Perez ready for ring return

Cork boxer Mike ‘The Rebel’ Perez has opened up about his agonising few months following his defeat of Magomed Abdusalamov in November which left the Russian in a critical condition in hospital.

Perez, of Cuban origin but living in Cork for over two decades, claimed an impressive ten-round win at Madison Square Garden but after the fight Abdusalamov underwent emergency surgery for swelling on his brain.

For weeks, Abdusalamov teetered on the brink of life and death. He has since been moved to a rehab facility and is expected to survive, but he’ll never fight again.

Perez (20-0, 12 KOs) returns to the ring tomorrow at the Bell Centre in Montreal to face Carlos Takam (29-1, 23 KOs) in a ten-rounder that should advance him another step along the way toward a title bout.

But thoughts of Abdusalamov are never far from his mind.

“The first couple of days back in California were tough, but my coach [Abel Sanchez] was very helpful and I felt much better, like I was supposed to be back in the gym doing my job,” Perez said. “It felt good to be back and getting ready for another fight so soon.”

Sanchez isn’t so sure he believes Perez. For weeks after the fight, fans of Abdusalamov abused Perez posting photos and making incendiary comments on his Facebook page.

“It was extremely difficult for him,” coach Sanchez said. “We had to convince him that it wasn’t his fault. He wasn’t intentionally trying to hurt Mago. We had to convince him that it could have been him, and not Mago, in that situation. It was a brutal fight and both guys gave and took a lot of punishment.”

Perez said he is trying to move: “I’m ready to fight. I just want to get back in the ring, get my boxing career going. I’m healthy and everything is good. I have to put what happened behind me. Life keeps going.”