Alex Perez: “On July 16 I’m ready for whatever comes my way”
Geoffrey Ciani
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7/15/2010 9:21:48 PM
Exclusive Interview with welterweight Alex Perez
Alex Perez (11-0, 7 KOs) is a 6’1” southpaw who competes in the welterweight division. The 28 year old pugilist is ready to take a step up in class onto the big stage when he squares off against Edvan Dos Santos Barros (10-9-1, 7 KOs) this Friday night July 16 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The eight round fight is being televised as part of the co-feature for this edition of ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights”. The Newark resident, who has had some difficulty landing higher caliber fights, is looking forward to the opportunity to showcase his talents in front of a live televised audience. I recently had the opportunity to have a brief chat with Perez about his upcoming fight and here is what he had to say:
Q: Alex, how are preparations going for your fight Friday night against Barros?
A: My preparation in my camp is very good. I’m looking real good, I’m feeling real good. I’m ready to go.
Audio:
Q: Now this will be your first fight that’s televised to a national audience. Are you feeling any additional pressure with that?
A: No, not at all. I’m not feeling any pressure at all. It’s just another day in the office for me.
Q: This is also your first step up in class. It’s the first fighter you’ve fought with ten or more wins who has a winning record. Are you ready for the step up in class?
A: On July 16 I’m ready for whatever comes my way. It’s been a long bumpy road. This is my time right now. I’m ready for whoever and whatever comes to me July 16. As long as I got God by my side I’m ready to do whatever it takes to get that “W”.
Q: Now Alex, as I understand you have had a lot of opponents who have backed out of fights with you at the last minute. You’ve had a lot of cancelations. Has that been a point of frustration for you?
A: Yeah, that’s been a very, very big point of frustration. Like I said before, it’s been a bumpy, bumpy road. I’ve just been biting down and keeping faith. I’m just giving it my all to God, just waiting for my time. Now he’s finally blessed me with that time and that time is July 16. I’m ready to do what I got to do to capitalize on July 16 with whoever’s in front of me.
Q: Now do you think the fact that you’re a tall southpaw in the welterweight division contributes to the fact that you’ve had trouble landing some bigger fights?
A: Oh definitely. That’s definitely like 85% of the reason I’ve been going through what I’m going through.
Q: Alex, can you tell us a little bit about how you first started getting involved in boxing?
A: My mother put me in boxing. She said I was a little knucklehead when I was seven or eight years old. I was always getting into fistfights in school so she just threw me in there and she threw me in the gym and basically it’s history ever since.
Q: Alex, you’ve sparred with guys like Miguel Cotto, Sergio Martinez, Felix Sturm—which one of those guys has provided you with the greatest learning experience in those sparring sessions?
A: Miguel Cotto and Felix Sturm.
Q: What were you able to learn from those experiences?
A: With Miguel Cotto I learned to box a little more and with Felix Sturm to move my head with that fast jab he’s got of his. That’s his main arsenal right there. He’s got a really beautiful good jab. I actually not even just held my own, I went in there and did what I had to do and in plenty of cases I overwhelmed those guys as well. So it’s not just the experience, it was a confidence booster as well.
Q: Which fighter in the sport today do you most admire and why?
A: Actually I came up looking up to and admiring three fighters and am trying to take pieces of all three of them and put them into my own style and that’s Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Alexis Arguello, and Felix Trinidad.
Q: Alex, the fight everybody is talking about in boxing right now is the potential mega bout between Floyd Mayweather Junior and Manny Pacquiao. If that fight does happen, how do you see that going down?
A: Well after Mayweather’s last fight he made me a believer. I can’t bet against him anymore. I don’t really know who to take on that fight but I’m kind of leaning towards Mayweather because he really made me a believer after that Shane Mosley fight.
Q: Alex, you’re 28 years old, you’re 11-0, what would you ultimately like to accomplish in professional boxing?
A: To just be a world champion, and if anything, my main goal is to take care of my family and stuff so that’s what motivates the most.
Q: Do you have a final prediction for your upcoming fight?
A: I just predict a “W”. You know what I’m saying, it depends on the fighter. If he wants to sit there for eight rounds and get pounded on for eight rounds then he’s going to get pounded on for eight rounds. If I can get him hurt and get him out of there early, I’ll get him out early. I’m just predicting a “W” for that fight.
Q: Alex for my final question, is there anything else you would like to say to all the fans out at East Side Boxing?
A: Keep an eye out for Alex Perez on July 16. I’m definitely a fan friendly fighter so July 16 look for a lot of fireworks, because there are going to be a lot of fireworks on July 16
Q: Great, thank you very much for your time Alex. I wish you the best of luck. .
A: Oh thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you for all your time.
