability.

[ERIC GUY]

Katsidis to spark him around 8 or 9. I just think his mixing in a higher class is going to tell in this one. Plus I would assume he is naturally the bigger man....
Opinions?

My Opinion is that we should support our fighters!!!!

[Des1]

Katsidis to spark him around 8 or 9. I just think his mixing in a higher class is going to tell in this one. Plus I would assume he is naturally the bigger man....
Opinions?

My Opinion is that we should support our fighters!!!!

Spot on Eric

[oliverfennell]

Katsidis to spark him around 8 or 9. I just think his mixing in a higher class is going to tell in this one. Plus I would assume he is naturally the bigger man....
Opinions?

My Opinion is that we should support our fighters!!!!

Spot on Eric

Supporting is not the same as predicting. It's quite possible to support a guy at the same time as not predicting he will win. Therefore, I support Kevin Mitchell in his fight against Katsidis, but my prediction is that Katsidis will win. I hope I'm wrong, but by simply predicting against him does not make me guilty of a lack of support!

Or did I not "support" Howard Clarke when I imagined he would lose to Fernando Vargas?

[Brit Ryan]

Katsidis is a fantastically entertaining fighter. It is great to have him back in the UK.
People shouldn't just assume he has only one battle plan and he will fight just the way he did against Earl.

[Old bones Ian]

A very exciting night awaiting us i think. Katsidis brings real entertainment to the ring, and i've been very impressed by Mitchells progress over the last 3 years. I thought at one time he was a hype job and wouldn't make the grade. but have been proven wrong, the lad can really box at the highest level i think.

Alot on here think that Mitchell could fold once Katsidis starts warming up, but the Aussie has been down and hurt early on in a few of his fights, i'd say Mitchell punches harder than Earl and Casamayor. So we could see a suprise ending , you never know in this game.

[Datsue]

, i'd say Mitchell punches harder than Earl and Casamayor. So we could see a suprise ending , you never know in this game.

Off the top of my head Casamayor decked the following with single left crosses:

Roberto Garcia
Diego Corrales
Kid Diamond
Lamont Peterson

Maybe not top-tier in the galaxy names, but I'd take knocking one of those boys down over knocking down, say, Carl Johanneson or Walter Estrada or... Uh, remind me again who Mitchell has knocked over?

I appreciate the Mitchell love around here, it's good that an English lad gets the pack behind him so to speak, but I cannot really get my head completely around the idea that Kev hits harder than the Cuban multi-weight world champion sorry.

[Old bones Ian]

Its all about opinions, Mitchell hasn't mixed in anything like the class that Casamayor has i accept that, and maybe Mitchell wouldn't of beaten the names you mentioned, but its about how hard he punches, and i think its at least as equal to Casamayor's power.

Guess we will find out soon enough when he fights Katsidis

[yiddo14]

Mitchell doesn't actually hit that hard(relatively speaking of course!)

Didn't Carl Johanesson prove that?

[J]

what by getting stopped? great example

[yiddo14]

what by getting stopped? great example

Not quite as simple as that though is it? How many shots did Mitchell catch him with that night? It was a right little mini-war.

Carl was finished at that point and was never the sturdiest in the chin department.

Great fight but why didn't the heavy handed Mitchell finish him off earlier and a lot easier if he carries such power? He sure hit Carl with enough leather.