No matter how grand the stage, there is always much more to a boxing card than just the main event. This Friday former champions Zab ?Super? Judah and Jose Armando Santa Cruz will headline a card from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Training for the bout out of the Hit Factory Gym on the East side of Las Vegas, Judah has been grabbing much of the headlines with his proclamations of returning to supremacy at 140 pounds but the undercard has an interesting story to offer in the form of hard luck Alex Perez.
Sporting an 11-0 record with 7 knockouts, Perez isn?t your typical prospect by any means. The 28-year has been through many trials and tribulations as a youth that have obviously impacted his outlook on the world today. Perez? checkered past has also seemed to boil over into his profession as a fighter as his career has seen its share of inactivity spells, with his work as a sparring partner for some of boxing?s biggest names getting him more publicity that any of his specific fights.
Perez is scheduled to face off with well traveled journeyman Edvan Dos Santos Barros this weekend and will be looking to give a lasting first impression to the viewing public. Coming from a self admitted rough childhood, you can sense just how appreciative Perez is of his opportunity this coming Friday.
?It?s been a long, bumpy road,? Perez told the Examiner. ?I had to overcome a lot of obstacles in my life period. I?ve been stabbed, been shot up, been facing 30 years. It?s been real hectic for me. From everything I have been through, everything people have wrote about me, it has been real humbling. My time is July 16th.?
Just from hearing the tone in Perez? voice you get a sense for how rough around the edges the Puerto Rican descendant truly is. Perez claims that his mother pushed him towards the sport at the age of eight to guide him towards the right path and that he instantly fell in love with combative nature of the sweet science. Along the way he has also learned the harsh reality that boxing is something you can never take lightly.
?If you want it you have to put 120% into boxing,? Perez said bluntly. ?Boxing isn?t a game, for one. You can?t play boxing. It?s a very dangerous sport. You could easily get messed up. You can?t play around. This is a serious sport and you have to give all of your focus. It?s a mental game and you have to be ready.?
There has been somewhat of an underground buzz going around on Perez through his work as a sparring partner for the likes of Miguel Cotto, Felix Sturm, Joel Julio, and Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez. In late 2006 Perez would find himself in the middle of some grueling sessions with Cotto as the decorated champion was getting ready for his move to 147 pounds.
?I helped him get ready for the Carlos Quintana fight,? Perez said of Cotto. ?Basically I was able to hold my own and a lot of times I was more than holding my own. I gave him more than what he could handle a couple of days. It was a big confidence booster for me.?
At the time Perez was just 6-0 and was readying himself for a clash with Decatur, Georgia?s Troy Wilson on the Cotto-Quintana undercard. In essence each man was preparing the other for battle and Perez was able to take away the immense professionalism that exists on all fronts from the three-division champion.
?It was a great camp,? Perez reflected of his time with Cotto. ?It was a six week camp. He had good people on his team and he treated me great. He gave me my respect. It wasn?t my family but it was cool. It was in Caugus, Puerto Rico?
Last year Perez found himself on the West Coast as he was involved in yet another high profile camp with Martinez. The ultra-talented southpaw from Argentina had a coming out party this past April when he decisioned Kelly Pavlik over twelve rounds and in holding his own with the classy pugilist Perez was able to gain more motivation of his own.
?That took place in Oxnard, California,? Perez said. ?It was a good camp. It was basically the same thing. I went in and handled my business every time I went in there. It was just a good experience for me all around. He was getting ready for Paul Williams.?
While gaining somewhat of a cult status from working with some of boxing?s big names may be nice, Perez is obviously looking to make a name all his own. His past experiences in boxing have served as tremendous learning lessons and in overcoming the outside struggles he has faced in day to day life Perez has gotten a grasp for what he truly wants out of his life. It all begins this Friday night.
?I?d be either dead or in jail now if it wasn?t for boxing. Boxing changed my life 100%. It?s not just for me, this is most importantly for my family. I?m going to go in and do what I have to do. With the help from the man upstairs I am a very strong and competitive. I?ve been waiting for this my whole life.?
