Mairis Breidis decisions Mike Perez to advance in WBSS tournament, retains WBC cruiser title

Mairis Breidis decisions Mike Perez to advance in WBSS tournament, retains WBC cruiser title

Tonight in Riga, Latvia, defending WBC cruiserweight champ Mairis Breidis retained his belt and also advanced in the WBSS tournament by way of a unanimous decision victory over Mike Perez. Local hero Breidis, now 23-0(18) won by scores of 116-110, 115-111 and 114-112. Perez, who was mightily disappointed by his defeat, is now 22-3(14).

Tonight’s fight was far from a classic, with an almost shocking amount of holding witnessed, with defending champ Breidis being guilty of initiating most of it. There was a clash of heads in the third-round, with Breidis suffering a nasty cut to his left eye. Perez was docked a point by the referee.

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Weights: Briedis 198.6 lbs vs Perez 197.3 lbs

Weights: Briedis 198.6 lbs vs Perez 197.3 lbs

WBC Champion Mairis Briedis (90,1 kg) (22-0, 18 KOs) and Mike Perez (22-2-1, 14 KOs) (89,5 kg) are ready for Saturday’s Ali Trophy quarter-final at the Arena Riga, Latvia. “I can’t wait for tomorrow,” said Briedis, the WBC champion who was supported by a loud crowd of Latvian countrymen at Friday’s weigh-in Riga.

“Every fighter in this to tournament deserves to be here. I am not an odds maker, so I don’t do predictions. I can only promise that I will do my best to win in front of a sold-out arena and make my countrymen proud!”

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Briedis and Perez head-to-head in Riga: “There will be fireworks!”

Briedis and Perez head-to-head in Riga: “There will be fireworks!”

WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (22-0, 18 KOs) and Mike Perez (22-2-1, 14 KOs) faced each other at a press conference in Riga ahead of Saturday’s Ali Trophy Quarter-Final clash at Arena Riga, Latvia.

“It is a great honour for me and for Latvia to have such a big fight and tournament in our country,” said Briedis.

“I am looking forward to showing that Latvia is not only a country with singers and dancers, but also some world class boxing. There are some pressure on my shoulders fighting in front of a sold out arena, but I am sure I can handle it.”

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Mairis Briedis vs Mike Perez on Sept 30th at the Riga Arena in Latvia

Mairis Briedis vs Mike Perez on Sept 30th at the Riga Arena in Latvia

Briedis and Perez face to face in Riga before September 30

WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (22-0, 18 KOs) came face to face with Mike Perez (22-2-1, 14 KOs) in Riga before their Ali Trophy quarter-final bout at the Riga Arena, September 30.

“I feel good, I am ready to go, I am ready to fight right now,” said Mike Perez. “This is a really interesting fight and I am looking forward to it and getting the victory. Whatever the fight brings I am ready for it.”

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Winner of Eubank vs Abraham to complete exceptional World Boxing Super Series line-up

Winner of Eubank vs Abraham to complete exceptional World Boxing Super Series line-up

The World Boxing Super Series is proud to announce that the winner of the IBO World Championship between Chris Eubank Jnr. and Arthur Abraham will enter the competition for the inaugural Ali Trophy. The two stars collide at Wembley Arena in London on July 15, with the final spot in the revolutionary bracket-style elimination tournament up for grabs. The winner will enter a star-studded super-middleweight competition that already features WBA Super Champion George Groves, Callum Smith, who will fight for the WBC Diamond Championship, former world champion Juergen Braehmer as well as undefeated challengers Erik Skoglund, Jamie Cox, Avni Yildirim and Rob Brant.

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Results: Burnett beats Haskins; Mike Perez victorius

Results: Burnett beats Haskins; Mike Perez victorius

Ryan Burnett (17-0, 9 KOs) battered IBF World bantamweight champion Lee Haskins (34-0, 14 KOs) for 12 round rounds on Saturday night to win an impressive 12 round split decision at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. One judge had it for Haskins by the score 118-108. The other 2 judges saw Burnett as the better fighter of the two in giving him the win by the scores 119-107, 119-107.

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Mike Perez looking in terrific shape for cruiserweight debut; maybe he should have been a cruiserweight all along

Mike Perez looking in terrific shape for cruiserweight debut; maybe he should have been a cruiserweight all along

Irish-based former heavyweight contender Mike Perez is raring to go tomorrow night, when he will box his cruiserweight debut. Tipping in at a ripped and ready 198-pounds – an incredibly low poundage when we recall how, as a heavyweight, “The Rebel” fought well into the 240s – Perez, 21-2-1(13) will box for the first time since his unexpectedly quick (1st round) stoppage loss to Alexander Povetkin in May of 2015.

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Mike Perez: Can “The Rebel” make waves as a cruiserweight?

Mike Perez: Can “The Rebel” make waves as a cruiserweight?

Having suffered his share of misfortune during his promising heavyweight career, Cuban southpaw Mike Perez, 21-2-1(13) is currently looking in fantastic shape as he gets ready for his drop down to cruiserweight. The Irish-based 31 year old will face Tommy McCarthy, 9-1, on June 10 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Perez showed real talent at heavyweight, but at 6’1” maybe he always was going to be a little too small to be expected to be able to deal with the absolute giants.

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Heavyweight Mike Perez set for ring return

Heavyweight Mike Perez set for ring return

Heavyweight comebacks might be catching at the moment, what with Sam Peter’s recent return and his scheduled December fight with Kubrat Pulev. Another big man set to return after a significant layoff is Cuban Mike Perez. Perez, last seen being stopped inside a round by Alexander Povetkin in May of last year (in what was one of Povetkin’s most impressive showings) will face Avery Gibson, 8-5-4 (2) on December 8 in California.

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