Interim WBO Lightweight Champion Michael Katsidis will get his shot at Juan Manuel Marquez. The Mexican WBA and WBO Champ decided against moving up to light welterweight to challenge Amir Khan.
Marquez, 37, had been hoping to take on Britain’s WBA Light-Welterweight Champion Khan sometime in December.
He planned his way to a fourth world title at a fourth different weight but has now announced he will stay lightweight until at least 2011.
Khan, 23, is now due to take on Marcos Maidana on December 11th. That fight comes after the Argentinian outclassed DeMarcus Corley to win the Interim version of the WBA Light-Welterweight Champion’s belt last Saturday night.
Michael Katsidis
It’s a welcome announcement for Katsidis, 30. He had been hoping to win the WBO title rather than be handed the belt if Marquez moved up.
Katsidis recently scored a three-round demolition of Kevin Mitchell in May. The Aussie is in a confident mood.
Marquez comes into the bout as a double world champion after unifying the WBA and WBO titles against Juan Diaz in July at the Mandalay Bay.
The Mexican star will hope for another dominant performance to sweep aside the Australian WBO Asia Pacific Lightweight Champion.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer has also announced that the WBA and WBO lightweight titles will be on the line.
The fight’s location will likely be on Marquez’s stomping ground in Las Vegas, broadcast on HBO.
WBN Editor Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews, Instagram, and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
