Yonnhy Perez: One Win Away from Becoming a Breakout Star

One of the great things about boxing is that you never know from where the next great fighter will emerge. In many of today’s mainstream sports, “the next big thing” has been hyped since they laced up their cleats or athletic shoes for their high school. In boxing, a poor kid that barely owned a pair of shoes as a fifteen-year-old can become star with a ton of hard work and a few breaks. On Saturday night, Yonnhy Perez, who was joining the army in his native Colombia at an age when most teens are planning for their senior year, has a chance to make it big should he get past respected IBF Bantamweight Champion Joseph Agbeko in a bout televised nationwide by Showtime.

It has been a long road to a title opportunity for Perez (19-0, 14 KOs) of Santa Fe Springs, California. Born in Cartagena, Colombia, Perez found his way to boxing at the age of eight and gradually became one of the country’s top amateurs. His amateur career, which included seven Colombian national titles and a bronze medal at the 2003 Pan American Games, would be prolonged by his nine-year stint in the military.

At the ripe age of 26, Perez made the move to the paid ranks. “It was really rough in the beginning,” explained Perez during a recent conference call. “I did, in fact, start my professional career late. But that was due to the fact that I was in the Colombian National Army. I had support in the amateurs as a boxer and being part of the military. I did retire from the military with honors, I actually didn’t want to retire early, and that allowed me to have a small pension and a house which we rent in Colombia. That’s the reason why I started my career late. Also, I made a decision to come over to the United States because I had an opportunity to do so through my managers.”

So with the help of his managers, Mike Vital and Ismael Mares, Perez made the move to the States, making his debut in July 2005 with a first-round knockout of Steve Lozoya in Tucson, Arizona. Perez was impressive from the start and quickly caught on with Southern California-based Thompson Boxing Promotions in 2006. Under the Thompson Boxing banner, Perez was intelligently moved up the ladder and kept incredibly active. Thompson Boxing, headed by Ken Thompson and Alex Camponovo, runs regular events out of Ontario and Corona, California and Perez quickly became a fan favorite on those cards.

By the middle of 2007, Perez found himself at 12-0 with a solid win over veteran Oscar Andrade and a regional belt around his waist. In order to move Perez to the next level, Thompson Boxing reached an agreement with Gary Shaw Productions to join them as his co-promoter. “I think the 118-pound division is in for a rude awakening with Yohnny Perez on the prowl,” announced Shaw in a subsequent press release. Perez continued his progressive pace and began his climb up the rankings. After a sixth-round kayo of David Martinez in September 2008, Perez found himself with the IBF #6 bantamweight ranking which eventually earned him an eliminator against Silence Mabuza the following May.

Had his fight against Mabuza been televised in the States, chances are Yonnhy Perez would already be a star of professional boxing. The economics of the bout led to it being held in Mabuza’s native Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Mabuza had been best remembered for his two fights against Rafael Marquez, which constituted his only two defeats. The odds of Perez coming out of South Africa with a decision victory were slim and none.

The fight began with a give and take first round. The action was fast and furious from the start. Through the first five rounds, Mabuza seemed to have a clear edge, especially in a dominant fourth round. Perez regrouped late in the fifth, as he showed his resiliency by standing up to the attack and his versatility by converting from a flat-footed puncher to a boxer-mover.

Mabuza slowed in the eighth as Perez opened up and had his best round since the second. Just as the commentator for SABC Sport 2 described Mabuza’s demeanor as sluggish, the South African went on the offensive to close the round. In the ninth, Mabuza turned back the tide and had Perez in some trouble. The momentum clearly remained with Mabuza as the fight went into the twelfth and final round.

Despite his controlling position in the fight, Mabuza’s trainer Nick Durandt urged him to have a big round. Depending on which report you believe, Perez was either hopelessly behind on two or all three scorecards. Early in the round, with Mabuza pressing the action, Perez landed a hard left hand that forced the South African to stumble across the ring and to the mat. Mabuza got up, but looked both dazed and fatigued. As Perez threw a flurry, Mabuza could barely remain on his feet. Referee Kenny Chevalier began to step in, had a second thought, but ultimately decided to stop the bout on a second look at the wobbly Mabuza.

The unlikely come-from-behind victory was huge for Perez. “I was thrilled that I was able to win. But, what I remember the most was going into the twelfth round and knowing that it was a very difficult fight for me going throughout the first eleven rounds,” recalled Perez. “It was a very close fight and I knew that I only had one opportunity, which was the last round. I asked God for strength to help me. He was the only one who knew how hard I had worked to get to that point. He knew how tough it was to get to that opportunity. I remembered my kids back in Colombia and all the needs that my family have. I went out there with all my faith and trust in my preparation, and the result, as you all know, obviously I was very happy that I had the opportunity and the chance to beat Mabuza in South Africa.”

With the win, Perez became the mandatory challenger for Agbeko’s title. A couple years ago Agbeko was in a very similar position to that of Perez today. No one had really heard of Agbeko before his title-winning knockout of Luis Perez in September 2007. Two fights later, Agbeko defended his title with a decision win over Showtime darling Vic Darchinyan and moved into another echelon of elite level fighters.

A win over Agbeko would bring Perez more recognition than he could have probably dreamed of a few years back. “Nobody expects the guys who are climbing the ladder to win,” says Perez. People always expect it to be the guys at the top. I really don’t care what people think about my chances in this fight. I’m going up the ladder and I am going to win.”

Photo by Carlos Baeza/Thompson Boxing Promotions

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com