Dominican born Jose “Mangu” Peralta, 9-1, 5 KOs, makes his fourth appearance at Newark’s Prudential Center on September 8th, when he takes on Staunton, VA’s Christian Steele, 3-4, 1 KO, in a 6-round junior welterweight bout. The fight is part of a stacked undercard on a big boxing show that features a heavyweight triple header at the top of the bill. The afternoon boxing event includes Tomasz “Goral” Adamek in a defense of his IBF North American Heavyweight belt against Travis “Freight Train” Walker as the main event.
Like many young fighters on the way up, Peralta doesn’t spend too much time thinking about his opponent. “I don’t know about him, but I don’t really worry about it,” Peralta said. “I’m ready to fight any fighter. I’m in the gym every day. I’m ready. I’m ready for everything he has.”
Peralta’s job is to prepare himself and deliver in the ring. He has built a loyal, local fan following since he came to the tri-state area. Having lived in his car when he first arrived in NJ, Peralta is grateful for the opportunities he has been given to succeed in the boxing world. His desire is to always give his fans a good show as well as a win each time he gets in the ring.
“I know I’m a good fighter,” he said. “I come to fight and that’s what the people want to see. The people come to see a fight, and that’s what I give to them.”
Peralta’s exciting style is the reason that he has begun to build a fan base along the East Coast, where most of his fights have taken place. “I don’t come to move around,” he said. “I come to fight.”
Peralta hasn’t lost in almost four years, and looks to push his win tally into the double digits against Steele. Mangu looked sharp his last time out with a fourth round TKO of Dontre King in June.
“For each fight, I train harder, and harder, and harder,” Peralta said. “I have no limit. I’m thinking big. I want to be the best at 140.”
Although Steel will look to upset the odds in the fight, Peralta is confident that he is coming into his own as a fighter.
“I’m ready to fight him, and I’m ready to fight anybody,” he said. “I want to give myself what I deserve. It’s my time. It’s Mangu time.”
