Titanium is as strong as steel but 45 percent the weight, according to the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The same principle exists in the world of boxing. It is the sweet science after all.
Former IBF and WBO minimumweight world champion Francisco "Titanium" Rodriguez Jr. rematches Jomar Fajardo this Saturday in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico in a junior flyweight contest of 108 pounds—45 percent the weight of boxing's 245-pound heavyweight kingpin, "Dr. Steelhammer," Wladimir Klitschko.
But Rodriguez (16-2-1, 11 KO) has proven himself just as tough—if not the toughest—of any man, of any size, donning a pair of boxing gloves today, tangling with some of the sport's baddest little men like Manuel Vargas since he was a teenager.
In 2013, he didn't give up an inch when he went toe-to-toe with one of boxing's most potent punchers, Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez, before being subjected to an immature referee stoppage. And last year, he paired up with strawweight legend Katsunari Takayama to deliver a blistering affair of pugilism in a unanimous pick for 2014 Fight of the Year.
The return match between the stout 21-year-old Mexican and the Philippines' Fajardo (14-5-1, 7 KO) will be televised by UniMas and set to air at 11 p.m. ET
Rodriguez, also dubbed "Chihuas," says he feels great ahead of their second fight in 11 weeks, per Mexican newspaper El Siglo de Torreon. He said he's been training hard in high altitude and assures fans a very different result from their split-decision draw that was action-packed at its core but controversial in its conclusion.
At Pinoy Pride 28, Titanium engaged with the unheralded Fajardo in what was supposed to be nothing more than a tune-up fight to end the young champion's breakout year that saw him dethrone titlists Merlito Sabillo and the "Lightning Kid" Takayama. A booming overhand right that seemed to break Rodriguez's nose in Round 3 rid any notion that his opponent was going to just roll over.
Fajardo continued to find a home for his winging right hands throughout the 10-round battle. Chihuas answered back with machine-gun flurries and his terrorizing left hook. And like most from Mexico, of course, his body attack was just as menacing.
The action was high. But as anticipated, the Mexican was finding more success.
Here's how BoxingScene.com saw it:
"Rodriguez connected with punches in the ratio of 7 to 1 and landed vicious body shots that sapped the energy of Fajardo and had him on the verge of a knockout on more than one occasion..."
However, the Filipino judges on duty that night were at their worst. Boxing Scene called the split-decision draw "inexplicable."
"I feel that I won the fight," Rodriguez said per FightNews.com. Concerning their fight this weekend, he continued: "What I can say to the fans is that I am not going to disappoint them, nor I am going to disappoint myself, and I will win..."
Rodriguez is adamant about winning a world title at 108 pounds in 2015 and has been linked to WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes on multiple occasions, per AsianBoxing.com. Titanium needs to avoid cracking against Fajardo Saturday night to keep a potential fight with Nietes alive.
Saturday night, boxing's smallest carried the entire sport.
Fight fans tuning into the Danny Garcia-headlined event on Showtime were left wanting. As Boxing.com editor-in-chief Robert Ecksel put it: "Golden Boy Promotions, and Al Haymon presented a trio of mismatches that were as painful to watch as they are to write about."
But 2,000 miles south at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon in Mexico, the best fight of 2014 took place.
In the Fight of the Year, 21-year-old Francisco Rodriguez Jr. (15-2, 10 KOs) unified the WBO and IBF minimumweight world titles with a unanimous-decision victory over Katsunari Takayama (27-7, 10 KOs) to become the No. 1 strawweight in the world.
Anyone familiar with these two knew there would be excitement. But no one saw this coming.
The bout opened, both fighters were wound up and let loose. They clashed in the center of the ring, and punches bounced off the faces of both men.
Takayama, nicknamed "Lightning," bounced on his toes. He moved his feet, the most active in the sport, hastily. He advanced in, left his mark and then relocated back out of reach without notice.
