BOXING
For flyweight Abraham Perez, nothing comes easy
Perez, as talented and accomplished as he is, needs to keep winning
The late Bert Sugar, boxing writer and humorist, well understood the plight facing fighters in the sport鈥檚 lighter weight classes.
鈥淣ormally,鈥� Sugar once said (actually, probably more than once), 鈥減eople just don鈥檛 get excited about fighters who weigh less than their wives.鈥�
You couldn鈥檛 prove that by New Mexico.
Or could you?
Yes, our state produced Danny Romero and the late Johnny Tapia, two of the most successful American lighter-weight (115 pounds and below) fighters of the past three decades.
Tapia was a five-time world champion. In 1995, Romero at the age of 20 became the first 近距离内射合集 States-born flyweight (112-pound) world champion in 60 years.
Yet, a closer look at the early stages of their careers 鈥� more about that later 鈥� serves to illustrate, not contradict, Sugar鈥檚 point.
The journey was not easy.
Now comes Albuquerque鈥檚 Abraham Perez, a flyweight whose boxing resume fairly sparkles.
Perez is 13-0 with seven wins by knockout entering his scheduled bout on Saturday against The Philippines鈥� Esneth Domingo (22-4, 14 KOs). Perez鈥檚 amateur background, arguably, surpasses those of Tapia and Romero: Golden Gloves and USA Boxing national titles, as well as an Olympic Trials title (but no Olympic medal, and that鈥檚 important).
Yet, no major promoter has come calling, nor do those promoters always answer the phone when Aaron Perez, Abraham鈥檚 father and his local promoter, calls them on his behalf.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to get him signed,鈥� said the elder Perez, whose company, Legacy Promotions, has staged nine of the13 cards on which his son has performed. 鈥淚鈥檝e been throwing his name out there to all these big promoters here in the 近距离内射合集 States, and even (the England-based) Matchroom. And for some reason, they won鈥檛 bite.
鈥淚鈥檝e even told them if they want an opponent for their up-and-comers, we鈥檝e got Abraham all ready, and they don鈥檛 bite on him.鈥�
Well, it鈥檚 no wonder. They have no up-and-comers.
According to listings on their websites (which may or may not be current), neither Top Rank, Inc. nor Premier Boxing Champions nor Matchroom has a single fighter under contract at a weight class lighter than 115 pounds. PBC and Top Rank have only two fighters apiece at 115; Matchroom has none.
So, what鈥檚 an outstanding, deserving, 26-year-old flyweight fighter to do?
Keep working. Keep winning, starting with Domingo on Saturday. Keep hoping.
鈥淣o one鈥檚 gonna give nothing to anybody, right?鈥� Aaron Perez said. 鈥溾�� You鈥檝e got to earn the right to be there.
鈥淣obody鈥檚 gonna give it to you for free. You鈥檙e gonna have to earn it.鈥�
Earn it is what Tapia and Romero did.
They had no choice.
Tapia won two Golden Gloves national titles as an amateur but never had much success in the Olympic movement. When he turned pro in 1988, his name meant nothing to pro boxing fans and little to promoters. But managers and trainers knew who he was and were reluctant to put their lighter-weight prospects in the ring against him.
Paul Chavez, Tapia鈥檚 original pro manager and trainer, struggled to get him fights. Tapia鈥檚 pro debut was a four-round draw against a fighter with a 6-1 record. Chavez got him on locally promoted cards in California until Top Rank took an interest.
Research does not establish when Top Rank actually signed Tapia to a contract. But TR had not hesitated to sign Phoenix鈥檚 Michael Carbajal, a 1988 Olympic silver medalist at light flyweight (108 pounds).
鈥淚 guess that鈥檚 what I get for not making the Olympics,鈥� said Tapia, 12-0-1 at the time and without a TR contract, in November 1989.
Perez didn鈥檛 make the Olympics, either, though it鈥檚 not his fault.
In winning the 2019 Olympic Trials, Perez twice defeated Anthony Herrera en route. Nonetheless, USA Boxing selected Herrera, not Perez, as its Olympic candidate at flyweight.
Romero, years before, saw his Olympic dream evaporate with a loss in the 1992 Olympic Trials. A power puncher with a professional style, he never won a senior-level national amateur title. He was 13-0 with 12 knockouts as a pro, fighting on off-TV shows, before Top Rank signed him in 1994.
Tapia鈥檚 journey, as we know, was complicated by personal and legal issues. Not so with Romero
Not so as well with Perez, and he鈥檚 fortunate to have a father in the boxing-promotions business. Even so, Bert Sugar was right on.
All Perez can do, as his dad said, is keep knocking on that door until he knocks it down.
