When we last saw Juan Diaz, the "Baby Bull" was being eviscerated by Nate Campbell inside a bull ring in Mexico this past March. Given the fact that Campbell was a grizzled vet who capitalized on his long awaited title shot, it wasn't necessarily the fact that Diaz lost, but it was the manner in which he was thoroughly manhandled and outhustled that made it so shocking. For Diaz, it was a taste of his own medicine, as it had always been he who had snatched his opponents will to win by applying a smothering, high volume offense. 

In the golden era of pugilism, a fighter was not considered tested until they suffered a loss to the ledger. In modern times, such sage advice is often eschewed in favor of protecting a prized prospect or champion so they can sell a glossy unblemished record to the TV networks that seem to hold all the purse strings. These days, when a star prizefighter suffers a loss, the protocol seems to dictate that the fighter's next opponent be considered a "soft touch". The prevalence of such action is so in tune with modern boxing that it often comes as a shock when a fighter takes a loss then comes back to challenge an equal, if not tougher, opponent than before. 

Such is the case for Diaz and his team as they look to rebound from their loss at the hands of Campbell to take on all-action slugger Michael Katsidis this Saturday night in Houston. In Katsidis, Diaz gets a daunting task, but don't call it a rebound fight. "Well, it's not a rebound fight. I mean, we don't look at it as a rebound fight," Diaz's renowned trainer Ronnie Shields states bluntly.  "Juan is one of the best lightweights in the world and we figure that the best fighters should always fight each other. This is why Juan is fighting Katsidis."

It's the type of mentality you long for in your favorite prizefighter; a fighter who actually fights. "Michael Katsidis is a great fighter and a former world champion," Diaz remarked in a recent press release. "I'm excited to get back into the ring.  I feel like I have something to prove to my fans and on September 6th, I'm going to win big and take the first step back toward regaining my world title."

Katsidis finds himself in the same situation as Diaz coming into this fight.  The Australian brawler was a rising star in the sport following his blood and guts victories over Graham Earl and Czar Amonsot. The stage was being set for an eventual showdown between the two lightweights, but then promotional politics saw fit to derail such planning. With Diaz forced to take the Campbell fight, Katsidis took on Cuban star Joel Casamayor last March. Many expected Katsidis to emerge victorious as his youth and strength would surely carry him to victory over the aging Casamayor, who looked horrible in eaking out a controversial win over Jose Armando Santa Cruz last year.  But Casamayor would not go quietly into the sweet night, utilizing veteran savvy and guile to weather the Katsidis onslaught before turning the tables and doing the perceived impossible: knocking out his younger, stronger opponent.

There is little doubt that Katsidis possesses a warrior's mentality.  The comparisons to fellow warrior Arturo Gatti are just and founded and the very fact that Katsidis yearned for this fight, in Diaz's hometown of Houston no less, speaks to his gladiator mentality.  "I've been a fan of Juan Diaz for a while and I know he's got no quit in him. In fact, he's just like me in a lot of ways," Katsidis stated in a recent press release. "On September 6th, all that respect will go out the window when we're both trying to knock each other out.  It's going to be an explosive fight alright, but I'm bringing the dynamite."

Hyperbole notwithstanding, the showdown between Diaz and Katsidis has all the ingredients for a memorable fight. Both fighters come forward with relentless aggression, neither wanting to give ground to the man in front of them. Redemption comes to man in many forms. Saturday night, Juan Diaz and Michael Katsidis will look to find it in each other.