Around the Net: Ivan Calderon vs Giovanni Segura

One of the sport's master craftsmen takes the stage this Saturday night in Puerto Rico when southpaw Ivan Calderon puts his Light-Flyweight crown on the line against Giovanni Segura.

How much does the slick 35 year old have left at this stage?  Enough to hold off the heavy handed Mexican brawler's challenge for 12 rounds?  We'll see Saturday night in what promises to be an intriguing boxer vs puncher encounter.

Let's take a look at some of the pre-fight buzz for the 108lb showdown from around the net...

Bad Left Hook - Ivan Calderon: Flirting With Time Against Segura

With little fanfare or mainstream press, Ivan Calderon has done it all. The diminutive Puerto Rican star is headed for the Hall of Fame, having been one of the most dominant boxers of the last decade. At his best, he had pure skill and slickness that rivaled anyone -- yes, including Floyd Mayweather. He has been on pound-for-pound lists, but almost as an afterthought. Like you had to include him there because he kept winning, and doing it easily, but ... well, let's get serious.

He was a 105-pound fighter. A strawweight. The littlest of the little guys.

Even among the diehards and the niche boxing outlets that cater to them, the 105- and 108-pound weight classes don't get their due.

The Queensbury Rules - The Reprieve: Ivan Calderon Vs. Giovanni Segura Preview And Prediction

It's extremely tempting to pick the upset here. What it probably comes down to is whether Segura's unconventional offense helps or hinders him. Calderon is great at anticipating his opponent's punches, but Segura's crazy arsenal isn't by the book -- and even weirder is that he switches from orthodox to southpaw all the time, not like the trendy stance-switching that seems forced for so many fighters, but like he doesn't even know he's doing it. On the other hand, Cazares troubled Calderon by mixing in straight punches that got to the target quickly, while Segura probably wouldn't recognize himself if he threw a straight punch even once in his life. It'd be like in superhero movies when the hero suddenly realizes he has acquired superpowers. There are other x factors: I'm still weirded out that Segura has disgraced trainer Javier Capetillo on his team, but he won't be in the corner because he doesn't have a license, the combination of which could have; and the fight being on Puerto Rican soil absolutely gives Calderon an advantage if it goes to the cards, which is his only way to win.

The Boxing Tribune - Calderon vs. Segura: Science vs. Violence

History suggests that the technician usually has the advantage in these brawn vs. brains contests, but this could very well be a bout that defies general convention.

Calderon is 35 years of age and has been showing signs of slowing down in recent fights. Segura, on the other hand, has been looking stronger and sharper with each fight, stopping his last five opponents (and eight of his last nine) within the distance.

Segura’s unorthodox style will also be a key factor in this match-up. Switching from orthodox to southpaw and throwing at strange angles, he is the type of dynamo that often confuses and frustrates well-schooled, polished professionals, even those on the fringe of most pound-for-pound lists like his opponent for this much-anticipated showdown.

Boxing Scene - Ivan Calderon-Giovanni Segura: Superfight for Superfans

And Flyweight? Flyweight hasn’t had a unification fight during the lifespan of either of its lighter cousin classes, plus close to another decade back to the initial WBC/WBA split in the mid 1960s.

Calderon-Segura is the exception to the rules of engagement at the bottom of the boxing scale.

It is also an exceptional match, period.

Anytime the two best fighters in their weight class square off, boxing is getting something right. This might not be as big as boxing gets, but it doesn’t get any bigger right now at Jr. Flyweight.

Pound for Pound – Appreciating Ivan Calderon

"I believe that when I started, the people in Puerto Rico didn’t really like my style – they liked the knockouts," Calderon told me. "But then they started watching my boxing, how I proved it was a science, and how I was never boring because I was always in action. People who really know boxing understand and they give me the credit because I’m in that ring the whole 12 rounds without getting hit by that lucky punch. And in Puerto Rico now, they’re used to my style, and every time they talk to me they say ‘I don’t want you to fight with this guy – I want you to box. Don’t be stupid and stop and fight with him.’"

And if you watch Calderon enough, even the most diehard Arturo Gatti, Diego Corrales or Micky Ward fan will have to appreciate the stylings of the man dubbed "Iron Boy". And while a first glance at that moniker brings to mind steel-chinned warriors walking through fire to secure a victory, Calderon is the rightful owner of that nickname simply because he has proven himself in fights that would have crumbled lesser men. Why? Because he’s done it with brains, not brawn, and skill, not blunt force.