Manchester trainer Lee Beard believes former pupil Mike Perez has a great chance of taking away the Prizefighter International Heavyweights title.
Former trainer suggests Perez could be surprise package
Manchester trainer Lee Beard believes former pupil Mike Perez has a great chance of taking away the Prizefighter International Heavyweights title.
Perez, who is based in Cork, Ireland after leaving Cuba in 2007, is unbeaten in 13 fights and has a record that suggests he should be suited to the Prizefighter format.
Ten of those wins have been earned by early knockouts - two of which came in one night - and while he will face much tougher opposition at the Alexandra Palace in London on May 7, it is easy to see why 'The Rebel' caught the eye of the promoters and TV bosses.
And Beard, who will shortly begin to prepare Argenis Mendez for an IBF super-featherweight title shot against Mzonke Fana, expects Perez to make a name for himself.
"He's a really talented lad," Beard told
skysports.com. "He's a big lad, not a big heavyweight, but you couldn't believe how fast he is.
"He's really, really fast, explosive and can whack as well. I don't think any of them will be able to cope with his speed."
Hand-speed
Beard, who worked with Perez last year after the 25-year-old southpaw had recovered from a shoulder injury, says the 6ft Cuban has the look of Mike Tyson about him.
"We were working on a lot of things - he's a work in progress - and I saw a lot of similarities to Tyson, coming in fast and letting fly.
"He's not that much taller than Tyson, and there were just certain things that made me think he could be really big.
"He can punch, his main attribute is his speed. He's got phenomenal hand-speed in the gym."
Perez sparred last year with journeyman Sherman Williams - who recently fought Evander Holyfield - and was impressed with what he saw.
"Perez was too fast for him, fast hands and feet, very elusive," added the former Team Hatton member. "He can start off slowly, working his way into things. People say he's lazy but I don't see him starting that way in Prizefighter.
"I think Mike could walk it, looking at who's in there now. He can thump. He's got all the attributes. I just hope they've been able to keep him motivated. After the shoulder injury he was finding it difficult to get back into shape.
"But as soon as he lets his hands go a fight can be over. He blew Jason Barnett out the ring as soon as he let his hands go. If he does that he could win them all by stoppage."
The first edition of Prizefighter International Heavyweights certainly looks wide open.
The list is headed by Kevin Johnson, who put up a meek display against Vitali Klitschko in 2009 and has fought only twice since, while veterans Tye Fields and Fres Oquendo are coming into the event on the back of defeats.
Britain's Michael Sprott won Prizefighter in October but has been hard to match since and warmed up with a four-rounder in Germany last month.
