Written by Sean Malone | 28 August 2008

Within the world of boxing the bigger you are the bigger your paychecks generally are.  There is a reason why the heavyweight division is often referred to as boxing’s glamour division.  For fighters toiling south or say the lightweight division (135 lbs) substantial paydays are few and far between.  For a fighter campaigning on the lowest rung of boxing’s socioeconomic ladder that is the strawweight division (105 lbs) big fights and big paydays are as scarce as water in the Sahara.  Ivan Calderon understands this fact more than anyone else.  The undefeated Puerto Rican southpaw has toiled in relative obscurity as the former WBO strawweight champion beating all who stood in his way with his dazzling boxing acumen and fearlessness.  If there is a definition of a “master boxer” it would have to be Calderon.  Standing a mere 5’ tall Calderon has amasses an unblemished record of 31-0, 6 KO using ring movement, slick defense, and crisp, fast combination punching.  Sure his measly six knockout victories mean you are in for the long haul when watching a Calderon fight but I have to tell you brother (channeling my inner Hulk Hogan) I am a huge Calderon fan.  I make no secret my appreciation for the diminutive boxer.  I rank him eighth in my own pound-for-pound list and have been an unabashed fan since I first saw him on some non-descript Friday Night Fights card I witnessed many moons ago.  I know many fans out there want to see skull jarring knockouts but there is a beauty to watching Calderon ply his craft.  The sweet science is to hit and not be hit and in my opinion no one does it better than Calderon. But it has been all for naught as being a 105 pound fighter in America means NO television exposure and with fellow 105 pound titlists reluctant to fact him Calderon had to face fighters that no one else wanted to in order to sustain a living.  But while many would feel this forced bravery is what has endeared Calderon to many the fact remains that outside of all but the most hardcore fight aficionado knew who he was.  Left with no suitors and no substantial paydays Calderon ventured three pounds north to the junior flyweight (108 lbs) division.    But Calderon didn’t just dip a toe into the waters of his new division, he plunged head first into the deep end when he challenged then WBO junior flyweight champion Hugo Cazares in August of 2007.  Not only was it the most significant fight that could be made but also the most lucrative.  Cazares is in many ways the “anti-Calderon”.  For starters he is Mexican.  Not only that but he fights in your typical hard-nosed Mexican fashion which can be described as head down relentless pressure punctuated by hooks to the liver.  Picture him as a Mini-Me version of Antonio Margarito.  Like the “Tijuana Tornado”, Cazares is exceptionally big for his weight division, standing at 5’5”; he easily had both the height and reach advantages over Calderon not to mention a significant weight advantage.  In their epic first encounter you had a number of classic story lines.  You had the whole Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry.  There was the classic “brawler vs. boxer” match-up to enjoy.  You also had two champions, one moving up in weight, to challenge for the much larger champion’s crown.  And for all the hype the fight actually lived up to its expectations.  Cazares came out the aggressor in the early stages of the fight using angles to capture the fleet of foot Calderon.  Calderon utilized his superior boxing ability to keep his foe at bay.  The action was nip and tuck throughout but as the rounds wore on and both fighters began to fatigue it was Calderon who seemed to be in trouble.  Cazares poured on the attack in the seventh round and in round eight not only dropped Calderon but had the diminutive Boricua hurt and clinching throughout the round.   Cazares continued his suffocating pressure in the following two rounds but Calderon seemed to have shook lose the cobwebs and began to box masterfully to earn him the late rounds.  It was a close fight and the ensuing split decision in favor of Calderon was just and fair in my opinion.  Now, almost exactly a year to the date of their first encounter, Calderon and Cazares are set to do it again this Saturday in Puerto Rico. My Prediction:  I like Calderon to notch anther victory over Cazares Saturday night.  With Cazares size, power and testicular fortitude Calderon is in for another long night but I think the experience gained in their first encounter will enable him to win a unanimous decision.  Expect Calderon to use constant movement and ring generalship to avoid Cazares power shots.  In their first fight Calderon enjoyed great success when he moved and boxed.  It wasn’t until he became stationary that Cazares was able to rough up and hurt him.  Don’t expect Calderon to fall into the same trap. My Confidence:  Hovering around 93%.  What does not bode well for Calderon is his advancing age.  At 33 years old Calderon is in a race with Father Time as generally the smaller weight class fighters peak at much younger ages.  Can Calderon’s 33 year-old legs keep him out of harms way for 12 grueling rounds?  Will the countless 12 round fights Calderon has fought in finally catch up with him?  On the flip side will Cazares even be able to make the 108 pound weight limit on Saturday night?  After all Cazares had been fighting at the flyweight limit of 112 pounds since losing his belt to Calderon.  Will the Mexican banger be able to boil himself down to 108? Intangibles:  Again it would have to be Cazares weight.  As of last week Cazares was hovering around 118 pounds.  Ten pounds over the limit.  Three days ago he came in at 112 pounds.  With one day to go will he be able to win the battle of the bulge and even if he does make weight how much of a toll will that take on his frame and mindset?  My Allegiance:  Calderon without a doubt.  Like I said before, I love watching the lil guy ply his craft in the ring.  Nicknamed “The Iron Boy” I think a more appropriate nickname of metallic origin would be mercury given the fluidity of his fighting style but then again “Mercury Boy” does sound kinda lame. 

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