Mike Perez (boxer)

Mike Perez
Born	Ismaikel Pérez (1985-10-20) 20 October 1985 (age 39) Sancti Spíritus, Cuba
Nationality	Cuban Irish
Other names	The Rebel
Statistics
Weight(s)	Cruiserweight Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Reach	76 in (193 cm)
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	33
Wins	29
Wins by KO	20
Losses	3
Draws	1
Medal record Representing  Cuba World Junior Championships 2004 Jeju Light heavyweight

Ismaikel "Mike" Perez (born 20 October 1985) is a Cuban and Irish professional boxer who holds the WBA Intercontinental Cruiserweight title and challenged once for the WBC cruiserweight title in 2017.

Perez was a successful amateur boxer in Cuba. In 2005, while competing with the Cuban team at a tournament in Liverpool, he caught the eye of Irish boxing promoter Gary Hyde. Hyde later expressed his desire to turn Perez professional, and to do that he had to arrange his defection from Cuba. In December 2007, under cover of darkness, Perez swam offshore from Cuba, to a boat manned by a Mexican cartel. After transferring through two other boats, enduring storms and depleted food and water supplies, Perez eventually reached Mexican soil nine days later. The Cartel then held him there, until they secured final payment from organizer, Gary Hyde. Upon receiving it, Perez was released, allowing him to board a flight to his new home. On 10 January 2008, Perez touched down in Ireland, where he settled in Cork along with fellow Cubans Alexei Acosta and Luis García. Today, he fights under the nickname Mike "The Rebel" Perez, in reference to Cork which is known as the "Rebel County".^[1][2]

Perez had over 400 amateur bouts. In 2004, he won gold at the World Junior Championships in Jeju City, South Korea. The southpaw beat Englishman Danny Price in the semifinals, before defeating Russian fighter Nikolay Pavlyukov 38-16 in the final. Perez later beat fighters such as Kenneth Egan and Constantin Bejenaru, but moved up to 201 lbs and initially struggled against world class competition like Luis Ortiz, who beat him in 2006 to become the Cuban national champion. Perez avenged that loss in the 2007 championships, but lost to Osmay Acosta in that year's final.^[3]

In 2008, Perez turned professional under Cuban coach Nicholas Cruz Hernández, who had also moved to Ireland in 1988.

On 7 May 2011, Perez won the International Prizefighter tournament, held in London, England. Perez faced Kertson Manswell and Grégory Tony, before defeating American Tye Fields in the final to take home the £32,000 prize. After the fight, Perez stated the victory would earn him a world title shot in the near future.^[4][5]

He then fought and won against American journeyman Zack Page in a rematch on 9 November 2011, in York Hall, Bethnal Green, London.^[6]

Perez made his United States debut on 30 December 2011, against the Nigerian heavyweight Friday Ahunanya. The location for the fight was Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, Cabazon, California. Perez won by unanimous decision, winning every round on the judges' scorecards.^[7]

After a hiatus in 2012, Perez returned to the ring on 4 May 2013, winning a 10-round unanimous decision against American Travis Walker on the undercard of Wladimir Klitschko vs. Francesco Pianeta.

On 2 November 2013, he made his HBO debut against hard-hitting prospect Magomed Abdusalomov (18-0 18 KOs) at Madison Square Garden. In a rare southpaw vs. southpaw heaveyweight match, Perez won by unanimous decision after a brutally-fought 10 rounds.^[8] The fight left Abdusalamov permanently and severely injured after suffering a stroke during surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain.^[9] Abdusalamov's family later sued the New York State Athletic Commission due to negligence. The lawsuit ended with a $22 million settlement.^[10] Perez's form dipped after the tragic incident, as he drew and lost many of his next fights. He would later reveal that he struggled with alcoholism during this time, to the point of getting into the ring drunk a few times.^[11]

Perez returned on 18 January 2014 to fight Carlos Takam at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Takam and Perez fought to a majority draw. The fight was shown on HBO on the Jean Pascal vs Lucian Bute under card.^[12]

Perez then lost a narrow split decision to Bryant Jennings on 26 July 2014, with the judges’ scorecards reading 114-113 and 115-112 for Jennings, and 114-113 for Perez. Referee Harvey Dock controversially deducted a point from Perez in the final round for hitting Jennings on the break.^[13]

On 22 May 2015 Perez was brutally knocked out by Alexander Povetkin 91 seconds into a WBC heavyweight title eliminator. Following the loss to Povetkin, Perez spent over two years away from the ring, before returning in 2017 as a cruiserweight.

