Classy Mike Perez Stops Gutsy Steven Ward
‘The Rebel’ roared against ‘The Quietman’ in Portman Road tonight.
Cork Cuban Mike Perez defeated Steven Ward in a de facto all-Irish fight live on DAZN.
The 39-year-old former world title challenger broke down and took out Ward to claim the WBA intercontinental cruiserweight title and victory in what was effectively a winner-stays-on clash.
The 35-year-old was gutsy to the last but was eventually saved from his own bravery when his corner threw in the towel early in the ninth round.
The victory should at the very least afford experienced former amateur sensation, Perez another big night on a Queensberry card, and the manner of it hints the natural talent still has enough about him to earn another big fight.
While the Indian Summer continues for the former heavyweight, it looks like the sun may set on the entertaining career of the Belfast man. Before the fight, Ward revealed he would fulfill a promise to his wife and retire if he lost.
Ward, who came into the fight on the back of a career-best win over Tommy McCarthy, tried to establish his jab early in the fight but it was the Munster-based boxer who enjoyed the better of the action.
The Celtic Warrior Gym talent moved forward patiently with methodical intent. He landed a number of solid left hands and had his opponent pushed back to the ropes.
The Martin Murray-trained fighter went simple in the next round, keeping his shape in a bid to frustrate Perez and make sure he was there to test the 39-year-old’s fitness later in the fight.
Perez, who came into the fight on the back of three first-round knockouts, moved through the gears in the third and looked to work the body. However, Ward’s response was positive, and he had success in the final minute.
A right hand early in the fourth widened the eyes of ‘The Quietman’ early in the fourth, another round the Cuban won. However, Ward’s team were content between rounds, believing the favourite was starting to tire.
The Paschal Collins-trained cruiser showed real flashes of quality as he closed the space in the next, although Ward again returned to his corner smiling.
Perez came out like a train in the sixth and unleashed a volley across the first 90 seconds. Ward bounced back and landed a brilliant right hand midway through the stanza and looked to change the tide. However, just when it looked like the Cork-based fighter may have punched himself out, he landed a well-executed left hand and regained the ascendancy.
Ward came to have a real go in the seventh and his bravery was commendable. However, the increased adventure opened him up to more Perez punches. The Cuban-schooled fighter was clean, accurate, and still fluid.
Ward visited the canvas twice in the eighth as the constant clubbing, clever work of Perez finally broke his brave resistance.
The corner wanted to pull out the cruiserweight between rounds, but the battle-loving Belfast man wanted one more round. A patient Perez forced them the call a premature end to the bout, a towel coming in after a well-placed body sent the Ulster man to his knees.
