18.08.05 – By Tony Nobbs: Filipino knockout merchant Ranee Ganoy has been billed as the ‘Aussie Destroyer’ ahead of his “scheduled” twelve round Asia Pacific lightweight title fight with unbeaten WBO number two Michael ‘Rocky’ Katsidis in the Great Hall of the Brisbane Convention Centre tomorrow night (Friday).. While he was well beaten last year by current IBF number six jnr welterweight Noefel Ben Rabah and unbeaten Ben Cruz, Ganoy (age: 25 – record:17-9-2, 14 KO’s) did score a 23 second wipe out of promising Jungstar Min in his Australian debut and so far this year has stopped two Australian champions in Mick Shaw and Alan Luxford as well as capturing the WBF regional strap at 140 lb by knocking out useful Yohannes Sheferaw in nine rounds in his last outing on May 20.
The right hand that finished Luxford was hellacious and the Sydney based slugger and his manager Dido Bohol are confident of ending Katsidis’ run – inside the distance.
2000 Olympian Katsidis (age:25 – record:17-0, 15 KO’s), a two division Australian pro champ is equally as confident of getting some local revenge. For this fight, Katsidis, who adopted the moniker of “Rocky” in respect to Victoria’s former WBC jnr middleweight champion of the 1970’s Rocky Mattiolli will be hoping for a large a boisterous crowd as he and trainer-promoter Brendan Smith look to building a huge fan base in the Queensland capital. Known for being a somewhat hittable walk up fighter, Katsidis, has also shown in some of his distance fights, an underrated ability to box and use angles. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure this will be the tactic that will serve him best against the crude but dangerous Ganoy. If he chooses this path expect Katsidis to score an impresive victory but if he decides to gamble he could very well be Ranee’s fourth knockout victim for 2005.
“I’ve had a look at Ganoy and there is a smart way and a stupid way to go about beating him” said Rocky. “My aim is to out box him”.
There will be a press conference and dummy weigh in at the Queen Street Mall in the city at 12.30 today and the official weigh in takes place at the Greek Club in South Brisbane at 7 pm tonight.
In under card action, Allan Reynish (Australian #4 cruiser) v Victorian Kane Mc Kay at light heavy, Alex Leapai (#3 Aust super cruiser) v Baden Oui at heavyweight, Craig Monagle v Joe Whitaker at welter, Chris McCullen v Michael Ravetti at welter and Jiy Russell v Damien Smith at cruiserweight.
Fights begin at 7 pm.