‘Rebel’ Perez back in ring with plenty on his mind

It’s difficult to assess the survivor guilt that will accompany Mike “The Rebel” Perez back into the ring this weekend.

What will be the Cuban-Cork heavyweight fighter’s mindset when the bell leaves him alone with his first opponent since he nearly ended the life of Magomed Abdusalamov and a referee who will be keeping a close eye on proceedings after the criticisms of Perez’s last bout.

Perez’s 20th professional victory will always be his most unfortunate and most notorious. And it will always be the one he’ll try to scrub away with a more impactful win; a world title, a second or a third, anything to render November’s ten-rounder a little less significant to his overall career.