Boxer Michael Katsidis set to retire on medical advice..
Grantlee Kieza The Courier-Mail February 12, 2013 11:00PM
A TEAR ran down the face of Michael Katsidis when he learnt he would most likely never fight again.
But despite the raw, painful emotions swirling through the mind of the Toowoomba fighter devastated by the results of a damning medical report, he turned to his trainer Johnny Lewis and said "Thank you''.
Katsidis had started training with Lewis, Australia's most successful boxing coach, late last year with a view to rebuilding his career and chasing another world championship.
It was Lewis who had insisted that Katsidis, 32, have stringent CAT scans and MRI tests at a Sydney clinic before he fought again.
Lewis was justifiably worried about the health of the fearsome brawler, a 2000 Olympian whose face-first slugging style carried him through 20 years of hard fights around the world as an amateur and professional.
Katsidis, who twice held versions of the world lightweight title, was due to fight Filipino Weng Haya in Melbourne on February 21 in a bout he hoped would revitalise his career after four losses in five fights.
But yesterday Katsidis was forced to post on his Facebook page: ``Unfortunately I have had to pull out of my fight on feb 21st. I have a story to tell and I will be telling it, but right now I need to talk with my family, management as well as medical staff. Thanks for your support and understanding.''
Lewis said the news was heartbreaking - but in boxing it was always better to be safe than sorry.
"Rather than be really sad, we should be glad that Michael is not going into a fight with a question mark over his health,'' he said.
"He wants to speak to his family first before announcing anything but really I'm glad the tests have stopped him fighting before something really bad happened.
"Boxing is a tough sport and it's no good taking chances with your health. Michael is a great bloke with a wife and young daughter and he has so much in his life to be happy about even though this chapter of his boxing career is closing.''
It is a double blow for Katsidis whose brother, star jockey Stathi, died in Brisbane after an all-night bender in 2010.
