Giovani Segura hunts down Hernan Marquez in a war:
It may sound cliche, but although Giovani Segura and Hernan Marquez are small in stature, their hearts are gargantuan. Their fiercely savage war on Saturday night in Hermosillo, Mexico can attest to such a statement. For almost twelve full rounds neither man willingly took a back step as they both strived to demonstrate their will in a pulsating, back and forth contest.
The fight promised much, and it arguably exceeded expectations in providing one of the best fights not just of this year, but in recent memory. Both men had suffered defeat at the hands of Brian Viloria and the understanding was that this fight would propel the victor back into the realms of world title opportunity. And so it was that two powerful Mexican flyweights squared off with brutality in mind, it was the way it had to be.
The fight began and Segura was the first man to target the body, and such assaults have wrought havoc in Segura’s favor in the past. However, it was Marquez who first established a proper foothold in the fight, clearly winning the second stanza with excellent punch-picking. Now the passionate crowd were well and truly involved as Marquez, their local hero, landed hard shots to Segura’s granite jaw.
Segura continued to press forward unabated by the temporary lashings of leather administered to his face by the hands of his foe and in the fourth round he paid Marquez back with interest in the form of a knockdown. An overhand left launched from Segura’s side landed as Marquez threw his own straight left. Marquez’s reaction was delayed as he took a knee with the pair about to trade once again – perhaps a tactical decision to shore up his senses ahead of the long battle still to be waged.
Segura started Round 5 with the additional impetus of the knockdown at the end of the fourth, and he continued to thresh away with abandon. Marquez, however, steadied himself before meeting fire with fire. There were no real signs of the pace slowing as the rounds wore on, though conspicuous swelling was beginning to appear under the eyes of Marquez.
Round 7 seemed, if momentarily, a potential turning point. Marquez broke up the monotony of Segura’s continuous assault, punctuating the round with a huge left uppercut as Segura surged forward with his defense wide open. As a result of the punch, Segura was rocked back on his feet and, for the first time, it was Marquez’s turn to push forward. Marquez continued to land the cleaner blows in the following rounds, though Segura appeared indefatigable in his quest for victory.
The war of attrition continued into the 11th Round, during which the two men ascended further into the land of legends. Segura ripped Marquez with uppercuts from both hands and used his superior reach to tear through Marquez’s guard with straight shots. Marquez moved Segura with his own punches, but only temporarily.
As Segura lunged forward he bundled Marquez to the ropes and as Marquez tried to move from the second bottom rope upon which he was sat, Segura landed a thudding left hand to send him to the canvas. Marquez protested, but he had now been knocked down twice and the realization was dawning on him that he may be about to lose in front of his home crowd. With pride at stake, Marquez gritted his teeth as Segura came towards him with imminent victory in mind. Shades of great fights from the past flickered in the memory as Marquez steeled himself, then landed several straight lefts to push Segura back once more to the thrill of the crowd.
The stage had been set for the 12th and final round. Both men were tired. Marquez had been hurt, but had always come back firing. Segura knew he could put his opponent down, but finishing matters was another thing entirely.
The crowd chanted “Tyson, Tyson” in honor of their local hero as the final round commenced. Segura budged Marquez against the ropes but Marquez came back roaring. Segura followed his man across the ring, unloading ominously with a volley of punches, from body to head and back to body. As Marquez lurched forward with a straight left, Segura detonated a left hook on the right side of his face that sent him sprawling to the canvas clutching his nose. The count reached six before the referee waved it off. The clinical finish was an apt ending to such an uncompromising fight.
I have seen some great fights in my time as a boxing fan, both before my time and during, but this fight stands proudly alongside all of them. Those who witnessed the bout live were privileged, and indeed it is not one I will find easy to forget. The constant punching meant rounds blurred into one another, the expectancy of one huge punch to end matters was consistently met with fierce resistance of both the heart and willpower of both men.
It is the kind of fight that makes you appreciate the sport, yet at the same time question its unremitting violence. You can smile, shout, cover your eyes and shake your head in disbelief at what you are seeing, but you can never forget it.
Giovani Segura walked away with a career-enhancing victory in Mexico on Saturday night, but both he and Hernan Marquez have engraved themselves into boxing history with a flyweight fight for the ages.
