By Cliff Rold
Sure, there are way too many belts to be won in boxing. Assuming the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO as the ‘major’ sanctioning bodies across 17 weight divisions, 68 belts are available before one even gets to ‘interim,’ ‘Super,’ or ‘Diamond’ absurdities. Add in Ring Magazine belts and claims to linear honors and the numbers can grow even more.
And yet, when two men who both hold belts in a division are slated to get it on it is almost always a quality seal for a match, one of the rare times where viewers can be 99.9999 percent certain they are seeing two of the best in the world in their class. There are anomalies to the certainty but this Saturday won’t be one of them.
Ivan Calderon is regarded as not only the best Jr. Flyweight in the world by most but also one of the premiere boxers in the game period. Segura is hot on his heels at 108 lbs. with a chance to take his stature to a new level.
There are currently unified titlists in only five weight classes. They are:
· Wladimir Klitschko at Heavyweight (Lineal/Ring/IBF/WBO);
· Devon Alexander at Jr. Welterweight (WBC/IBF);
· Juan Manuel Marquez at Lightweight (Lineal/Ring/WBC/WBO);
· Fernando Montiel at Bantamweight (WBC/WBO); and
· Vic Darchinyan at Jr. Bantamweight (Lineal/WBC/WBA)
Barring a draw in Puerto Rico, their number will grow by one this weekend. There is a locked in sort-of unification at Featherweight in September as Yuriorkis Gamboa will put the WBA belt he didn’t win from long and still reigning Chris John up against IBF titlist Orlando Salido. Add in a possible Cruiserweight unification bout in the next year between Steve Cunningham and Marco Huck (IBF/WBO) and the number could soon be seven.
That’s a net positive for boxing and a sign of where serious clash is or has been taking place among the best of their realms. Such clash hasn’t been the case for a long time at 108 lbs. but, for at least one night, fans get some of the best of what they can ask for.
Let’s go to the report card.
The Ledgers
Ivan Calderon
Age: 35
Title: Lineal/Ring/WBO Jr. Flyweight (2007-Present, 6 Defenses)
Previous Titles: WBO Strawweight (2003-07, 11 Defenses)
Height: 5’0
Weight: 107.8 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 107.05 lbs.
Hails from: Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Record: 34-0-1, 6 KO
BoxingScene Rank: World Champion at Jr. Flyweight
Record in Title Fights: 18-0-1, 2 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 9 (Eduardo Ray Marquez, Alex Sanchez, Edgar Cardenas, Roberto Leyva, Daniel Reyes, Issac Bustos, Hugo Cazares, Nelson Dieppa, Rodel Mayol)
Vs.
Giovanni Segura
Age: 28
Title: WBA Jr. Flyweight (2009-Present, 4 Defenses)
Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’4
Weight: 107.9 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 108.7 lbs.
Hails from: Bell Gardens, California (Born in Guerrero, Mexico)
Record: 24-1, 20 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #1 at Jr. Flyweight
Record in Championship Fights: 4-0, 4 KO (5-1, 5 KO including interim title fights)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 3 (Carlos Tamara, Daniel Reyes, Cesar Canchila)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 1 (Cesar Canchila)
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Calderon A; Segura B
Power – Calderon C-; Segura A
Defense – Calderon A; Segura C-
Intangibles – Calderon A; Segura B
Calderon has never been every fight fans cup of tea. His size is, prima facie, a deterrent to mass appeal. His style has kept him squarely in the hardcore darling camp. A boxer in the purest sense, Calderon is all legs, movement, and spot combination punching at his best. It is a style which, going back to an amateur career which culminated with a 2000 Puerto Rican Olympic slot and through a lengthy run atop Strawweight, is based first on speed of hand and foot and complimentary reflexes.
At 35, there is reason to believe those elements are fading and with them the accuracy he’s needed to keep opponents off balance and offensively frustrated. He struggled with the awkwardness of Rodel Mayol twice and had to come off the floor in his last bout with journeyman Jesus Iribe. On Saturday, he’ll still be faster than Segura but twelve rounds with the Mexican banger will be a marathon instead of a sprint.
Segura can do both.
While not particularly quick, and too often wide with his assaults, Segura has shown capable of both blazing through opponents early and maintaining pressure late. The former is usually the case but Segura showed in his decision win over Tamara and only loss to Canchila that he’s not at a loss over the route. Canchila outboxed him all night, but there was never a feeling that Segura was waning in terms of stamina. His evisceration of Canchila in the rematch showed how difficult outboxing him can be.
Calderon is capable of doing what Canchila did the first time, staying a step ahead and evading danger, but Canchila was fighting eye to eye. Segura’s height advantage, and the fact that’s he’s probably not long for being able to make the 108 lb. class, present him as the bigger man in more than one way. His swarming shots may work to his advantage because of superior arm length, perhaps able to bust Calderon up slowly by catching the Puerto Rican as he slides to the sides.
Calderon has been in trouble with size before. Against Cazares the first time, he weathered some hellish moments. While Cazares is a slightly better technician than Segura (and neither is a technical classic), and came into the ring a division or four over 108, Cazares didn’t have the same sort of one-shot hammer Segura brings. If Segura hurts a Calderon three years older than he was for that effort, the bout should send anyone to the edge of their seat because the end of the night may not be far off.
If sentiments about Calderon’s slipping legs prove exaggerated, Segura will find himself in a pitch battle even if he does hurt his man. One thing that could be taken away from the first Cazares fight is that, when hurt, Calderon does not falter. He collected himself and went for it, even stunning Cazares late, rallying en route to the decision win. The heart of Calderon was proven of equal measure to his skill that night.
Segura has never shown any quit and knows this is the biggest opportunity he could ever ask for. Hurt Calderon once and, even if the Puerto Rican weathers the first storm, Segura will only be emboldened to try again and harder. The biggest worry for Segura should be a truncated affair.
The southpaw Calderon, beginning with the Cazares rematch win in 2008, had three straight bouts go to the cards early due to nasty gashes induced by accidental headbutts. Given his rugged approach, Segura won’t want to let his head get too far in front of him, especially if Calderon builds an early lead. The puncher may need rounds to slow his man and set up the finish. A bad cut which forces an end after the fourth round could steal needed time.
The Pick
Given his lengthy run at the top of boxing’s two lightest weight classes, it is exceedingly hard to pick against Calderon. Were he but a few years younger, the pick would be a no brainer. While Segura has shown improvement in delivering his offense since the loss to Canchila, he is still so often wild that Calderon picking him apart and skating from danger all night would see a given.
Calderon is not a few years younger. As noted, stronger, aggressive fighters have been trouble before and this time he meets a brawler with serious thunder who might be peak just as Calderon is passing that point in his own career.
Segura is going to come forward all night and Calderon is going to need everything he has in his tank to keep Segura at bay for 36 long minutes. He’s got the mind for it and should have enough of the physical tools left to pull it off but it won’t be easy. It may not always be a great fight, but the dynamic of boxer and puncher is so clearly defined here that it guarantees suspense from first bell to last. Assuming (hoping?) against any ill-timed butts, it’s a coin flip based on the variables.
The coin comes up Calderon by decision…
But the coin rolled to get there.
Report Card Picks 2010: 21-10
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
