Thomas in good company with Cork’s Cuban trio

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.

The Watergrasshill youngster claimed one of the most difficult titles on offer — three former national underage champions weighed in for the division — when he added the boys 57kg crown to his list of successes.

A very committed teenager, he is now training for the Cadet championships with a place on the team for the European Cadet Championships as the prize.

For the past two years he has been trained by the world renowned ex-Cuban coach, Nicholas Cruz Hernandez, who took Michael Carruth to his gold medal and Wayne McCullough to silver at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

When Mike Perez first came to Cork he was trained by Nicholas Cruz and when Patrick Thomas took over the management of the three Cork-based Cubans, Mike “The Rebel” Perez, Louis Garcia and Alexei Acosta — all former world junior champions — last January that relationship was renewed.

“It was a very good relationship at the time because when Mike (Perez) came to Cork first, he spoke no English,” Thomas said. “Now the three of them all speak very good English but they have a very good relationship with Nicholas and he is an outstanding boxing coach.”

Perez and Garcia will both be part of an exciting undercard to Andy Lee’s next fight at the UL Arena on May 15.

Perez, unbeaten in his eight professional fights to date, has been sidelined for the past year with a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery.

According to Thomas the heavyweight southpaw is ready to roll again and he is looking forward to his return to the ring. When he last fought in Limerick he needed just 41 seconds to get the job done.

“They are all in very good shape right now and Mike just can’t wait to get back into the ring,” he said. “He has had a pretty frustrating time with the shoulder injury but that is all cleared up now. Luis (Garcia) is also out to impress.

“Garcia has just had five professional fights and he is already ranked in the world’s top 50. He is a special talent and we are looking forward to getting him back in action.”

Acosta will not fight as he has a hand injury.

The Cubans will be promoted by Brian Peters who intends to have them all busy over the coming months. Peters has built up an exciting show around Andy Lee who could be just one fight away from a crack at the European title vacated by another of Peters’ boxers, Matthew Macklin.

If the Limerick southpaw can produce an impressive performance before the home fans than he will put himself in line for a shot at the newly-crowned champion, Darren Barker.

There are two Irish title fights on the Lee undercard. Local hero, Jamie Power, will box John Waldron from Mayo for the Irish light heavyweight title while teak tough Dubliner, Ian Tims, will fight another Mayo man, Michael Sweeney, for the cruiserweight title.

Newly-crowned Irish heavyweight champion, Coleman Barrett, and unbeaten Cavan man Andy Murray who starred against Oisín Fagan on the last show at the National Stadium await opponents.