"El Chihuas" was ready for this. Takayama's punches were nothing he couldn't handle. He's taken worse, courtesy of Roman "El Chocolatito" Gonzalez, the best combination puncher in the sport. But this isn't the same wild, two-fisted berserker who was picked apart by Gonzalez 11 months ago. This was a world-class operator, cut with a penchant for violence.
He targeted the body often. Most from Mexico do. But his lead left was something divine this night, especially in the first three rounds where he countered Takayama across the face repeatedly with a splendid left hook.
Rounds 1 and 2 could be argued either way. Takayama's high output was frantic. His feet were even faster. But Rodriguez's pace wasn't too far behind. And his punches were doing more damage.
In the first minute of the third stanza, Rodriguez uncorked a left uppercut that sent Takayama to the mat. The Japanese champion quickly rose, but Chihuas earned a 10-8 score.
Takayama, 31, has been fighting the very best the 105-pound weight class has to offer for nearly a decade now, dating back to 2005 when he beat Isaac Bustos. When Rodriguez slowed down to start Round 4, Lightning struck.
Most of the middle rounds saw Takayama suffocate his young foe with fists, drilling punches into him from every conceivable angle. Action was still high from both sides, but the Japanese veteran got the edge in Rounds 4 through 7, even bullying Chihuas into the ropes.
The fight was beginning to slip away from the hometown Rodriguez. Just 21, he could've retired on the stool and still been applauded for his effort at such a high level of the sport. But the roar of 9,000 Mexican fans surely fueled an appetite for glory. He wouldn't let them down.
Rodriguez strutted to the center of the ring to begin Round 8. He extended his right fist to his opponent for a customary slap of gloves. Takayama, ever the savvy veteran, accepted his opponent's gesture while simultaneously cocking back a right hand that crashed into the back of the Mexican's ear, forcing Rodriguez to give ground.
Cheap-shotted, Chihuas' punches suddenly looked crisper than ever. He felt disrespected, and violence was on deck.
In the eighth round, this fight went from great to legendary. The final minute in particular is when the ring was engulfed in flames. The exchange of punches by these two men is unparalleled in ferocity and quantity so far this year.
The final four rounds were no different. Forehead to forehead and not a clinch to be had. The fighters traded the center of the ring almost as often as punches thrown. Slinging demonic left hands Takayama's way, Rodriguez's punchers were heavier.
To begin Round 12, referee Samuel Viruet brought the two combatants together to touch gloves. This is usually the part where both men, exhausted, coast to the final bell.
But not these two.
Of all the action and terrible warfare through the first incredible 11 rounds, the 12th was unbelievably the best of them all.
Both men planted their feet and lost themselves in a punch-drunk daze like the boxing gods button-mashing their wireless controllers from above. The perfect conclusion to an epic test of will and courage.
The scorecards were read and Rodriguez Jr. was announced the winner by a tally of 115-112, 116-111 and an awry 119-108.
A celebratory corner for Rodriguez lifted their champion above their shoulders and above the entire division. Chihuas has won nine of his past 10 fights, highlighted by a trouncing of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board's No. 10 rated Merlito Sabillo and a scintillating victory over No. 2 Takayama. The young Mexican's resume now includes two wins of more relevance and higher quality than any other active strawweight in the world, including Hekkie Budler (whose best win is over a declining Nkosinathi Joyi).
But Takayama is no loser. Losers don't fight like he just did. His time at 105 pounds seems over. But for one night and 12 glorious rounds, he paired up with Rodriguez Jr. to lift an entire sport and punch their tickets into boxing lore.
The sport needed a savior Saturday night.
It got two of them.
The biggest fight this weekend won't be on Showtime.
It won't feature a Ukrainian heavyweight by the name of Vyacheslav Glazkov either.
Ironically, the biggest fight on display this Saturday will feature the sport's smallest competitors.
