The Glove Finally Fits: Calderon-Segura set for August 28
Corey Erdman takes an early look at the recently confirmed Ivan Calderon-Giovanni Segura 108lb clash.
For those holding a microscope over the sport of boxing, go ahead and keep it there. Squint one eye and look closely, all the way down to the light flyweight division, where you'll find that one of the best fights that can possibly be made in the sport is on its way.
As originally reported by BoxingScene.com, undefeated WBO 108-lb champion Ivan Calderon (34-0-1, 6 KO) will meet his contemporary, WBA titlist Giovanni Segura (24-1-1, 20 KO) in a unification bout on August 28 in Puerto Rico. It wasn't long ago that this bout seemed like an impossibility. Before his landslide victory over Jesus Iribe on the June 12 edition of Top Rank Live, Calderon indicated to me that negotiations for a Segura bout could not get past the issue of location. Not to mention, the date now reserved for Segura was originally slated to be a mandatory title defense against Filipino Johnriel Casamero (14-0-0, 8 KO).
"Remember, (Segura won't) come out of Mexico. If I want to fight him, I've gotta go to Mexico, and they don't pay good there," Calderon told The Sporting News' The Rumble. "I've gotta go for the good money, and I know they're not gonna give me the good money. This is not because I'm scared of him, this is business. I fight if there's good money."
Evidently both the location and the money are sufficient, as the Puerto Rican whiz will have home-field advantage.
"We agreed to it, and a few other things. But (Calderon's camp) called the shots," said Segura's manager Ricky Mota in a coversation with The Boxing Bulletin on Wednesday.
However, Mota tells The Boxing Bulletin that Calderon's camp had one more demand that they were forced to relinquish in order to make the fight happen.
"The one thing we wanted was the gloves," said Mota. "They wanted to use Everlast, the pillow gloves. Giovanni has always used Reyes, because it's a puncher's glove. But now, they can use whatever they want as long as they're approved by the commission in Puerto Rico."
This would indicate that Calderon is at least aware of Segura's crushing knockout power. The two-divison world champion has made his simplistic plan of "hit and not get hit" well known, and has been very realistic in the past about issues such as moving up in weight due to his size.
While Calderon looked magnificent against Iribe, he was also floored in the second round, emitting just enough vulnerability to make a matchup with a pure puncher like Segura so intriguing. In many ways, it is reminiscent of Ricardo Lopez' pair of altercations with slugger Rosendo Alvarez late in his career.
In those bouts, Lopez was hit more than he ever was in his career, but managed to prevail.
Calderon, the aging pure boxer is in the same position Lopez was in. Possibly nearing the end of the road, looking a tad more mortal, approaching an undefeated career, yet needing a career-defining fight.
Until now, it is perhaps those bouts that have defined the lightest of weight classes for more than a decade.
Will two of the most intriguing fighters in the sport give us something to remember?
Corey Erdman is a host and producer at SIRIUS 98, and a freelance boxing writer formerly of The Sporting News' The Rumble. Follow him on Twitter: Corey_Erdman@Twitter
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Nice to see this one is happening. I’m always tempted to pick against veteran fighters showing signs of slowing down, but I have a feeling Calderon is still a little too slick for Segura. Should be a good fight.
TheBoxingBulletin.com
Same here – good to see this fight is going to get done. While Segura and Calderon (especially) are at the top of the weight division, there are a few prospects out here in Japan who will be watching the outcome. Both of the fighters are well out of range for the Ioka duo – Kazuto Ioka and Ryo Miyazaki – but at these weights, matchups happen quickly. Segura – Miyazaki in 2011 would be a nice little battle.
I am going to echo A.F. and go with Calderon. He may get caught with a few of the Mexican’s punches, but he is still savvy enough to outbox him to a decision.
by RingwalkNIPPON on Jul 22, 2010 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions

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