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Pero-Thompson: Can British contender bounce back from brutal loss to revive his career?
The towering 6’ 6” Brit was a respected cruiserweight prospect and knockout artist before suffering a devastating loss against the IBF champion Jai Opetaia in 2023.
Having looked a little out of his depth, Thompson fell to the wayside in the eyes of the British fans, with many saying he was not ready for that level of opposition.
Thompson has not returned to the ring since, but out of the blue was announced to make his heavyweight debut against the Cuban Olympian and number three-ranked contender with the WBA, Lenier Pero.
His career thus far has been far from linear, but fighting Pero represents the chance to set himself on a more certain path in boxing's blue-riband division as he takes on his first headline show. Here, we look at his journey so far, and whether he can revive his career this evening.
Promising knockout artist
Thompson made his first professional outing in 2015 with no amateur background to speak of, but quickly became a threat in the cruiserweight division.
Because of his freakish size and power for a cruiserweight, Thompson made fast progress in the division, not taking the traditional route of picking up area and national titles.
This also attracted world-level heavyweights to bring Thompson for sparring. Names like Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk employed ‘Troublesome’ as a sparring partner early in his career.
He earned his first professional honours in 2022, when he survived a late knockdown against Vasil Ducar to claim the vacant IBF European title, to move to 13-0 (11).
Unhappy with his performance under his previous head trainer, Thompson made the move to Essex to box under the tutelage of Tony Sims, where he remains to this day.
Thompson then returned eight months later to defend his European strap against Luke Watkins and was back to his destructive best - handily dispatching his compatriot inside six rounds, displaying his lights-out power on the European stage.
Then seemingly out of nowhere, Thompson found himself with a shot at the IBF cruiserweight title against arguably the best fighter in the entire division, Jai Opetaia.
Opetaia had been publicly struggling to find an opponent since claiming his title against Mairis Briedis in 2022. Thompson stepped up and decided to roll the dice.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
What happened against Opetaia?
Opetaia, at this time, was a relative unknown knockout artist in his own right and newly crowned IBF champion.
The fight with Thompson was his first in Europe, but he was still the heavy favourite due to Thompson’s lack of experience at the top level – whereas Opetaia had just beaten one of the best cruiserweights of his generation in Breidis.
Unfortunately for Thompson, the writing was on the wall from the very first bell as the much more mobile yet equally as powerful Opetaia bounced in and out of range. The southpaw found himself outside the lead shoulder of Thompson at will, ready to detonate his huge left hand.
The Brit survived an early scare at the end of the first round when Opetaia landed a left hand on the inside that sent Thompson reeling onto the ropes, and he barely survived a near 30-second onslaught from the Aussie before being saved by the bell.
Thompson bravely returned in the second round with his nose bloodied and Opetaia on the hunt. He clearly had his confidence knocked out of him and stopped throwing almost entirely.
The third round was more positive for Thompson, who snapped out his jab with more vigour, hoping to deter Opetaia, but he got too lazy with his feet and let Opetaia get close – where he landed a stunning right hook that sent Thompson to the canvas for the second time in his career.
In a show of immense courage, the Brit survived the remaining two minutes of the round by the skin of his teeth and almost collapsed into his corner, but never got his legs back after the first knockdown.
Ultimately, the clear gulf in skill was too much for Thompson, who was felled for the final time at the beginning of the fourth round.
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What has Thompson done since?
The loss to Opetaia was the start of a lengthy layoff for Thompson, who, now that he is scheduled to fight Pero, will bring to an end a more than two-year hiatus.
Thompson had surgery on one of his hands in 2024, which was part of the reason he stayed away from the ring for so long and in 2025, he told Punchout Boxing that he was back in the gym after his hand surgery. He also had issues to deal with outside of the ring, which had a part to play in his absence.
He also confirmed he would no longer be campaigning at cruiserweight, citing trouble making the 200lbs limit as the reason for this move – which should come as no surprise given his incredible size.
How can he prove himself at heavyweight?
Having not fought for such a long time, Thompson will have something to prove upon his return as he aims to show he belongs at the top level despite his brutal loss to Opetaia.
By agreeing to fight Pero, he has more than given himself the chance to do this. Pero is ranked as number three in the world heavyweight rankings by the WBA.
He is unbeaten in 12 fights with eight knockouts and brings an Olympic pedigree with him. He represented one of the greatest Olympic boxing nations, Cuba, at the 2016 Games in Rio, beating Guido Vianello before falling short against Filip Hrgovic.
So, if Thompson can get an upset victory, he will prove himself as a potential threat in the heavyweight division and unlock bigger fights against the current crop of impressive British heavyweights.
Fights with the likes of David Adeleye, Frazer Clarke and Joe Joyce could become available to him if he can put on a show in Florida.
Matchroom BoxingWatch Pero vs. Thompson live on DAZN
Lenier Pero vs. Jordan Thompson is live on DAZN tonight, November 1. Watch the fight and whole card with a DAZN subscription.
Annual and monthly options available, click here for pricing and options.
