Michael "The Great" Katsidis Vs. Vicente Escobedo

This undercard of the Number 1 Numero Uno fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd Mayweather Jr is for the WBO Interim Lightweight Championship. Read this round by round commentary.

Round 1. Escobedo uses his jab trying to utilize whatever his reach advantage could bring. But Michael closes in with marquee aggression. This one promises to be of the high end brawl.

Round 2. Katsidis shows a cut above his right eye but of no significant effect as he pins Escobedo at the ropes. Escobedo shows some trouble at going out of harm's way particularly being clobbered. He fights with a convenient room but simply does pushing or warding off the aggressive Katsidis when the latter clobbers him.

Escobedo managed to connect with long whipping jabs but it is not enough to deter the advancing Katsidis. Michael the Great just ducks and comes in relentlessly, hit or not.

Round 3. Katsidis bleeds with cuts above and below his left eye. But as usual he remains on top. Escobedo throws jabs showing an awkward right straight uppercut of sort.

Escobedo tries to engage Katsidis at close range. He may have this round but thinly.

Round 4. Katsidis seems trying to match Escobedo's strategy of fighting at a distance but eventually closes in. He comes again with unending flurry of punches. Escobedo's nose is bleeding.

Round 5. Katsidis throws a flurry to the body. Escobedo looks able to absorb but he definitely will not win being the punching bag. He continues to connect at a distance though.

Katsidis hit a big right that visibly shook Escobedo. The last 10 seconds shows Escobedo circling and jabbing. He had strategy but has to throw a volume to tip the balance in his favor.

Round 6. Katsidis is relentless. Escobedo maintains fighting form but only at a distance that Katsidis always managed to cover.

The last 50 seconds was Katsidis all over Escobedo.

Round 7. Escobedo brawls back at opening. Now they are toe to toe at the middle of the ring. Escobedo had to increase the power with those short flurries or lengthen it a bit enough to please the gods.

This might just be the only clear round for Escobedo.

Round 8. Escobedo is doubling his jabs. Katsidis chases fleeing Escobedo with effective flurry of punches.

In last 40 seconds, Escobedo fights back again with some whipping combinations, but Katsidis made him resort to annoying holds.

Round 9. Some breather for Escobedo for a low blow. But Katsidis is still in his unstoppable punching form. Escobedo is warned for holding. He could be thinking, "what else would I do against this man"?

Round 10. Katsidis pounds Escobedo after giving a chase. Escobedo really had to throw more of those whipping jabs and less of the running because he had nowhere to anyway.

Round 11. Katsidis is on top giving no room for Escobedo. The body shots look punishing and Escobedo tries to ward off Katsidis with anything but punches.

Round 12. Both fighters are bloodied, Katsidis a bleeder, but it is definitely his time. He is a super- impressive punch machine.

The scores: 116- 112 for Escobedo; 115- 113 and 118- 110 for Katsidis. The split is the only surprise but one that goes easily to the burners. After all it was a great fight. Katsidis managed to lay down a standard. It is; punch or punch and fight or fight.