Robert Guerrero Pulls Out of Michael Katsidis Fight Due to Wife's Illness

Sledgehammer-fisted Argentinian, Marcos Rene Maidana (pictured at right), will be moved into the main event of a March 27 bout potentially at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroid as he defends his interim WBA junior welterweight (140 pounds) crown against Victor Cayo of the Domincan Republic.

Maidana-Cayo would replace the proposed featured matchup between Austrailia's interim WBO lightweight (135 pounds) king, Michael Katsidis, against Californian southpaw, challenger Robert Guerrero, who had to pull out of the clash to do his wife's serious battle with leukemia.

Matchmaker, Robert Diaz, whose Golden Boy Promotions is handling the HBO Boxing After Dark-televised event, told FanHouse that a matchup for Katsidis, if not, a replacement for his fight entirely, is being sought.

The 25-year-old Cayo (24-0, 16 KOs) is coming off of December's third-round knockout of Julio Reyes, who entered their bout at 14-0, with eight knockouts.

The 26-year-old Guerrero (25-1-1, 17 KOs) has eight knockouts among his nine consecutive victories since losing a split-decision to Gamaliel Diaz in December of 2005.


A southpaw, former IBF featherweight (126 pounds) and super featherweight (130 pounds) champion, Guerrero is coming off of August's unanimous decision over Malcolm Klassen. Guerrero had vacated his featherweight belt in 2008 to rise in weight.

A winner of three, consecutive bouts, the 29-year-old Katsidis (26-2, 21 KOs) ended a two-bout losing streak during which he was knocked out by former world champion, Joel Casamayor, and, lost a split-decision to 26-year-old Juan Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs), respectively, in March, and, September of 2008.

A Thailand resident, Katsidis is coming off of September's split-decision win over Vicente Escobedo.

Golden Boy CEO, Richard Schaefer told Boxing Scene.com's Rick Reeno, who first reported the tragic situation, that he is trying to replace Katsidis-Guerrero with a fight between Cuban-born, 26-year-old southpaw, junior middleweight (154 pounds) Erislandy Lara (10-0, six KOs) of Miami against Mexican-born Alfredo Angulo (17-1, 14 KOs) of Coachella, Calif.

"We're trying, but, obviously, the other side has to accept as well. But in the past, they've rejected Lara, and we've tried. So right now, we're trying to and we're just waiting and trying to get all of the pieces together to come up with a replacement, which is our first choice," said Diaz.

"And, if not, we'll have to replace the entire fight in itself. Right now, we're just trying to put on the best possible card for March 27," said Diaz. "If it makes more sense to replace Katsidis with another fight, and the fans will enjoy it more, and it makes more sense, then we'll probably end up doing that. And Maidana would move to the main event."

Lara is coming off of a Jan. 29, 10th-round knockout of 39-year-old Grady Brewer (26-12, 15 KOs), whose eight-fight winning streak was ended.

Angulo is coming off of respective, second, and, third round knockouts of Gabriel Rosado and Harry Joe Yorgey in August and November.

Meanwhile, Angulo's promoter, Gary Shaw (pictured at right) told FanHouse that his fighter, nicknamed "Perro," is more likely to face Joel Julio on HBO on April 24 potentially on an undercard of a main event featuring Polish-born 33-year-old former light heavyweight (175 pounds) and cruiserweight (200 pounds) champion Tomasz Adamek (40-1, 27 KOs) and heavyweight contender Chris Arreola (28-1, 25 KOs) of Riverside, Calif.

"Why would Angulo, a very, very well-known fighter who has been both on Showtime and HBO, fight a fighter with [10
fights,] that no one knows," said Shaw. "You could bring Lara to Hollywood and Vine, or Broadway and 42nd street, and not one person would know who Lara is."

Shaw had more to say.

"Instead of Richard Schaefer trying to push a fighter with [10] fights that nobody knows, he should spend more time getting the fighters that he's hiding -- like Juan Manuel Marquez, Victor Ortiz, and Amir Khan -- to fight a great 140- pounder like Timothy Bradley," said Shaw.

"That's what boxing's all about. It's not hiding these guys, and it's not looking for the easiest fight, it's fighting the real fights that fans care about," said Shaw. "So stop calling out Angulo and using his name. You have to have a little mutual respect."

Khan (22-1), of England, is the WBA's junior welterweight (140-pound) champion, and Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs), of California, the WBO's 140-pound titlist.

It appears that Ortiz (25-2-1, 20 KOs), a 140-pound contender, will meet Hector Alattore (16-8, five KOs) on Feb. 25, and then, probably former world champ, Nate Campbell (33-5-1, 25 KOs), on May 15 on the undercard of a matchup between Khan and Marquez, according to Reeno.

Schaefer told FanHouse earlier this week that he was working to make Khan and Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs), the latter of whom is the 36-year-old WBA and WBO lightweight (135 pounds) king.

"When Amir Khan signed with us, he really wanted to come here to the United States and be involved in megafights. So when you look at these megafights, and you look at the name recognition, certainly Juan Manuel Marquez is one of the biggest names," said Schaefer of Marquez, who would be attempting to become the first-ever, Mexican fighter become a four-division world champion.

"Marquez has indicated that he wants to fight at 140, and so, this fight can be done. It's a very dangerous fight for Amir, and a very dangerous fight for Marquez as well," said Schaefer. "I think that it's a fight which has the capabilities of being a big door-opener for Amir here in the United States, and, as well, a historic event for Mexico and Juan Manuel Marquez."

Maidana could be in line for the winner of a March 6, unificaton match between IBF champion, Juan Urango (22-2-1, 17), and, WBC king, Devon Alexander (19-0, 12 KOs). But Schaefer told FanHouse that a matchup between Maidana and Bradley is a consideration as well.

The 26-year-old Maidana (27-1, 26 knockouts) has scored consecutive knockouts over Victor Ortiz and, Wilfredo Gonzalez, respectively, in June and November, in six, and, three rounds.

In victory, Maidana rebounded from a Feb., 2009 split-decision loss to Andriy Kotelnik for the WBA's 140-pound title.