Cuban Cruiserweight Contender Mike Perez Makes It 2-0 On Comeback Trail
It was a busy weekend of boxing action this past weekend, and fans may have missed cruiserweight contender Mike Perez’ KO win in Germany. The 36 year old Cuban southpaw who was once a top ranked heavyweight, stopped Jose Ulrich in the sixth round to improve to 25-3-1 with 16 KOs. Ulrich falls to 17-5(6) and he has now lost his last five in a row.
“The Rebel,” as Perez is known has now won two fights on his comeback, having returned to action in August with a KO win over Tony Salam in Dubai, this after a near three-year layoff. Perez won the WBA intercontinental cruiserweight belt with that win and Saturday’s night saw him keep busy. Perez says his goal is to become a world cruiserweight champion and that he will keep himself in shape and will be ready if a shot comes his way.
It will be interesting seeing how far Perez’ comeback can take him, if he can become a world champion at this late stage in his career, after all he has been through. Fans may recall how it hit Perez hard when his heavyweight opponent of November 2013, Magomed Abdusalamov suffered terrible brain injury as a result of the hard fight. Perez suffered from depression as a result of that fight and its aftermath and he was not the same fighter when he attempted to carry on with his career; being beaten by Bryant Jennings and being stopped (for the only time in his pro career) by Alexander Povetkin.
Now, having apparently fought off the demons, having found in 2017 that he is a natural cruiserweight, Perez is quietly working his way towards a second world title chance. Mairis Briedis knew too much for Perez back in a September 2017 WBC title defence but Perez has now won four in a row since the decision loss to the man who currently holds the IBF cruiserweight title.
Even if Perez is unable to get as far as winning a world title, he could feature in some big and interesting fights at 200 pounds. And Perez is a good guy, a fighter to root for. The current cruiserweight division is, it’s fair to say, pretty much wide open right now and it has been since the superb Oleksandr Usyk moved up to heavyweight, and the reigning champions are: Breidis, IBF, Ilunga Makabu, WBC, Arsen Goulamirian, WBA, and Lawrence Okolie, WBO.
There are also a number of up-and-coming fighters at the weight, one of whom Perez may fight. Let’s see what Perez’ next move is.