In a promising Fight of the Year candidate and IBF and WBO minimumweight title unification bout, Katsunari Takayama takes on Francisco Rodriguez Jr. on August 9 in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. An impressive showing will make the winner the No. 1 strawweight in the world.
When control of an entire division is at stake, fight fans should take notice.
But fighting in boxing's smallest weight class, 105-pounders are far too familiar with being snubbed by the mainstream fanbase.
However, this is one fight that no fan of the gloved arts should miss.
When: Saturday, Aug. 9 at 11 p.m. ET
Where: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
TV: TV Azteca in Mexico and beIN SPORTS (available on all major cable providers) in the United States
Always fearless, Takayama (27-6-0-1, 10 KO) has flirted with control of the strawweight division for nearly 10 years now since defeating Isaac Bustos way back in April 2005 for the WBC minimumweight title. He hasn't been knocked out since 2003 and has his eyes set on making history this weekend. With a win over WBO champion Rodriguez Jr., Takayama would become the first ever Japanese boxer to win a version of all four of the major world titles.
And if Takayama has to make the journey to his opponent's home turf to do so, that's not a problem for him. Fighting in his enemy's backyard has never been an issue.
On three separate occasions, the Japanese champion has travelled to South Africa, twice to face off with a prime Nkosinathi Joyi. He would lose to the South African in early 2012 but beat Mario Rodriguez (who stopped Joyi in seven rounds) a year later for the IBF minimumweight belt.
If Takayama, the No. 2-rated strawweight in the world, according the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, can return to Mexico this weekend and beat Rodriguez Jr., he'll have a deeper resume than any active strawweight including "The Hexecutioner" Hekkie Budler, who is currently ranked No. 1 largely because of his consistency, having only lost one bout in his 27-fight career.
"El Chihuas" Rodriguez Jr. (14-2, 10 KO) turned 21 years old just last month. He also goes by "Titanium," and he put that moniker to the test when he, only 20, fought pound-for-pound claimant and ferocious-punching Roman "El Chocolatito" Gonzalez in September of last year.
At the flyweight limit of 112 pounds, Rodriguez Jr. demonstrated a fierce high-output style and cutthroat resilience, exchanging heavy leather with the sport's foremost combination puncher, only to be subjected to a questionable referee stoppage in the seventh round.
Two wins and six months later, El Chihuas met up with the unbeaten Merlito Sabillo for the WBO minimumweight title. Sabillo—ranked No. 10 by the TBRB—is a hyperaggresive swarmer who gave the strawweight division's head-to-head most talented fighter Carlos Buitrago the toughest fight of his career, holding the Nicaraguan phenom to a split-decision draw.
When Rodriguez Jr. pulled off a big upset and completely beat Sabillo senseless on the way to a 10th-round TKO victory, boxing caught glimpse of what might be the future of the 105-pound weight class. That future might come as soon as this weekend if he can get by his Japanese adversary. And elite wins over both Sabillo and Takayama (in addition to taking Gonzalez's best shots) would be clearly better than anything Budler has on his resume, which includes a win over a faded Joyi.
It won't be easy. Takayama holds a distinct advantage in experience. Ten years his opponent's elder, he has participated in 18 more pro bouts and 199 more rounds than the Mexican. This includes trading punches with an incredible six men who have laid claim to being the very best minimumweight in the world at one point or another: Eagle Den Junlaphan, Yutaka Niida and the aforementioned Bustos, Gonzalez and Rodriguez.
As it turns out, that might not be all that beneficial.
In boxing, the lower the weight division, the faster you age. Takayama will turn 32 in less than half a year, and that's ancient at 105 pounds. Outside of Takayama, just two other strawweights featured in TBRB's top 10 are 31 or older (Xiong Zhao Zhong and Ganigan Lopez). This showed in Takayama's most recent bout against a third-rate fighter in Shin Ono three months ago.
