Lets get excited!

Katsidis smells nerves on Casamayor

Standing nose to nose before the American boxing media on a stage inside California's Morongo Casino on Thursday, Australia's Michael Katsidis looked directly into the eyes of his great Cuban opponent, Joel Casamayor.

They were so close, just centimetres apart for the photo session, Katsidis could smell what Casamayor had for lunch.

Katsidis, the feisty lightweight from Toowoomba, Queensland, was not fond of Casamayor's breath.

But, he liked what he saw.

"You're nervous," Katsidis, 27, surprisingly blurted out.

Casamayor took a backward step.

He could not decipher Katsidis' Aussie accent and sought the advice of a Spanish-English translator in his camp.

Casamayor, angry when told what Katsidis had said, blurted something back in Spanish.

For a moment it appeared the two combatants would come to blows in a pre-fight melee that Don King would've been proud of, but Katsidis, who has patiently waited for his chance on America's greatest boxing stage, did not take the bait and Casamayor, a 36-year-old gold medallist at the Sydney Olympics, former World Boxing Council lightweight champion and victor of more than 400 amateur fights for Cuba, also knew better.

Casamayor and Katsidis called a truce until Saturday night (1300 AEDT Sunday).

"I'll let my fists do the talking in the ring," Casamayor, who defected to the US after his Olympic win and now resides in Florida, warned through his interpreter.

Inside a large white tent erected in front of the towering Morongo Casino, located in the desert outside Palm Springs, Katsidis will defend his World Boxing Organisation interim lightweight world-title belt against Casamayor.

The winner will also be designated by boxing bible, Ring Magazine, as its lightweight champion.

More importantly, the fight, the main event on an impressive fight card promoted by Oscar de La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, is being aired live on HBO, America's premier TV channel for boxing, providing Katsidis with the most high-profile stage in boxing.

The fight card is being billed as the "Australian Invasion" with Sydney featherweight Billy Dib taking on Mexican-American Edgar Fabian Vargas.

The hype and importance of Katsidis' bout should have the Queenslander looking nervous instead of the veteran Casamayor, who is used to the spotlight after wars with the elite of the sport, including wins over Diego Corrales and Nate Campbell and losses to Acelino Freitas and Jose Luis Castillo.

But Katsidis looked like the veteran on Thursday.

Las Vegas bookmakers also like the Australian, installing him as favourite.

"I worked so hard to get to this point," Katsidis, unbeaten in his 23 professional fights, with 20 knockouts, told AAP after Thursday's media conference.

"This is the type of stage I've dreamed about.

"He knows he's in for the fight of his life."

Casamayor has a 35 win (20 knockouts) and three loss professional record to go with his 400-plus amateur win record.

"I can see when someone is nervous," Katsidis said.

"That's why I told him he was nervous.

"I'm not sure what his reply to me was, but it's probably a good thing I don't know Spanish."

The fight will be aired live in Australia on Main Event Pay-Per-View in homes and on Sky Channel and Fox Sports Pub & Club Vision at participating venues from midday AEDT Sunday.