Allen Litzau was hours away from stepping on a plane headed for Australia. The 26 year old Saint Paul fighter had received the call 17 days prior to challenge Australian sensation William Kickett (11-0) for his WBO Asian Pacific Youth title.
And that's when the word came informing Litzau that the fight was off, no explanation offered.
"It sucks" said Litzau later that night. " I was so ready for this fight. I still have the signed contract. What am I supposed to do, fly to Australia and take them to court?" Litzau said jokingly.
Despite the unfortunate turn of events, Litzau remains confident and upbeat about what lies ahead of him in a sport he has been a part of since the age of 12.
MinnesotaBoxing.com caught up with Litzau last week during a training session to discuss his thoughts on the fight with Kickett, his shocking defeat to Robert Daluz and his impressive ring return last June against Mario Galan...

Let's talk about your last fight against Mario Galan. He was a tough guy who could punch. You looked real sharp after more then a year out of the ring. Talk about your performance that night..
A lot of people don't know much about him but I talked to him after the fight. He had been fighting at Junior Welterweight previously. He said he finally started taking his training seriously starting the two fights before I fought him. He said he was in great shape against me but that I hit him at so many angles that he just couldn't catch me. He said that he has real power. That if he catches anybody they are going down but he said he just couldn't catch me. And that is what I have been working on, being more elusive and throwing more combinations. You know, this is what I love to do. I am going to put it out there that everybody was telling me to quite boxing. My mom, everybody told me to quite and get a different job or go to college after my last loss. But I know what I can do in this sport. I want to go as far as I can in this sport. That way when I move on in life I can close this chapter. I won't ever have to look back and say I could have done this or that. So I got up every morning and ran around Lake Phalen or Life Time Fitness. Then I would go to the gym at night. Like today, I just sparred for ten rounds and now I will leave to run around Lake Phalen. I devote my life to this sport. I am kind of in a different situation then most guys here right now. I have to take fights on the call but everybody has to go their own route. I realize things take time. I look at it like this is my time right now. I am ready to devote everything I have to this right now.

Let's talk about the loss you mentioned. In my opinion, you were boxing better then I have ever seen you box before until the stoppage. Talk about that fight for us...
I don't agree with the stoppage but I can't do anything about that. It's funny...you have to catch breaks in this sport. I went down but got back up and he came back at me and he went down! I hit him with a jab and he went down. Then he came at me and I was in the corner but he wasn't hitting me. I was slipping punches and the referee stopped the fight. To be honest, it really hurt my pride. It was in my hometown with a hometown referee. I love my brother to death but look at his fight with Nolasko. He was dropped. He went to the wrong corner and all that. I get hit with one punch and the referee stops the fight. But like I said, everything takes time. Look at Klitschko. He was knocked out three times and look at where he is now. Look at Bones Adams. He was knocked out in three fights consecutively and then went on to be two time world champion. Jim Glancy, my first coach who I love to death and still keep in touch with always told me as an amateur to keep at it and things will work out. I was 185 wins and 18 losses but a lot of my losses were from National tournaments. Decisions I should have won but I never got the decision. Nothing against Antonio Johnson or my brother, I love them to death also but when it came to the decisions, they would get them because they won the fight. But I would always get the hard end of that. Then I got to the pros and had that tough loss in New Jersey where I lost a decision. Then there is the fight with Daluz.
So here I am thinking "What the heck, Jim always told me that if I stuck with it, things will pay off in the long run." So I got down, but look at everything now. I'm going to Australia to fight the country's star. I am going to represent the United States of America and I plan on shocking the world. Like you said earlier, it is all coming together for me now.

You mentioned William Kickett being a big name in Australia. What else can you tell us about him and your upcoming fight?
What I love about this is that he is a big deal there. He is kind of like a Prince Naseem Hamed showboating fighter. I like that. I want him to be as big as he can be because people know him. So when I go over there and beat him people will know me. I like that he is such a big deal in Australia right now. It is my chance to show the world, not just the United States, who Allen Litzau is.

Anything you want to add?
Just that anything is possible. If you stick with anything long enough things will turn out ok. Just like what me and Jason are doing. Keep an eye out for the American Boys.