Perez punches way to 41-second win

THE punching power of Mike “The Rebel” Perez was manifested in just 41 seconds of brilliance at the UL Arena on Saturday as he disposed of the Hungarian heavyweight, Sandor Baloghs, with just two punches.

The first came in the opening seconds when he dropped his opponent to his knees with a short left hook to the head that earned a standing count. When he delivered a looping right to the head after the resumption referee Paul McCullagh called a halt to proceedings. A week earlier the 22-year-old Cuban stopped Latvian Jevgenjis Stamburskis in 95 seconds when he made his professional debut at Neptune Stadium in Cork.

And the former world junior light heavyweight champion has already attracted worldwide attention since joining Gary Hyde in Cork.