Katsidis chasing big bout in Australia (original) (raw)
This was published 15 years ago
By Adrian Warren
December 9, 2009 — 8.13pm
WBO interim lightweight boxing world champion Michael Katsidis says he is close to fulfilling his dream of bringing a big fight to Australia, having experienced the biggest test of his life outside the ring.
Queenslander Katsidis is a proud new Dad, after his Japanese wife Kumi gave birth to their first child Kalia Rose in Las Vegas in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
It was a perfect ending to a strong year for Katsidis, who won all three of his fights and regained the interim WBO title he lost last year.
The 29-year-old Australian said attending his wife's labour had been more nerve wracking than fighting.
"It's been a big night, this is the biggest test that I've had right here having this baby, I'm a proud Dad now," Katsidis told AAP from the Las Vegas hospital.
Katsidis intended returning to training almost straight away.
"With this new incentive it just makes me a little bit hungrier, so there's no reason to stop," Katsidis said.
The Sydney 2000 Olympian is still waiting to hear whether WBO lightweight super champion Juan Manuel Marquez will make a mandatory defence against him in the new year.
His manager and trainer Brendon Smith said they were still waiting to find out whether Marquez would fulfill that obligation or decide not to fight Katsidis, in which case he would be stripped of his title and the Australian would be recognised as the full champion.
Smith revealed he had held talks in Los Angeles on Monday with Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya and company vice-president Eric Gomez.
He declined to go into details, but Katsidis said there was plenty of exciting opportunities for him in the coming year.
"Marquez is mandatory at the moment, I'm always interested to fight the best," Katsidis said.
"It's always been a dream of mine to bring the best in the world to Australia and I think we're getting very close to that."
Asked if there was a good chance he would end his self-imposed seven-fight three-year exile from an Australian ring in 2010 Katsidis replied: "I think there's a very strong chance, I'm getting very close to that point now."
He will return to Australia early in the new year to introduce his baby daughter to the rest of the family.
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