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.
Mike Perez
Alexander Povetkin Revives Career with a 1st Round TKO Over Mike Perez
The main event of the action-packed card at the Luzhniki arena in Moscow last night was the shortest fight of the night. Alexander Povetkin (29-1) sandbagged highly regarded Mike Perez (21-2-1) for half a round and cemented his mandatory WBC spot by winning the WBC Silver heavyweight title. He was already number 1 in the rankings prior to the fight.
Both competitors had notable amateur background. Alexander Povetkin won Olympic gold in Athens and Perez was a successful amateur for the Cuban national team winning the World Junior Championship in 2004. He later grew up to cruiser weight but failed to secure a spot in the national team having mixed success against the top dogs. Irish boxing promoter Gary Hyde spotted him at a tournament and lured Perez into defecting from Cuba. He arranged the prospect’s escape from the Island of Freedom using the services of a Mexican cartel. Perez was required to swim offshore from Cuba and board a cartel vessel in neutral waters and he ended up being hostage for 9 days until Hyde was able to pay what the cartel demanded for Perez’s release.
Povetkin Destroys Perez In Seconds!
I never think the Russian’s do a bad job of putting on a decent show – and … continue
Povetkin obliterates Perez; Chakhkiev defeats Wright
In a total annihilation, WBC Silver heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin (29-1, 21 KOs) blasted out an over-matched and pudgy looking No.2 WBC Mike Perez (21-2-1, 13 KOs) tonight in stopping him in the 1st round after brutally knocking him down twice in their World Boxing Council heavyweight title eliminator at the Luzhniki, in Moscow, Russia.
The 35-year-old Povetkin caught Perez by surprised early in the round with a right hand to the head that staggered him and caused him to back up a step. The 29-year-old Perez was badly shaken from the shot, and there was no way he was going to be able to recover from that punch. He just too hurt. Sure enough, moments later, Povetkin landed a clean right hand to the chin of Perez, sending him down on the canvas on his back. The chubby-looking Perez was able to get up from the knockdown, but his legs were totally gone.
Golovkin vs. Geale & Perez vs. Jennings weights
(Photo credit: HBO/Will Hart) At today’s weigh-in, WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (29-0, 26 KO’s) scaled in at 159.8 pounds for his fight against former IBF/WBA middleweight champ Daniel Geale (30-2, 16 KO’s) for Saturday night. Geale, who looked pale and not particularly defined, weighed in at 159.2. Golovkin looked ripped up in comparison, and showed a lot more definition than the Australian fighter.
The fight card will be taking place at Madison Square Garden in New York, and Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions expects a crowd of around 7,000 for the 18,200 seat arena. If this was a fight involving New York favorite Miguel Cotto, MSG would no doubt sellout, but Golovkin is from Kazakhstan and he lives in Germany. You can’t expect him or the Australian Geale to sellout the Garden.
Bryant Jennings vs. Mike Perez Set for July 26 MSG/HBO
New York City (June 9, 2014) Undefeated heavyweight’s BRYANT “By By” JENNINGS and MIKE “The Rebel” PEREZ will clash in a World Boxing Council (“WBC”) Heavyweight Title Eliminator on SATURDAY, JULY 26 at The Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden. The fight will be televised Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, it was announced today by K2 Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions in association with Antonio Leonard Promotions.
The winner of the 12-round bout will become the mandatory challenger for the WBC Heavyweight Title, which was vacated by longtime champion Vitali Klitschko earlier this year.
G4 Quotes: Golovkin-Geale & Jennings-Perez
New York City (June 9, 2014) Saturday afternoon in New York City, a Press Conference was held for “G4”, the boxing extravaganza set for SATURDAY, JULY 26 at ‘The Mecca of Boxing”, Madison Square Garden and Live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.
In attendance were WBA/IBO Middleweight World Champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, Two-Time World Champion DANIEL ‘The Real Deal” GEALE along with undefeated heavyweight contenders BRYANT “By By” JENNINGS and MIKE “The Rebel” PEREZ in addition to undefeated welterweight prospect DUSTY HERNANDEZ-HARRISON. Hosting the press conference were Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions and Gary Shaw of Gary Shaw Productions.
Jennings vs. Perez, Geale vs. Macklin, May 24 in Corpus Christi and LIVE on HBO
Undefeated and top rated heavyweights BRYANT “By By” JENNINGS of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and MIKE “The Rebel” PEREZ, fighting out of Cork, Ireland will clash in a World Boxing Council (‘WBC’) Heavyweight Title Eliminator on SATURDAY, MAY 24, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas and televised LIVE on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, it was announced today jointly by K2 Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions.
The winner of the 12-round bout will become the mandatory challenger for the WBC Heavyweight Title, which was vacated by longtime champion Vitali Klitschko earlier this year. Jennings and Perez are currently ranked #4 and #5, respectively by the sanctioning body.
Mike Perez and Carlos Takam Fight Recap
Before a massive crowd of over 20,000 fight fans on Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, world ranked and undefeated heavyweight contender Mike “The Rebel” Perez of Cork, Ireland battled France’s Carlos Takam to a ten round majority draw (96-94 Perez, 95-95 x 2).
After winning the first two rounds, Perez suffered a nasty cut over his right eye in the third stanza from an accidental head butt.
“Mike fought well early in the fight but the head butt left him with blurred vision for a couple rounds and seemed to keep from him being able to mount a consistent attack in the second half of the fight,” said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions.
Carlos Takam Batters Mike Perez: Settles for a Draw
Opening up for the HBO broadcast from the Bell Center in Montreal, Canada were two relocated heavyweights. The contest pitted two relocated fighters in late starter Carlos Takam born in Cameroon fighting out of France and Mike Perez born in Cuba and fighting out of Ireland. The bout seemed like it was going to be a forgettable one as the first three rounds saw very little action.
Then a cut on the right brow of Perez opened from an accidental head butt in the third round and neither man got particularly desperate despite facing a possible no contest. Then suddenly the fight picked up. The much larger Takam spent the early goings backing away from Perez and trying to box the former Cuban amateur and the perceived better boxer. Perez appeared to be ahead after five rounds as the fight remained at a slow pace with no real engagements. In round six the fight became stationary and toe to toe and Takam began to dig to the body and work in the uppercut.