On 6 July, Perez was announced as the final entrant to the cruiserweight World Boxing Super Series (WBSS).^[14]

At the Draft Gala, which took place on 8 July in Monte Carlo, Perez was chosen by WBC champion Mairis Briedis as his quarter final opponent.^[15] On 22 July, the WBSS announced the fight would take place in Briedis' home country of Latvia at the Riga Arena, Riga, on 30 September 2017. This would be the 8th time Briedis would fight at his hometown arena.^[16][17]

Briedis won a scrappy fight, beating Perez by unanimous decision after 12 rounds (116-110, 115-111, 114-112). Perez was deducted a point in round 3 following an accidental clash of heads. Briedis was also docked a point during round 10 for excessive holding. With the win, Briedis moved on to the semi-finals to face the eventual winner Oleksandr Usyk.^[18]

In his next bout, Perez fought Tony Salam. Perez won the fight via third round TKO.^[19]

Perez resides in Cork, Ireland with his wife Camille.^{[citation needed]}

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
30	Win	26–3–1	Jose Gregorio Ulrich	TKO	6 (10), 0:53	13 Nov 2021	Classic Remise, Duesseldorf, Germany
29	Win	25–3–1	Tony Salam	KO	4 (12), 2:13	13 Aug 2021	Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, UAE	Won vacant WBA Inter-Continental cruiserweight title
28	Win	24–3–1	Keith Tapia	UD	10	20 Oct 2018	CFE Arena, Orlando, Florida, U.S.	Won vacant WBA Fedelatin cruiserweight title
27	Win	23–3–1	Pablo Matias Magrini	TKO	1 (8), 0:30	17 Feb 2018	WIT Arena, Waterford, Ireland
26	Loss	22–3–1	Mairis Briedis	UD	12	30 Sep 2017	Arena Riga, Riga, Latvia	For WBC cruiserweight title; World Boxing Super Series: cruiserweight quarter-finals
25	Win	22–2–1	Viktor Biscak	KO	1 (6), 0:29	10 Jun 2017	Odyssey Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland
24	Loss	21–2–1	Alexander Povetkin	KO	1 (12), 1:31	22 May 2015	Luzhniki Palace of Sports, Moscow, Russia	For WBC Silver heavyweight title
23	Win	21–1–1	Darnell Wilson	TKO	2 (8), 0:59	5 Feb 2015	The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, U.S.
22	Loss	20–1–1	Bryant Jennings	SD	12	26 Jul 2014	The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, U.S.
21	Draw	20–0–1	Carlos Takam	MD	10	18 Jan 2014	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
20	Win	20–0	Magomed Abdusalamov	UD	10	2 Nov 2013	The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.	Won WBC–USNBC heavyweight title
19	Win	19–0	Travis Walker	UD	10	4 May 2013	SAP Arena, Mannheim, Germany
18	Win	18–0	Friday Ahunanya	UD	10	30 Dec 2011	Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, Cabazon, California, U.S.
17	Win	17–0	Zack Page	PTS	8	9 Nov 2011	York Hall, London, England
16	Win	16–0	Tye Fields	TKO	1 (3), 0:42	7 May 2011	Alexandra Palace, London, England	Prizefighter 18: The International Heavyweights – final
15	Win	15–0	Grégory Tony	TKO	1 (3), 0:54	7 May 2011	Alexandra Palace, London, England	Prizefighter 18: The International Heavyweights – semi-final
14	Win	14–0	Kertson Manswell	UD	3	7 May 2011	Alexandra Palace, London, England	Prizefighter 18: The International Heavyweights – quarter-final
13	Win	13–0	Ismail Abdoul	PTS	8	4 Mar 2011	Doncaster Dome, Doncaster, England
12	Win	12–0	Pāvels Dolgovs	TKO	1 (6), 1:41	6 Nov 2010	University Arena, Limerick, Ireland
11	Win	11–0	Jason Barnett	KO	1 (8), 2:40	26 Jun 2010	Neptune Sports Arena, Cork, Ireland
10	Win	10–0	Tomas Mrazek	TKO	3 (4), 1:48	15 May 2010	University Arena, Limerick, Ireland
9	Win	9–0	Edgars Kalnārs	TKO	1 (4), 0:48	15 May 2010	University Arena, Limerick, Ireland
8	Win	8–0	Zack Page	PTS	8	28 Feb 2009	Lightfoot Centre, Newcastle, England
7	Win	7–0	Harry Duiven Jr	KO	2 (6), 0:22	17 Jan 2009	Silver Springs Moran Hotel, Cork, Ireland
6	Win	6–0	Luis Oscar Ricail	TKO	1 (6), 1:24	26 Oct 2008	Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, Ireland
5	Win	5–0	Claudemir Dias	KO	1 (8), 0:22	13 Sep 2008	Neptune Sports Arena, Cork, Ireland
4	Win	4–0	Howard Daley	TKO	1 (4), 1:27	12 Apr 2008	Breaffy House Resort, Castlebar, Ireland
3	Win	3–0	Tomasz Zeprzalka	PTS	6	22 Mar 2008	National Boxing Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
2	Win	2–0	Sándor Balogh	TKO	1 (4), 0:41	2 Feb 2008	University Arena, Limerick, Ireland
1	Win	1–0	Jevgēņijs Stamburskis	TKO	1 (4), 1:35	26 Jan 2008	Neptune Sports Arena, Cork, Ireland

• Boxing record for Mike Perez from BoxRec (registration required)
• Amateur record at the Wayback Machine (archived October 26, 2009)
• Bleacher Report - The Top 10 Heavyweight Prospects in the World
• Mike Perez - Profile, News Archive & Current Rankings at Box.Live