MIKE Perez has crawled out of boxing’s wilderness, reigniting his almost forgotten career with a ninth-round stoppage victory over Steven Ward.
The pair squared off on the undercard of Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni, setting a pulsating tempo at Portman Road – the home of Ipswich Town Football Club – in Suffolk, England.
With his latest victory, Perez, 31-3-1 (22 KOs), has remained unbeaten in nine outings since his unanimous decision defeat to Mairis Briedis, the then WBC world cruiserweight champion, back in 2017.
Before that, Perez attempted to make his mark in the land of the giants, only for a terrific size disadvantage to see him drop down to 200lbs.
Despite his age, the 39-year-old now looks to be a sturdy contender at the weight, though world champions Jai Opetaia, Gilberto Ramirez and Badou Jack nonetheless remain a fair level above him.
In any case, Perez got off to a patient start against Ward, 15-4 (5 KOs), yet his thudding left hand made for a potent weapon, allowing him to command the centre of the ring early doors.
All the while, Ward continued to shift his feet in and out of range, not quite punching with the same authority but nonetheless remaining active behind his jab.
Just after the second round came to a close, the Belfast man’s corner – marshalled by Jaime Moore, Martin Murray and Nigel Travis – warned him not to empty his tank.
And sure enough, Ward followed his trainers’ advice accordingly, opting to smother his opponent’s pressure and, in turn, force him to expend a degree of energy instead.
In the fifth-round, Perez rediscovered elements of his early control – landing a few eye-catching combinations – while, at the same time, displaying several signs of fatigue.
The Cuban then unleashed a promising onslaught in the following frame, only for Ward to fire back with a series of sharper attacks at long-range.
A cut above the Irishman’s right eye was followed by a punishing eighth-round, however, with a left uppercut sending him crashing down to the canvas.
Perez then scored his second knockdown with a vicious attack moments later, before dropping his man with a final body shot on the following visit.
In the end, Murray quite rightly threw in the towel, keeping Ward away from further danger.
