Saturday, Nov. 7
Who: Abraham Perez vs. Yankiel Rivera, Josh Torres vs. Jose Luis Sanchez, several other fights
When: Nov. 7
Where: Kiva Auditorium, Albuquerque Convention Center
Tickets: 505-877-5725
Abraham Perez’s daily routine hasn’t changed since he defeated Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez on June 14 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to claim the World Boxing Association interim flyweight title.
As his next fight approaches, a title defense against Puerto Rico’s Yankiel Rivera on Nov. 7 at the Albuquerque Convention Center’s Kiva Auditorium, Perez still trains and conditions on a near-daily basis.
He still travels to get quality sparring, most recently to Denver and El Paso.
He still works at his family’s auto body repair shop. Business has been brisk, he said, in part because of an increase in rental-car fender-benders thanks to the recent Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.
There has, though, been one major — in fact, life-altering — change.
When he left for Grand Rapids, he was not yet a father. Now, he’s a dad.
A month after the Gonzalez fight, his partner, Megan Almager, brought Analeia Irene Perez into the world.
Now, coming home after a day of hard work and sometimes harder training, always a welcome moment, is more welcome than ever.
“It’s made me happier,” he said on Thursday at an open workout at Jack Candelaria Community Center. “I get to go home and see her smile.”
So, with that much more to fight for, there’s a big fight to prepare for.
Gonzalez, whom Perez (15-0, seven knockouts) defeated by split decision, won the title that Perez now holds by defeating Rivera (8-1-1, four KOs) by unanimous decision on Jan. 3. Having beaten the fighter who beat the next guy should make Perez a solid favorite on Nov. 7.
But that hoary boxing cliche, “styles make fights,” became a cliche because there’s a lot of truth there.
Gonzalez, Perez said, was principally a counterpuncher. Rivera, he said, is “an aggressor … more of a pressure fighter.
“Here and there, he’ll have a little bit of IQ in him to counter and feint, stuff like that. So he’s a little bit of both.”
Rivera is listed on boxrec.com as an orthodox (right-handed) fighter but fought Gonzalez, a left-hander, primarily from a southpaw stance. Videos of other Rivera bouts show him frequently switching from lefty to righty and back.
In preparation, Perez sparred in Denver with Salaam Gonzales, whom he’d fought several times in the amateur ranks.
Gonzales is right-handed, Perez said, “but he’s a very skilled athlete. He knows how to switch southpaw … he knows how to pressure and counter.”
Perez also worked in El Paso with twins Ari and Andrey Bonilla, both young, undefeated pro bantamweights.
“They definitely gave me some good preparation for this fight,” Perez said.
THEY MEET AGAIN: In March 2013, Albuquerque boxers Josh Torres and Jose Luis “Guero” Sanchez fought an eight-round welterweight bout. It was Sanchez’s third pro fight, Torres’ 15th. To the surprise of no one, the far more experienced Torres won by seventh-round TKO.
In the 13 years-plus that have passed, has Sanchez closed the gap? He, Torres and Albuquerque fight fans will find out on Nov. 7, when the old rivals face each other again in a 10-round bout on the Perez-Rivera card.
The North American Boxing Association welterweight title will be at stake.
There’s never been bad blood between the two men, Torres said at Thursday’s open workout, which Sanchez did not attend. But with a title on the line, and with the card to be streamed on DAZN, he said, a rematch “just makes sense.
“I definitely didn’t have to fight him. I could have sailed off into the sunset, enjoyed the rest of my career, but I love to fight and this is what the fans deserve.”
THE CARD: Salita Promotions, which staged the Perez-Gonzalez card in Grand Rapids, is co-promoting the Nov. 7 card with Albuquerque’s Legacy Promotions.
Company president Dmitriy Salita is bringing some of his fighters to Albuquerque.
The night’s semi-main event matches light heavyweights Atif Oberlton (17-0, 14 KOs, Philadelphia) and Deon Nicholson (23-1, 19 KOs, Tuscaloosa, Alabama).
A featured heavyweight bout will match Pryce Taylor (13-0, eight KOs, Brooklyn, New York) and Tsotne Rogava (13-1, eight KOs, Marina de Rey, California).