WBO jr. flyweight champion Ivan Calderon (32-0-1, 6 KOs) has never lost a fight, but this past June, he came awfully close to tasting defeat when he and challenger Rodel Mayol (25-3-1, 19 KOs) fought to a six-round technical draw. A clash of heads in the 5th round opened up a nasty cut that would eventually force the ringside doctor to call a halt to the contest. After six rounds of action, the judges scored the bout 58-56 for Calderon, 58-56 for Mayol and 57-57 even. Despite the fact that many ringside observers felt that Mayol had done enough to earn the decision, Calderon would avoid defeat and escape with the draw. Fortunately, the two fighters will meet again in an immediate rematch on September 12 to clear up any confusion or doubts and to determine who truly is the better fighter.
Naturally, Mayol believes that he already knows the answer to that question. In a recent interview, he disputed the decision in their first encounter and is confident of a victory the second time around. "I am preparing myself to have more energy to be able to neutralize his hand speed. I might have to knock him out so I don't leave it in the hands of the judges. I am going to put more pressure on him. I feel that the first time, I was winning the fight, but the headbutt occurred. I will do my style of fight and I know that the knockout will come ... I already know what Calderon brings," he stated as he spoke about his preparation for the upcoming clash.
Of course, it should come as no surprise that Calderon strongly disagrees with that assessment. According to him, Mayol never got a chance to face the real Ivan Calderon the first time they fought. "I really was not motivated ... Now I have to show that that tie was because I allowed him to be in the fight by trying to be a different Ivan Calderon," he stated in an interview with Fernando Ribas Reyes of El Nuevo Dia. "I am going back to the Ivan Calderon of old, before I abandoned my movement. The people that saw the first fight with Mayol know that was not the same me," he added in a separate interview with Carlos Gonzalez of Primera Hora. "Mayol does not have me figured out. Perhaps the Ivan Calderon of last June 13, but this time, he will have to deal with a completely different fighter."
He may be small in size, but he's big in skill and at one time, Calderon was considered to be one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. At yesterday's required pre-fight 30-day weigh-in, Calderon came in well below the maximum required weight of 124.2 pounds. He tipped the scales at 118 pounds while still fully clothed and wearing handwraps. A fully motivated Ivan Calderon will be a tough challenge for Mayol, particularly considering that the rematch will take place in Calderon's backyard of Puerto Rico. That being said, Mayol proved to be up for the challenge the first time the two met in New York on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade and there's no doubt that the rematch will be just as close. Hopefully it will be a little less controversial.
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