Calderon-Cazares updates!

Photos by Chris Cozzone

When the big three championship fights between Mexican and Puerto Rican boxers were officially announced at the start of the year, the one that did not have a clear favorite was the Ivan Calderon-Hugo Cazarez match, even with Calderon winning the first fight last year in Puerto Rico.

Juan Manuel Lopez was an underdog against Daniel Ponce de Leon in June, and Antonio Margarito was an underdog to Miguel Cotto in July. Both favorites lost, and now Calderon and Cazarez will meet in the rubber match.

Calderon lucky in first?

"It seems that even with me winning the first fight, there are some people out there who think I might have been lucky to win,” says Calderon, who defends his WBO junior flyweight championship for the third time, against former champ Cazares, this Saturday in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

“Even with the knockdown against me, I felt that I won the fight very clearly and I'm ready to do it again,” says the champ.

Cazares who is 4-1 over the last three years in Puerto Rico, feels that this time he can win the fight.

One good round

"All I really need is one good round to win this fight,” says Cazares, who came close to knocking out the champion in round eight of their original fight.

“I can knock Calderon at anytime during the fight and that's all I need to finish him—one good round. I don't need the 12 he needs to beat me.”

Cazares on weight

Cazares had a media workout on Monday, and after the one-and-a-half-hour workout, he tipped the scales at 112.5, according to the Puerto Rican Boxing Commission who was on hand to supervise. On Friday, Cazares came in at 118.5 for the seven day pre-fight weight-in, when the limit was 113 pounds.

"I know the weight is not going to be a problem to make on Friday,” says the challenger. “I feel strong and will be going down on weight little by little the next four days.”

Calderon Exhibition

The Sports Museum of Puerto Rico opened a special photography exhibition today of  Ivan Calderon's professional career. The photos will be displayed all week in one of the wings of the Museum dedicated to the Puerto Rico’s rich sports history. Museum officials also announced that a wax statute of Calderon's has being commission to be displayed alongside Wilfredo Gomez in the boxing wing of the Museum.

The Museum is located in the city of Guaynabo—in the same sports complex that houses the Wilfredo Gomez Gym—where Calderon has trained all his amateur and professional career; and where he works now as a trainer when he’s not preparing for a fight.

Lineup

There are three fights scheduled for the pay-per-view portion of the card: former world champion Erik Morel will take on Edel Ruiz in the opening fight of the TV telecast, in a 12-round bout at 118 pounds. In the co-main, world-ranked Ramon "Rocky" Martinez will take on hard hitting Santos Benavides of Nicaragua, in  what  promises to be an explosive fight as long as it lasts. This one is a 12-round affair at 130 pounds.