Just in case anyone had forgotten just how good Mexican superstar Juan Manuel Marquez really is at the rather advanced boxing age of 37, the future Hall-of-Fame fighter gave fight fans another virtuoso performance on Saturday night at the MGM Grand.

Facing a motivated fighter in the always game Michael Katsidis, who was fighting for the first time since the death of his brother, Marquez was brilliant yet again – rising from a clean knockdown in the second round from a sharp Katsidis left to dominate the fight and eventually stop the tough Australian in the ninth.

It wasn’t quite the Fight of the Year some may have expected, as Katsidis had abandoned his former all-brawl-all-the-time ways for that of a sound game plan against the crafty Mexican, but it was a good, hard scrap between a couple of tough hombres all the same.

Marquez started out fast, popping Katsidis with accurate counter punches and combinations, but the fight changed momentarily when he left his chin open for a big left hook that floored the champion. Marquez was obviously hurt by the punch, but no one responds to knockdowns like he does, and he proved that yet again by fighting back and eventually nailing “The Great” with some hard shots of his own before the round closed.

Still, Katsidis’ plan seemed to be working over the next couple of rounds as he pressured Marquez into the ropes and began to muscle him around, but the champion had made a concerted effort to lay the ground work for the fight’s later rounds in the form of effective body punches and that began to take a toll on the challenger.

And by rounds 7 and 8, Marquez had become the aggressor yet again, landing the harder, cleaner shots that began to puff the face of Katsidis and drain his will. The ninth was more of the same before referee Kenny Bayless stepped in to stop it with around 2:00 to go.    

Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KOs) retained his WBA and WBO lightweight titles with the victory over Katsidis (27-3, 22 KOs).   

It’s unfortunate that even despite Marquez’s long career, the scintillating battles with Manny Pacquiao (whom he may yet fight again next year) and his technical prowess that he’s still more widely known for drinking his own urine in preparation for his fight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Fans are missing out on the real attraction, though – boxing brilliance.

Citizen News publisher Mike Rosier is an avid boxing fan and fight junkie. Have a thought on the fight game? Contact him at michael.rosier@morris.com.