By Ronnie Nathanielsz

CZAR Amonsot, whose career was almost ended when a speck of blood was discovered outside his brain after a bloody brawl with Australia?s Michael Katsidis at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on July 21, 2007, has been cleared to fight again.

Standard Today, www.insidesports.ph and Viva Sports learned that several tests conducted both in the US, where doctors first discovered the speck of blood outside the brain in a routine post-fight examination as well as in the Philippines, have shown that there was no longer any speck of blood.

In fact, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging conducted at the Cebu Doctors? University Hospital last Sept. 24 had effectively cleared Amonsot.

Amonsot (18-3-1, 10 KOs) was also cleared to go back to his usual activity/routine by neurosurgeon Dr. Almario Jabson of the Asian Hospital and Medical Center last Oct. 20, paving the way for the southpaw to resume his boxing career, when he faces Indonesia?s 21-year-old Zoel Fidal (16-6-2, 7 KOs) in Tagbilaran City on Jan. 31.

?The comparative evaluation reveal complete clearing of the previously reported focal area of abnormal signals, and there?s no demonstrable intra- or extra-cerebral hemorrhage,? the MRI, signed by pathologist Mary Jo Sarino Alfonso M.D., indicated.

The findings also showed ?complete resolution of the previously reported cortical hemorrhage in the left temporal and left occipital lobe regions? and that there was ?no evidence of intra- or extra-cerebral hemorrhage. There was no demonstrable intracranial mass or signal abnormality.?

Amonsot, the World Boxing Organization Asia Pacific lightweight champion, put on a gallant fight against the undefeated WBO Interim lightweight champion Katsidis before losing a unanimous 12-round decision.

It was an action-packed and sometimes brutal battle that qualified for Fight of the Year honors, in which Amonsot paid the price for his occasional showboating and carelessness that resulted in knockdowns in the second and 10th rounds, which clinched the fight for Katsidis, although the second knockdown appeared to be more of a shove.

In contrast, referee Jay Nady, who appeared to only have eyes for seeming infractions by the Filipino ruled a clear knockdown scored by Amonsot when he nailed an off-balance Katsidis with a right hook, as a slip.

Katsidis was badly cut over and under his left eye, while there was also a cut inflicted on his right cheek by Amonsot, who nailed the champion with a series of combinations throughout.

But the Australian of Greek descent proved to be a genuine ring warrior and survived, before eventually winning on the sheer volume of punches thrown and the two knockdowns.