by Greg Paterson | Sat. Aug. 28, 2010
OtG’s number 1 and 2 ranked light flyweights are set to get it on today. Puerto Rico’s superb boxing maestro Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon puts his WBO title on the line against Mexican Giovanni "El Guerrero Azteca" Segura and his WBA title in a light flyweight dream match. It all goes down at the Mario Morales Coliseum, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and will be televised in the US via PPV.
This match up has all the classic contrasts that tend to make for a memorable bout; boxer vs. puncher, Mexican vs Puerto Rican; smooth vs crude; old vs young.
Brief Overview
Calderon has long been recognized as one of the premier "pure boxers" in the sport. His reign as minimumweight champion established him as one of the best Minimum weights ever (although it is a historically shallow division) and his foray to light-flyweight placed him on "Pound for Pound" lists around the world. Calderon established himself as one of boxing's elite with his defensive skills and a brilliant jab from his southpaw stance. Earlier in his career he was a more active and used angles to set up his attacks, but now at 35-years-old, the angles are mainly used for defensive purposes. This is in part due to his size disadvantage in the light-flyweight division, and the detereoration of his legs due to age.
Segura is the polar opposite of Calderon. A wild and rugged brawler who uses his strength and power to destroy opponents, Segura hit a purple patch in his career since being outpointed by the good Cesar Canchila two years ago. Since then Segura has avenged the loss and captured the WBA Light-Flyweight Championship and made three successful defenses, none going more than 6 rounds.
Technical Breakdown
In his defeat, Segura was outboxed as Canchila used lateral movement and fast combinations to outwork and discourage the young, charismatic Mexican. Calderon is the master at this sort of boxing, as he uses his foot movement and foot work to position himself on the edge of his opponents range and slide in to land combinations before changing angle and getting out of the danger zone. Segura however is very unorthodox, and against a solid technician who times his opponents he may have an advantage.
Unlike most pressure fighters or boxer-punchers, Segura completely dispenses of the jab opting instead to lunge in with devastating hooks and uppercuts from the off. The angles from which he punches also makes it awkward as they come from below and travel upward, making them very difficult to intercept. This unconventional style of punching will confuse Calderon, who does his best work against fundamentally sound fighters that he can anticipate. In his last bout Calderon was dropped from an awkward overhand right, although it was a flash knockdown it was an unpredictable shot that got to him - the same type of shot Segura specializes in.
Not only is Segura unorthodox, he is also relentless. From the opening bell Segura comes out of his corner throwing wild bombs. This reckless abandon could work to his advantage, as his punches are always left out or "live" - meaning Calderon could walk into a stray punch. It is crucial for Calderon to concentrate 100%, as any minor mistake may result in Calderon flat on his back.
The Fight
Segura should start fast looking to pressure Calderon into making mistakes. Calderon has to stay on the move to frustrate his opponent and to make him miss and tire. This starting assault from Segura should keep up into about the 4th or 5th round before he begins to tire and allows Calderon to take control with his smooth boxing. Look for Calderon to take a wide points decision.
However, in the early goings it is very likely that Calderon may be caught and hurt - how he reacts will be imperative. When the smoke clears Calderon will have solidified his position as a "Pound for Pound" claimant and furthered his legacy as one of Puerto Rico's best boxers.