WBA Jr. Welterweight champion Amir Khan's United States debut and title defense against Brooklyn's Paulie Malignaggi is sure to grab the headlines of this weekend's lineup. It is an intriguing matchup, despite Malignaggi's lack of power. Less than two years ago, Khan was put to sleep by Breidis Prescott and questions about his ability to take a punch have plagued him since. The co-main event also brings with it a sense of intrigue, as some will be watching Victor Ortiz take on Nate Campbell in a matchup that could produce fireworks. Both men are talented punchers, but both have taken their share of criticism since their respective "tapouts" at the hands of Marcos Maidana (Ortiz) and Tim Bradley (Campbell). Both Ortiz and Campbell have a lot to prove on Saturday night. Flying under the radar and untelevised in the United States, however, will be Michael Katsidis (26-2, 21 KO) and Kevin Mitchell (31-0, 23 KO), squaring off for Katsidis' Interim WBO Lightweight title.
Katsidis is preceded by his reputation as a forward-moving pressure fighter that doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit". Mitchell appears to be a talented boxer, but has not yet been exposed outside of Europe. Mitchell recently called out Khan, accusing him of ducking WBA mandatory challenger Marcos Maidana and expressing his interest in a future bout with the young WBA champion, whom he feels has a glass jaw. But before Mitchell begins tallying up his chickens that have yet to hatch, he must first get past the violent, face-first brawler from Australia. Therein lies the intrigue in this fight. Katsidis' workrate has overwhelmed many opponents in the past, but don't expect the untested Briton to fold like origami. While Mitchell admits he is mindful of what the future may hold for him, he insists he isn't looking past Katsidis. Mitchell doesn't always have the stunning knockout power to discourage Katsidis' attack, but he has shown the ability to step his game up when called upon to do so. When you consider the carrot at the end of the stick, Mitchell's motivation should be clear.
Katsidis has an edge in experience over Mitchell, having been in the ring with Vicente Escobedo, Juan Diaz, and Joel Casamayor. His losses to Diaz and Casamayor perhaps taught him the importance of versatility and he has shown steady improvement in his boxing ability since those losses. Mitchell's flagship win came at the expense of Amir Khan's one-time conqueror, Breidis Prescott. Despite the differing levels of experience, I'm picking Mitchell to edge Katsidis in a close fight.
If I could offer up a nickel's worth of free advice, I would advise anyone reading this to check out a Sky Sports broadcast of this fight and set your DVR's to record HBO's Boxing After Dark, just in case Mitchell-Katsidis runs into HBO's broadcast time.