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What can Floyd Mayweather Learn From Ivan Calderon?
by Igor Guryashkin
He is a brilliant fighter.
Watching him is a masterclass in defense.
There are few boxers in the world who look like a balletic matador, bating and infuriating his opponent, amassing points at the expense of the opponents punches into thin empty air.
But this is not Floyd Mayweather we’re talking about.
Instead it is Ivan ‘Iron Boy’ Calderon, the man who few thought would be beaten before his deserved retirement. But on Saturday night he was knocked from ring post to ring post by the eager, hard hitting and non-stop Mexican Giovanni Segura.
In the eighth round, with a surging body shot the inevitable happened. Ivan ‘Iron Boy’ Calderon melted and collapsed onto the canvas after having been harassed by his opponent since the opening bell. Calderon the flyweight crash landed into the canvas failing to make the count.
Before we continue though lets put something into context. Ivan Calderon had been undefeated up until this point in his illustrious career. Away from the glamor of the heavier divisions he has quietly and efficiently gone about putting away opponents, not by knocking them out (because Calderon could not break an egg with his jab) but by pure boxing. Critics for year have claimed that in terms of pure boxers Calderon was one of the few who rivaled Floyd Mayweather.
But when faced with a fighter of non stop intensity such as Segura, Calderon was in trouble. It’s where brute force broke down the moving, elusive wall of Calderon.
So where does Floyd Mayweather figure in all of this?
Well in case you are new to boxing there are striking parallels between Mayweather and Calderon and Segura and Pacquiao.
Even the most hardcore Pacquiao fans would agree that in terms of pure boxing skills Floyd surpasses Pacquiao. But he is far from an aggressive fighter. He uses his brain to pick out his opponent’s weaknesses and then finally, when he is ready he strikes.
But this strategy takes time.
It took him ten rounds to unlock Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao a pressure fighter, with an underrated chin comes into all of his fights seeking to create pressure from the opening bell with flurries aplenty. It took him two rounds to defeat Hatton.
Before we may appear to be too harsh on Calderon I will admit that the Calderon who was beaten by Segura was a step slower than the fighter of old. His recent fights have been wars resulting in stoppages on cuts. Nor is he a puncher. But he is still a supreme unheralded operator in the ring, who has now been defeated.
If Floyd eventually does sign to fight Pacquiao, then perhaps this Saturday’s bout is a lesson that you need some brawn with the brains, otherwise the brawn might just win.
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your thoughts?
by Igor Guryashkin
He is a brilliant fighter.
Watching him is a masterclass in defense.
There are few boxers in the world who look like a balletic matador, bating and infuriating his opponent, amassing points at the expense of the opponents punches into thin empty air.
But this is not Floyd Mayweather we’re talking about.
Instead it is Ivan ‘Iron Boy’ Calderon, the man who few thought would be beaten before his deserved retirement. But on Saturday night he was knocked from ring post to ring post by the eager, hard hitting and non-stop Mexican Giovanni Segura.
In the eighth round, with a surging body shot the inevitable happened. Ivan ‘Iron Boy’ Calderon melted and collapsed onto the canvas after having been harassed by his opponent since the opening bell. Calderon the flyweight crash landed into the canvas failing to make the count.
Before we continue though lets put something into context. Ivan Calderon had been undefeated up until this point in his illustrious career. Away from the glamor of the heavier divisions he has quietly and efficiently gone about putting away opponents, not by knocking them out (because Calderon could not break an egg with his jab) but by pure boxing. Critics for year have claimed that in terms of pure boxers Calderon was one of the few who rivaled Floyd Mayweather.
But when faced with a fighter of non stop intensity such as Segura, Calderon was in trouble. It’s where brute force broke down the moving, elusive wall of Calderon.
So where does Floyd Mayweather figure in all of this?
Well in case you are new to boxing there are striking parallels between Mayweather and Calderon and Segura and Pacquiao.
Even the most hardcore Pacquiao fans would agree that in terms of pure boxing skills Floyd surpasses Pacquiao. But he is far from an aggressive fighter. He uses his brain to pick out his opponent’s weaknesses and then finally, when he is ready he strikes.
But this strategy takes time.
It took him ten rounds to unlock Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao a pressure fighter, with an underrated chin comes into all of his fights seeking to create pressure from the opening bell with flurries aplenty. It took him two rounds to defeat Hatton.
Before we may appear to be too harsh on Calderon I will admit that the Calderon who was beaten by Segura was a step slower than the fighter of old. His recent fights have been wars resulting in stoppages on cuts. Nor is he a puncher. But he is still a supreme unheralded operator in the ring, who has now been defeated.
If Floyd eventually does sign to fight Pacquiao, then perhaps this Saturday’s bout is a lesson that you need some brawn with the brains, otherwise the brawn might just win.
----
your thoughts?
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