Mike Perez

Ismaikel "Mike" Perez (born 20 October 1985) is a Cuban-Irish professional boxer who holds the WBA Intercontinental Cruiserweight title and challenged once for the WBC cruiserweight title in 2017.

Perez was a successful amateur boxer in Cuba.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Perez avenged that loss in the 2007 championships, but lost to Osmay Acosta in that year's final.

On 10 January 2008, Perez touched down in Ireland, where he settled in Cork along with fellow Cubans Alexei Acosta and Luis García.

Today, he fights under the nickname Mike "The Rebel" Perez, in reference to Cork which is known as the "Rebel County".

Perez had over 400 amateur bouts.

In 2008, Perez turned professional under Cuban coach Nicholas Cruz Hernández, who had also moved to Ireland in 1988.

On 7 May 2011, Perez won the International Prizefighter tournament, held in London, England.

Perez faced Kertson Manswell and Grégory Tony, before defeating American Tye Fields in the final to take home the £32,000 prize.

After the fight, Perez stated the victory would earn him a world title shot in the near future.

He then fought and won against American journeyman Zack Page in a rematch on 9 November 2011, in York Hall, Bethnal Green, London.

Perez made his United States debut on 30 December 2011, against the Nigerian heavyweight Friday Ahunanya.

The location for the fight was Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, Cabazon, California.

Perez won by unanimous decision, winning every round on the judges' scorecards.

After a hiatus in 2012, Perez returned to the ring on 4 May 2013, winning a 10-round unanimous decision against American Travis Walker on the undercard of Wladimir Klitschko vs. Francesco Pianeta.

Perez returned on 18 January 2014 to fight Carlos Takam at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Takam and Perez fought to a majority draw.

The fight was shown on HBO on the Jean Pascal vs Lucian Bute under card.

Perez then lost a narrow split decision to Bryant Jennings on 26 July 2014, with the judges’ scorecards reading 114-113 and 115-112 for Jennings, and 114-113 for Perez.

Referee Harvey Dock controversially deducted a point from Perez in the final round for hitting Jennings on the break.

On 22 May 2015 Perez was brutally knocked out by Alexander Povetkin 91 seconds into a WBC heavyweight title eliminator.

Following the loss to Povetkin, Perez spent over two years away from the ring, before returning in 2017 as a cruiserweight.

On 6 July, Perez was announced as the final entrant to the cruiserweight World Boxing Super Series (WBSS).

At the Draft Gala, which took place on 8 July in Monte Carlo, Perez was chosen by WBC champion Mairis Briedis as his quarter final opponent.

On 2 November 2013, he made his HBO debut against hard-hitting prospect Magomed Abdusalomov (18-0 18 KOs) at Madison Square Garden.

In a rare southpaw vs. southpaw heaveyweight match, Perez won by unanimous decision after a brutally-fought 10 rounds.

The fight left Abdusalamov permanently and severely injured after suffering a stroke during surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain.

Abdusalamov's family later sued the New York State Athletic Commission due to negligence.

The lawsuit ended with a $22 million settlement.

Perez's form dipped after the tragic incident, as he drew and lost many of his next fights.

He would later reveal that he struggled with alcoholism during this time, to the point of getting into the ring drunk a few times.