Against his Japanese countryman, Takayama struggled down the stretch. Ono was able to bully Takayama through the middle rounds, and had it not been for two knockdowns in Rounds 10 and 12, Ono could have easily received the nod from the judges.
Nevertheless, Takayama is 3-1 over his last four fights dating back to Oct. 2012. His only blemish was a split-decision loss to Mateo Handig, fighting in the latter's native Philippines. If not for the point deducted from Takayama midway through the fight, he would have received no less than a draw.
Over the same time period, Rodriguez Jr. is 6-1, and his only loss came to one of the best fighters in the world, Roman Gonzalez. On the back of a massive win over Sabillo just five months ago, the 21-year-old is carrying a surge of momentum into the biggest fight of his life.
Similar to the shellacking that Naoya Inoue—also just 21—gave former light flyweight champion Adrian Hernandez this past April to reign supreme at 108 pounds, if Rodriguez Jr. can pull off the remarkable win over Takayama, 2014 would be a revolutionary year for boxing's two lightest weight classes.
But if experience prevails and Takayama wins, strawweight still would have an excellent poster child for the all-out excitement and "never back down" attitude that makes the lower weight divisions so special.
Takayama and Rodriguez Jr. take center stage Saturday night. Delightful violence is their forte, and they'll be an absolute treat to watch.
Provided anybody actually does.
According to ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael, former two-division champion and all-time great strawweight Ivan “Iron Boy” Calderon has retired from boxing at the age of 37.
Calderon’s announcement comes on the heels of his knockout loss to Moises Fuentes, which was a bid to regain the WBO 105-pound title Calderon held from 2003 until 2007.
Calderon (35-3-1, 6 KO), who represented his native Puerto Rico at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, exits the sport as one of the most accomplished champions in boxing’s smaller weight classes. During his first reign, Calderon made 11 mostly dominant defenses of his WBO strawweight title.
So sublime were Calderon’s boxing skills that they completely offset his lack of power and justified his prominent place on several major Top Rank undercards. Based on technique and ability, Calderon was certainly worthy of being a major headliner, but the sad reality is that boxing’s smallest weight classes don’t garner much mainstream attention.
Still, Calderon forged a remarkable championship career, and he was successful even when he vacated his strawweight title in 2007 to test himself at light flyweight. At that new weight division, Calderon also captured the WBO title, defending his strap six times to become an established champion in two weight divisions.
One of the most revered traits in boxing is a fighter’s ability to claim world titles in multiple divisions. Despite boxing’s 17 weight classes, it is somewhat rare for fighters to have genuinely established championship reigns in more than one division.
Calderon is one of the few who did.
Despite the fact that he is retiring, Rafael reports that Calderon will remain active in boxing:
Calderon, a 2000 Puerto Rican Olympian, made the [retirement] announcement at the Amelia Municipal Boxing Gym in his hometown of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Calderon plans to work as trainer and administrator at the gym.
“This was difficult because (boxing is) something I love, but I want to say that I'm doing this not because I'm old or tired. I'm doing this because I want to work with the kids and youth, bringing them my knowledge and tips,” Calderon said at a ceremony attended by his family, trainers Jose “Cheche” Sanchez and Felix Pagan Pintor, Guaynabo mayor Hector O'Neill, WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel and several top Puerto Rican fighters, including junior lightweight titlist Roman “Rocky” Martinez and former titleholders Juan Manuel Lopez and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr.
“I want to be an example for all my fellow boxers that when it is time (to retire) it is time, no matter if we are rich or poor. The health is what matters. I want to thank all (the fans).”
That Calderon will remain involved in the sport is a blessing for future generations of boxers. During his incredible career, Calderon amassed an 18-2-1 record in title fights and between 2003 and 2011, he contested a remarkable 21 consecutive championship bouts.
As is so often the case with elite boxers, time eventually caught up with Calderon, and his last three championship fights ended in defeat.
