Segura’s manager says fighter not changed due to memorable win
Ricky Mota, who manages current WBO/WBA/Ring Magazine junior flyweight champion Giovanni Segura, says his fighter has not changed following his stunning August victory over legendary flyweight Ivan Calderon.
"People ask me all the time, 'Has he [Segura] changed?’", Mota said to Steve Kim of maxboxing.com. “I see the same guy, same humble person. He tells me, 'I feel like I haven't done anything yet.' He wants to have a better 2011."
"He's well known now; before the fight, he was just like a belt holder kinda guy, had a strap. Now, he's a real legitimate champion,” Mota confirmed.
Segura clashed with Calderon in Puerto Rico. Calderon, known by many as a “little Mayweather” due to his movement and defense around the ring, was unable to deflect the mounting pressure put on by Segura and eventually succumbed in the eighth round.
The two are tentatively set to touch gloves in the ring a second time in April 2011 for a contractual rematch, as Calderon hopes to prove that at 35 he still has some kick in the tank.
According to Mota, Segura’s only concern for the rematch is that it happen at the flyweight level (112-pounds) as opposed to junior flyweight (108-pounds) because Segura feels he can no longer make the 108-pound weight of their first clash.
Luckily, when a fighter unifies the titles, he also hops into the term-making seat, meaning this time around Segura, not Calderon will call the shots.
"Giovanni, even before this fight, he's been wanting to go to 112 already,” Mota said. “And then [in the first fight], Calderon came up, so he took the big unification. Now, [Segura] beat [Calderon]; now he wants to fight any of the champions at 112."
When questioned if a rematch clause stipulated the fight at 108 pounds, Mota confirmed: "It does not specify [108 pounds]. There's no money; it just specifies that if Calderon would lose, there was a rematch. Everything would be up to negotiations. That's
all there is. But there is no weight issue, no money; everything is up in the air."
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