By Mark Vester
WBO junior flyweight champion Ivan Calderon can forget about returning in 2008, the Puerto Rico Boxing Commission placed him on a 120-day medical suspension to allow the deep cut he suffered during last Saturday's rematch with Hugo Cazares to properly heal. During the seventh-round of the fight, a clash of heads opened up a deep cut in the middle of Calderon's forehead, causing the immediate halt to the fight. Calderon won a unanimous technical decision on the cards. The cut required 19-stitches to close.
"It's a cut that went down to the bone, and therefore Ivan will need sufficient time so the healing process is adequate. He will be able to run and do other kinds of exercises, but not have any kind of physical contact (to the cut) for 90 days," said José "Toto" Peñagarícano, president of the Puerto Rican Commission.
As reported yesterday, plans were being discussed to place Calderon on the November 1 undercard to Antonio Margarito-Joshua Clottey, but the cut scrapped that idea. Calderon was still hoping to return one more time before the year was out.
"The original idea was that Ivan do at least one more fight this year, but he will need more time to heal because that is quite a nasty cut," said Ivan Rivera of Puerto Rico Best Boxing, Calderon's co-promoter, to Primera Hora.
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