The Ghost Career of Mike Perez

There may be few careers in modern boxing as confounding as that of the Cuban Mike Perez.

Perez, 30-3-1 (21), who fights on Saturday in Ipswich on a card to be shown on DAZN, has somehow skirted stardom, bounding around weight divisions, losing the big fights, and being the best thing on the card in smaller ones.

But at 39, his career options should be narrowing as his time in the ring wanes to an end.

There is a good chance that it should never have been this way; Perez was special.

According to the various biographies that exist like vapour on the internet, Perez had 400 amateur fights. But it was at a tournament in Liverpool, UK, that he captured the eye of Irish businessman Gary Hyde. From there, Perez left behind the amateurs and his home country, moved to Cork, Ireland.

It was there that Perez had his first professional fight, beating Jevgenijs Stamburskis by a stoppage in the first round. If you have not heard of Stamburskis before now, that is fine because not many people have.

From there, Perez bounced around various cards in Ireland. He turned up in 2008 in Dublin when Matthew Macklin fought Yory Boy Campas, but mostly he fought in Limerick and in Cork, within hotels and small arenas.

He made two visits to the UK in 2009 and 2011, in small shows in Newcastle and Doncaster, fighting always at heavyweight.

Then he fought in one of the Prizefighter series of tournaments, this time at the Alexandra Palace in London, where he stopped the giant Tye Fields in the final after outpointing Kerston Manswell and Gregory Tony.

After that, he seemed to bounce around the world as his weight climbed: Cabazon, US; Mannheim, Germany; New York; Montreal.

It was in New York and Montreal that things begin to shift, like the change in weather between the seasons.

In New York, he fought Magomed Abdusalamov and afterwards, his opponent went into a coma from which he has never recovered. But Perez only took two months off and then he went to Montreal where French strongman Carlos Takam held him to a draw.

It seemed the shine was off at that point. Bryant Jennings beat him on a split decision over twelve back in New York and he went from there to Costa Mesa where he stopped a journeyman by Darnell Wilson in two rounds.

He went to Moscow after that, where WBA champion Alexander Povetkin stopped him from seeing the bell that ends the first round. There was another quick stoppage after that in Belfast, then he went to Latvia where Mairis Briedis outscored him at cruiserweight for the world title.

It has been fairly dispiriting since, with wins in Waterford over Pablo Matias Magrini, and there have been nights against Keith Tapia, Tony Salam, Jose Gregorio Ulrich, Vasil Ducar, Adnan Deronja, Rashad Karimov, and Israel Duffus.

All of those fights took place far from the bright lights: Orlando, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Benalmadena, Oberhausen, Gibraltar.

It was the route of the professional fighter: have gloves, will travel.

Perez fights again, now, on Saturday. 39 years old, 400 amateur fights, 34 so far as a professional.

He fights Steven Ward, 15-3 (5), and this is a fight that Perez should win. But he will be buried deep on the undercard, somewhere early, seemingly far away again from the bright lights.

Bright lights where he should have been.