Giovani Segura Does it Again

Giovani Segura Does it Again

By Gabriel Montoya, from Maxboxing.com (April 3, 2011) Special to Doghouse Boxing (Photo © German Villasenor)
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Though action-packed but quick and decisive, the rematch between light flyweights Giovani Segura and Ivan Calderon was more of the same this time around as fans packed the Auditorio del Estado in Mexicali to see the latest chapter in the storied Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry. It took eight rounds last August for Segura to body punch Calderon into submission en route to “Iron Boy’s” first loss. This time it took a mere three rounds before the pure boxer Calderon would submit on his knee exactly as before.

Round one saw Calderon hop on his bicycle and begin pedaling quickly behind his jab to good effect. But already, you could tell what the strategy was for Segura, who opened with a big left hand that whiffed by Calderon’s head. Immediately, Segura began to match Calderon’s jab and pressure the smaller, 36-year-old man. Both southpaws, they traded right jabs and hooks but Calderon seemed reluctant to give Segura an opening by throwing his left hand. Calderon was all movement and jab, pumping away with it and moving to his left or right, turning out of the way of incoming. However, by round’s end, Segura had begun to land to Calderon’s body and got in a low blow as well. Though fans and the commentators gave Calderon the first round, the pace suggested Segura would win the war.

In round two, Segura came out loaded for bear and shot out of the corner like a rocket aimed directly at Calderon’s midsection. Over and over, he jabbed or hooked to the ribs and stomach of Calderon, whose lone weapon of choice, the jab, was no use in keeping Segura honest coming in. Segura got in a right uppercut and then went right back to the body, nearly completely ignoring Calderon’s head. “Iron Boy” jabbed and turned but also began to stay on the inside more and more. Segura would switch to a right-handed stance and land a long right before quickly moving back. Despite a warning from referee Sammy Viruet for a low blow, Segura stayed his course and the tide turned much swifter this time around.

In the third, it was all Segura, who fought with even more urgency in this stanza. Time and again, he went downstairs, bending over Calderon and forcing him to the one place he did not want to be: the ropes. Segura went at Calderon with a feverish pace as he trapped his man in the corner. Low blows and body shots seemed to shake and hurt Calderon, who briefly moved off the ropes, legs betraying him. Segura pressed him back to the ropes, landed a right hand hard to the solar plexus and another right to the head as Calderon went to his knees. Soon after, the ref counted out the Calderon and Segura yelled to the crowd in victory. The time was 1:39 of the third. With the win, Segura retains his light flyweight title but is expected to move up to 112 pounds immediately.

In undercard action, Fernando Beltran Jr. fell to 35-4-1 (19) by unanimous decision to Jorge Lacierva, 38-7-6 (26), in an IBF featherweight eliminator by scores of 118-109 and 119-109 twice.

In the Integrated Sports PPV opener, Alonso Lopez, 9-0-1 (3), the son of Ricardo “Finito” Lopez, took a unanimous decision over Jorge Guerrero, 5-5 (2), by scores of 60-54, 59-55, and 60-55.

You can email Gabriel at maxgmontoya@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gabriel_montoya and catch him on each Monday’s episode of “The Next Round” with Steve Kim or tune into hear him live on Thursdays at 5-8 PM PST when he co-hosts the BlogTalk radio show Leave-It-In-The-Ring.com. Gabriel is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.

* Special Thanks
To MaxBoxing.