A meeting of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association’s (IABA) Board of Directors on Wednesday seems likely to lead to a face-to-face stand-off between the sport’s bickering parties.

Andy Lee and Adam Booth were in New York with Cork-Cuban heavyweight Mike Perez last July, but if feels much longer now, writes John Riordan.

Who knows what’s going through Mike Perez’s head this week?

Cork-based heavyweight Mike Perez will bid to clinch a shot at the world heavyweight title in Texas next month.

Mike Perez narrowly avoided the first defeat of his career after a lacklustre performance that his trainer labelled as “unfocused”.

At a press conference announcing the Macklin-Martinez fight at Madison Square Garden back in January, my phone rang. Colin Morgan was about four yards away from me but he was on a crutch — it was easier just to call me.

If you’re a boxer, you already know what the fight is about. If you turn pro, you have to learn the ins-and-outs.

CORK’S adopted Cubans, Luis Garcia and Alexei Acosta, can speed their progress up the professional boxing rankings over the coming weeks with back-to-back appearances on the European title fight undercards at the National Stadium tomorrow night and then Letterkenny on October 2.

PAUL HYLAND could hardly be blamed if he has one eye on the European title fight involving teak tough little Spaniard Kiko Martinez and Arsen Martyrosian, an Armenian who has based himself in France, at The National Stadium on Saturday night.

HIGHLY rated light welterweight Paul McCloskey insists he has the ‘tools to do a job’ on Scotland’s Barry Morrison when they clash in Letterkenny next month.

KIKO MARTINEZ is all set to return to Dublin in a bid to reclaim the European super bantamweight title that he took from Bernard Dunne at the old Point three years ago, and he said yesterday that he is hoping his achievement in winning back the title will lure the Dubliner out of retirement for a return fight.

JASON BARNETT wants to knock out Mike “The Rebel” Perez in two rounds in “The Undefeateds” Yanjing Beer Fight Night at Neptune Stadium tonight while the Cork-based Cuban heavyweight hopes the Washington veteran can provide him with a few much-needed rounds on his way to greater things.

ANDY MURRAY will be hoping for a quick hat-trick when he touches gloves with Hungary’s Laszlo Robert Balogh on the Yanjing Beer Fight Night at Neptune Stadium in Cork on Saturday night as part of “The Undefeated’s”.

GARY ‘SPIKE’ O’SULLIVAN can’t wait for his the Yanjing Beer Fight Night at The Neptune Stadium on Saturday week when he meets Abdelouahed Ben Lelly, a Moroccan-born fighter who boxes out of Italy.

THE three unbeaten Cubans – all former world junior champions – who have based themselves in Cork will parade their talents before the ‘home’ crowd once again on the Yanjing Beer Fight Night, scheduled for Neptune Stadium on June 26.

Limerick boxer Andy Lee has nearly 2lbs on his opponent Mamadou Thiam at today's weigh-in for Saturday's Yanjing Fight Night in Limerick.

MIKE “The Rebel” Perez has not fought for more than a year but he will be doing some catching up at the UL Arena in Limerick on Saturday when fights twice on the undercard to the Andy Lee-Mamadou Thiam Yanjing Fight Night headliner.

ANDY LEE will come face to face with Saturday night’s big fight opponent, Mamadou Thiam, for the first time today when they both workout at the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick (12 noon-2pm).

LUKE THOMAS benefited from training alongside the three Cork-based Cuban professionals when he won his third successive national juvenile boxing title at the National Stadium last week.

IAN TIMMS, a former three- time national amateur champion, will headline the card at cruiserweight when professional boxing returns to Castlebar on May 23.

MIKE ‘The Rebel’ Perez is being treated for a dislocated shoulder and will miss tomorrow night’s dinner/boxing show at the Moran Silversprings Hotel in Cork. However, fans can expect fireworks from classy super-bantamweight Alexei Acosta when he tops the bill for the first time.

DAN GOOSEN, one of boxing’s leading promoters, wants a slice of the Mike Perez action and, once “The Rebel” comes through Sunday night’s engagement in Killarney intact, he will travel to LA to meet him in person.

ISMAIKEL PEREZ, awaiting an opponent for his Cork debut on the undercard to the Billy Walsh-James Gorman Irish title fight at Neptune Stadium on Saturday night, has been pencilled in on the undercard to the Andy Lee-Alejandro Gustavo Falliga fight at the University of Limerick Arena a week later.