Calderon's first loss came via an eighth-round knockout by Giovani Segura in an excellent 108-pound unification fight. Though he was stopped for the first time in his career, Calderon, in true championship fashion, sought redemption.
In the subsequent rematch, however, Calderon would lose—this time via a third-round knockout—and despite his bravery, it was evident that Calderon was no longer the slick mover and untouchable boxer of his prime years. This was confirmed when Calderon moved back down to strawweight and was stopped by Fuentes, a fighter whom Calderon in his prime likely would have boxed circles around.
Late-career setbacks aside, Calderon should be strongly considered for first-ballot induction into the Hall of Fame five years from now. Rafael points out that “during his strawweight reign, Calderon defended against the best fighters the division had to offer, including five former world titleholders: Alex "El Nene" Sanchez, Edgar Cardenas, Roberto Leyva, Daniel Reyes and Isaac Bustos.”
Coupling this with Calderon’s record in title fights and his ability to consistently score lopsided decisions against elite fighters, despite lacking power, it is clear that Calderon is a worthy Hall of Fame candidate.
Sometimes a boxer’s Hall of Fame candidacy boils down to that which cannot be easily quantified: Arturo Gatti’s courage and resilience come to mind, and Calderon's career is the kind of case that fuels intense debate.
With Calderon, however, the facts are all there.
This is not to say that either means of entering the Hall of Fame is superior. Boxing is a sport built both on numbers and illogical feats of bravery, skill and endurance. Ivan Calderon has the record to ensure that he will be remembered as an all-time great, but it is the purity of his boxing ability that should not be forgotten.
This past Saturday in Puerto Rico, Ivan Calderon lost his bid to recapture the WBO strawweight title when Moises Fuentes stopped him in five rounds. For those who pay attention to boxing’s smaller weight classes, Calderon’s setback might not have come as a shock, but the defeat has definitively ended the relevancy of one of the sport’s best pure boxers.
Calderon (35-3-1, 6 KO), during his first title reign, made 11 defenses of the WBO 105-pound title and hardly lost a round along the way. The 2000 Puerto Rican Olympian’s sublime boxing skills completely offset his lack of power, and his movement and air-tight defense befuddled his opponents, rendering them amateurs in the face of Calderon’s pugilistic genius.
After vacating his 105-pound title, Calderon moved up to light flyweight, where he also captured the WBO strap. Six defenses would follow before Calderon succumbed in back-to-back bouts to hard-hitting Mexican Giovani Segura.
In losing twice to Segura (28-2-1, 24 KO)—the first time via knockout in the eighth round, the second time via a thudding body shot in only the third stanza—it seemed plausible to suggest that Calderon had simply run into a bigger, stronger man and was out of his element as he moved up in weight.
Such is the justification that often accompanies the immediate decline of once-great champions, and Calderon, much like returning former champion Ricky Hatton, is not immune to fans and pundits sugar coating defeats, while also focusing on endless excuses or small nuggets of optimism to sustain their viability.
When Calderon defeated .500 fighter Filipe Rivas via split decision and somehow found his way into a title shot at 105 pounds, his past success seemed to preclude excessive judgment or scrutiny about not only whether Calderon deserved a title fight, but whether such a fight against Fuentes (16-1, 8 KO) was good for his personal health or well-being.
According to Dan Rafael’s report on ESPN.com of Calderon’s loss, the former champion boxed well early before Fuentes caught up with the faded champion, pinned him against the ropes and eventually scored the fifth-round stoppage after Calderon had hurt his right arm and taken three knees due to excessive punishment.
Before examining how Calderon’s defeat should act as a potential warning sign for Ricky Hatton’s comeback, it behooves readers to remember Calderon as the sublime boxer who was a two-division world champion with a remarkable 18-3-1 record in world title fights, not as someone who was stopped in three of his last four bouts. Hopefully, the Hall of Fame will ensure that this is the case five years from now.
