For those who are ordering or considering ordering Saturday's Integrated Sports pay-per-view rematch between junior flyweight world champion Giovani Segura and former two-division champion Ivan Calderon, here's a look at the PPV undercard as announced today. The show is $39.95, if you're wondering about price.
Featherweights, 12 Rounds
Jorge Lacierva (38-7-6, 26 KO) v. Fernando Beltran Jr. (35-4-1, 19 KO)
This is serving as an "IBF eliminator," and if you're blanking on who holds that particular belt, the answer is...nobody. Nobody holds the title. Yuriorkis Gamboa dropped it on Saturday morning when he failed to appear for the re-weigh that morning, and since Jorge Solis didn't win (and how), the belt is now vacant. So this is an eliminator to face no one. Lacierva was involved in one of the ugliest TV fights of the last few years in 2007 when he lost a decision to Celestino Caballero. That was his last loss, and he scored what I guess I might term a very mild upset over Joksan Hernandez in December. Beltran, 29, is three years Lacierva's junior, and comes in off a win over Ricardo Castillo, who really has nothing left. Before that he suffered an upset loss in Mexico, but had beaten Takalani Ndlovu, Miguel Roman and Monty Meza Clay in 2008-0. But let's go back to Castillo, who has nothing left...
Featherweights, 12 Rounds
Ricardo Castillo (39-9-1, 26 KO) v. Joksan Hernandez (21-3, 14 KO)
Losers' bracket! Hernandez had a super-busy 2010, going 4-2 overall. He's a totally competent fighter and at 24, "El Torito" still has time to get better, too. Castillo is an old 31 and really hasn't looked good in a while, but he did stop Carlos Yanez in his last fight. I also really shouldn't say he has nothing left -- he's still really tough. This could be a pretty fun scrap.
Super Bantamweights, 10 Rounds
Ramon Maas (24-0, 15 KO) v. Enrique Bernache (15-2, 7 KO)
The press release calls him "the dangerous" Enrique Bernache. I know very little about either fighter so I won't pretend that's not the case. Bernache is 22 years old, while Maas is alleged to be a prospect. I cannot vouch for the latter, but I'll trust the internet on the former. If anyone has seen these dudes fight, chime in. I will say it's sometimes fights like this on these Integrated shows that wind up being a real hoot.
There could also be a swing bout featuring junior welterweight blue chip super prospect Jose Benavidez (10-0, 9 KO) if there is enough time. So root for enough time, because Benavidez is something to see.