Mike Perez (boxer)
| Mike Perez | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics | ||||||||||
| Real name | Ismaikel Pérez | |||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Rebel | |||||||||
| Rated at | Heavyweight | |||||||||
| Height | 6 ft (183 cm) | |||||||||
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm) | |||||||||
| Nationality | Cuban | |||||||||
| Born |
20 October 1985 Sancti Spíritus, Cuba |
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| Stance | Southpaw | |||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||
| Total fights | 24 | |||||||||
| Wins | 21 | |||||||||
| Wins by KO | 13 | |||||||||
| Losses | 2 | |||||||||
| Draws | 1 | |||||||||
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Medal record
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Ismaikel "Mike" Perez (born 20 October 1985) is a Cuban professional boxer competing as a heavyweight.
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 January 10, 2008, Perez touched down in Ireland, where he settled in Cork along with fellow Cubans Alexei Acosta and Luis Garcia. Today, he fights under the nickname Mike "The Rebel" Perez, in reference to Cork which is known as the "The Rebel County".
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.
In 2008, Perez turned professional under Cuban coach Nicholas Cruz Hernández, who had also moved to Ireland in 1988.
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