Now obviously, Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KO) is the antithesis to Ivan Calderon as a boxer. Where Calderon relies on movement, defense and skilled boxing from the outside, Hatton opts for aggression, fighting on the inside and a relentless application of strength to out-work his opponents.
Still, as valued former champions, both have seemed to ignore the effects of high-profile stoppage losses in an effort to continue fighting and recapture past glory. If the process of aging in boxing is fickle, one cannot suggest that either an older brawler or technician has the better chance of surviving to an advanced age when competing at the world level.
Therefore, since Hatton is a much stronger pound-for-pound puncher than Calderon is, one cannot argue that his ability to stop an opponent more regularly gives his comeback and decision to fight into his mid-30s a better chance of succeeding.
Boxers must be examined case by case, and while Hatton does stand the chance to have some success during his comeback, it is more likely to end the way Calderon’s career has played out than rising to the heights of, say, Bernard Hopkins past the age of 35.
Hatton has been stopped in both of his genuine, elite-level fight—first by Floyd Mayweather in 10 rounds, followed by a brutal second-round knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao three fights later that effectively ended Hatton’s first career.
For boxers like Calderon and Hatton, the parameters of a successful comeback hinge on their resume. Because they both reached the sport’s pinnacle, a return to championship form is the only acceptable goal. While Hatton could defeat Vyacheslav Senchenko (32-1, 21 KO) in his comeback fight, returning to the elite level is likely to produce negative results.
Even fighting the likes of Paulie Malignaggi, whom Hatton stopped in 2008, might be out of reach considering Hatton’s layoff and fighting style. To be successful, Hatton needs to absorb punches and make his fights physically grueling, and one wonders whether his punch resistance will be up to the task.
An article on eastsideboxing.com by Michael Collins suggesting that Hatton could immediately find himself in a title fight if he defeats Senchenko provides logical speculation but is somewhat disconcerting. The reality of Hatton’s title aspirations might be a case of the public demanding too much of a former hero.
Sometimes, former champions need a definitive sign to firmly indicate when it’s time to hang up the gloves. Ivan Calderon appeared to get that rude awakening on Saturday. Conversely, for Ricky Hatton, getting knocked out by Manny Pacquiao has left him wanting, which is fine (to a certain extent) and understandable.
Hopefully, Hatton proves people wrong, but before jumping into a dangerous title shot, he should consider the case of Ivan Calderon. Taking the proper time to assess his abilities after such a lengthy absence from the ring would be wise; otherwise, Hatton might quickly rejoin the ranks of fallen, once-great former champions.
The Japanese continue to dominate the Monday Meet and Greet as I showcase the second Japanese fighter in three weeks. Kazuto Ioka took the undefeated record and title for Oleydong Sitchsamerchai.
He is now the fastest Japanese fighter ever to win a world title with just seven fights. Sithsamerchai sported a 35-0-1 record but appeared to be on the decline in his last few.
Ioka floored Sithsamerchai in the second and put him down for good with a beautiful shot to the body. It appears that Ioka will go back up in weight as making 105 is hard.
Watch the fight here:
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZLq2GXC8fc
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHbaCJTrLpM
Record: 7-0 (5 KO)
Ring Ranking: Not ranked
Age: 21
Height: 5’5”
Stance: Orthodox
Best Wins: Oleydong Sithsamerchai (TKO 5 won WBC minimumweight title)
Losses: None
Titles Won: Japanese light flyweight title, WBC minimumweight title
Rounds Boxed: 49
KO Percentage: 71.43 %
Fight I Want to See: All signs point to him moving up, so there is a good chance that he will fight Roman Gonzalez in a absolutely great fight.
Gonzalez is an undefeated, monster punching light flyweight who has a record of 27-0 (23 KO). This fight would be a chess match between puncher and boxer.
What is in his future: If he doesn’t move up, a fight with someone like Michael Landero, who is a light hitting minimumweight with a decent enough record, would make sense.
