Jenn Perella: Female Bantamweight Prospect

Jenn Perella (4-1, 1 KO) is not your typical boxer. She is a 42-year-old mother of two children who works full-time and only started fighting professionally a year ago after a brief amateur career. However, the former amateur standout is quickly making up for lost time as she climbs the female bantamweight divisional rankings with her fourth consecutive victory.  

picture by Emily Harney/Fightography

“My boxing career has shown that anyone who thinks they cannot do something because they are either too old, too busy, have kids, or are washed up, that if they make a goal, they can accomplish it, no matter what is thrown their way,” Perella said. “If I did not make my goals in boxing, I would not be where I am today.”

Perella, who only had twenty amateur bouts (16-4), won ten in a row en route to a silver medal at the 2024 National Golden Gloves tournament in the 125-pound division. She lost to Deborah Grant in the title fight in Detroit, Michigan. Grant, who is nearly half Perella’s age (23 vs. 40), is considered one of the best female American amateur fighters and has won this tournament three years in a row.

“I set a goal to compete in the National Golden Gloves, and I stuck with it for a year. Despite being forty years old, raising a family, and working full-time, I still accomplished my goal,” said Perella, who is also a two-time New England Golden Gloves champion (2016 and 2024). “Competing at the National Golden Gloves was bittersweet for me. Even though I did not win the tournament, it was still the biggest accomplishment of my boxing career. It was also great for my children [15-year-old Julianna and 13-year-old Joseph] to see me make a year-long goal and accomplish it.”

  Perella has carried her amateur success into the professional ranks, winning all her fights this year. Perella defeated Brittany Dukes via a four-round unanimous decision, winning all but one round on the judges’ three scorecards (40-36, 40-36, and 39-37) in her last outing in mid-November at the Encore Boston Harbor Resort in Everett, Massachusetts. She outworked and outlanded Dukes. Perella connected on the harder punches, especially body shots. She controlled the third and fourth rounds despite having a severe cut above her right eye that was bleeding. The ringside doctor took a long look at her cut before the fourth round, but allowed the fight to continue. 

“Even though she was short [Dukes is five feet and Perella is seven inches taller], she was a tough fighter. She tried to land her signature overhand rights, but I avoided them. I had a lot of success fighting on the inside and landing hard body shots that I worked on in camp,” said Perella, who required six stitches after the fight to close her cut.  

Following her latest victory over Dukes, who had won her last two bouts, the orthodox fighter from Milton, Massachusetts, signed an exclusive two-year contract with the fastest-growing New England boxing promotional company, Granite Chin Promotions. 

“Singing Jenn made too much sense. Over the last year, she has become a staple on my last three boxing shows. She and her team are great, she has a great fan base, and she can fight like hell. She is never in a dull fight,” said Traietti, the president of Granite Chin Promotions.

Perella has been highly active, especially nowadays, with five fights in the past twelve months. She is looking to keep her busy fight schedule going next year with at least three bouts: May, July, and November.  

“There is no time to waste. The main plan is ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY. She got cut in her last fight, so for 2026, the plan is to put her on in May in Quincy [Massachusetts], then we are hoping to run again at Encore [Boston Harbor Resort] in the summer and fall,” said Traietti, a former boxer (30-4, 24 KOs). “Each fight will be more difficult than the last. After she passes the following three tests, which I have no doubt she will, in 2027, we will make her dream a reality and look to put her on a mega fight card.”

Despite sustaining a nasty cut in her last fight, she was back in the gym two days later, working with her longtime trainer Nick Cyr (5-1,  4 KOs as a heavyweight professional fighter) at the Muscle & Flow gym in her hometown. 

“My boxing success is attributed to the strong team that I have around me. My trainer, Cyr, always puts together a great game plan for my fights. With him in my corner, I am always prepared for whatever happens in the ring,” said Perella, who has trained with him since she started boxing in 2015. “Mark DeLuca [30-4, 18 KOs as a professional fighter] is my cutman, and he did a great job closing my cut before the last round of my last fight because if it had opened in the fourth round, the ringside doctor might have stopped the fight.”

Her lone loss was a controversial four-round split decision in her professional debut to Kalindra Faria, who fought five pounds above their agreed-upon weight. Judge Joe Apice scored it 39-37 for Perella; however, he was overruled by Judges Mark Cardarelli and Eddie Scuncio, who both scored it 39-37 for Faria. 

“I believe I beat Faria. It was a close bout, but I thought I won more rounds. She threw more punches than I did, but most of them did not land,” said Perella, who still took the fight because she had a long training camp and did not want to waste it by not fighting. “We are working on getting a rematch with her. Maybe it will happen next year.”

Perella has gained invaluable fighting experience primarily through sparring with two elite amateur fighters, Noelle Brown (from Boston Boxing and Fitness) and Kate Zehr (from Portland Boxing Club), both of whom competed in the USA Boxing National Championships in Lubbock, Texas, in December. 

Despite boxing on-and-off for ten years and having a limited amateur career, Perella offsets her lack of experience with a tremendous work ethic, fast hand speed, an impenetrable defense, and athleticism (from being a three-sport star at Milton High School – field hockey, basketball, and softball – and playing varsity field hockey as a forward at Endicott College). The confidence, poise, and ring IQ that she demonstrates in the ring is well beyond a fighter with just twenty-five bouts. 

“I am forty-two years old, and I am going to be forty-three next year, so I do not have a lot of time left in boxing, but I am going to fight as long as I can,” Perella said. “I want to take my boxing career all the way to a world title.”

In addition to being a professional boxer, Perella works full-time as a personal trainer and an event planner. She credits her husband, Anthony, a Boston Fire Department Captain (who is 2-0 as an amateur fighter), and her two children for their support of her boxing career. 

“Her story is amazing and relatable. She is a mother and a spouse, and she works while still making time to pursue her passion. Juggling all of these is such an impressive task. She is someone that people can look up to and be inspired by,” Traietti said.   

For more information about Perella’s boxing career and her upcoming fights, follow her Instagram handle @jennperella.

“I had an excellent year. I won four in a row, and each fight, I fought against better competition. My last training camp was my best one yet. Every fight, I have gotten better,” Perella said. “I am excited for 2026. It is going to be a good year, especially with Granite Chin Promotions promoting me. They are the extra piece that will take my career to the next level. They have very good things lined up for me next year.”