On Saturday night, Mexico’s Giovanni Segura (25-1-1, 21KO’s) handed Ivan Calderon (34-1-1, 6KO’s) his first loss by relentlessly pressuring the defensive wizard into submission to claim the WBO/WBA light-flyweight titles inside eight rounds at the Coliseo Mario ‘Quijote’ Morales in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

Calderon was considered untouchable in boxing’s lightest weight class, but since his move up to light-flyweight has looked a touch more vulnerable. That being said Segura still had to perform, and perform he did, never giving Calderon a second to think, targeting the Puerto Rican’s body and not allowing him to settle. Unlike in previous fights Calderon simply couldn’t cope with a bigger opponent, and seemed to be overwhelmed.

The thing is Calderon has been scraping by for a while now, and the once lauded ‘Iron Boy’ could be in decline. Okay his last fight, a wide unanimous decision over Jesus Iribe was comfortable enough, but generally the diminutive Puerto Rican has been struggling of late, most notably against Filipino Rodel Mayol, who Calderon only just edged in the rematch after drawing their first encounter.

Calderon  was getting a true gut check, possibly the first of his career, and by the mid rounds was visibly shaken. Calderon was sickened by it, and despite some spirited efforts at fighting back was generally second best. Segura’s work was often untidy, and his punches landed on Calderon’s arms, elbows, shoulders, you name it, but the point is they still landed.

In an almost inevitable conclusion Segura cornered Calderon and simply battered his man to the canvas, despite not really landed any clean blows. That was understandable however, because by now Calderon had almost curled up into a ball, desperately avoiding any more punishment to his body. It was almost an act of resignation from Calderon as he sunk to the floor in the eighth round and stayed there for the referee’s ten count.

Segura was naturally delighted at picking up Calderon’s WBO title to add to his own WBA version, but in truth the writing may have already been on the wall, as lately we have seen the slow decline of a defensive wizard, and it’s culminated in this defeat. Calderon will be back, and almost certainly get a rematch, but can he ever produce the type of skilful performances that dazzled knowledgable spectators fight after fight again?

Only Ivan ‘Iron Boy’ Calderon can answer that question.

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