DILLIAN Whyte has called upon the services of Mike Perez, a world-ranked cruiserweight contender, as he gears up to face explosive heavyweight phenom Moses Itauma.
The pair have shared countless rounds in sparring for the best part of a decade, but only now has Perez’s involvement developed into a point of particular interest.
As a well-schooled southpaw, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Cuban, a former heavyweight operator himself, has been selected as one of the Londoner’s chief sparring partners.
At the age of 39, though, Perez, 31-3-1 (22 KOs), may struggle to emulate the fast-twitch movements of Itauma, 12-0 (10 KOs), who remains a precocious talent at just 20 years old.
Yet still, while he may not offer a blistering pair of hands, or even an imposing frame, ‘The Rebel’ nonetheless possesses a level of footwork which, in preparation for a dynamic mover like Itauma, should come in handy.
Perez did, after all, establish himself as a standout amateur, winning the world junior championships in 2004, only to now boast a number-five ranking with the WBA at 200lbs.
But of course, Whyte, 31-3 (21 KOs), will only discover just how fruitful his sparring with Perez has been when he squares off against Itauma in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next Saturday.
The 37-year-old comes off a seventh-round finish over Ebenezer Tetteh, yet despite securing the victory, his performance last December did little to suggest that he is not, in fact, a fighter in serious decline.
It would therefore seem that ‘The Body Snatcher’ may need to pull a rabbit out the hat in order to defeat Itauma, while his sparring with Perez, it is worth highlighting, nonetheless appears to have afforded him plenty of confidence.
“I’ve known Mike since 2015, when I first started getting into boxing,” Whyte told Boxing News during a media roundtable.
“Mike was punching holes in me back then – I had no experience. I think they were paying me 500 bucks to spar him at the time. I was like, ‘Damn, I’m gonna come here every day!’
“It’s just been beneficial for me, being around someone who’s had over 500 amateur fights. It’s good, it’s benefited me, and obviously he’s a grown man, he ain’t scared to tell me, ‘Bro, you’re messing about, you need to do this.’
“I’ve got respect for him because of his accolades, what he’s achieved and his skills, so it’s been great to have him around.”
