Fight of the Year? Segura Unifies in a Jr. Flyweight Classic
By Cliff Rold - In front of Puerto Rican fistic legends Carlos Ortiz, Wilfredo Gomez, and Felix Trinidad, Mexico’s 28-year old WBA Jr. Flyweight titlist Giovanni Segura (25-1-1, 21 KO) of Bell Gardens, California, sent 35-year old Ivan Calderon (34-1-1, 6 KO) a step closer to joining them at ringside on Saturday night at the Coliseo Mario 'Quijote' Morales in Calderon’s hometown of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Appearing, if not actually, behind on the cards and occasionally rubber legged from the effort he put forth, Segura turned the tide in round five and closed the show with vicious body work in the eighth to end the reign and undefeated mark of the lineal, Ring Magazine, and WBO Jr. Flyweight champion in what might be the new leader for 2010 Fight of the Year. It was Segura’s sixth consecutive win by stoppage since a lone, and since avenged, decision defeat to Cesar Canchila in 2008. Calderon came into the bout at 107 lbs., Segura at 107 ¾, in the first Jr. Flyweight unification contest since a 2003 draw between then-WBA titlist Rosendo Alvarez and then-IBF titlist Victor Burgos. The action in the ring for Segura-Calderon was closer, in terms of drama and swings of momentum, to the 1993 Jr. Flyweight unification classic which saw then-IBF titlist Michael Carbajal come off the floor twice to stop then-WBC titlist Humberto Gonzalez.