Undefeated lightweight contender Darley Perez (28-0, 19 KOs) has signed on to fight explosive Cuban superstar Yuriorkis Gamboa (22-0, 16 KOs) in the co-feature of an HBO telecast taking place on June 8th, live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. The main event that evening will be a light heavyweight title tilt between Chad Dawson and Adonis Stevenson. Perez vs. Gamboa is a strong addition to an already stellar night of boxing.
Perez is battletested but Gamboa will be his toughest test to date. A win could put either fighter in line for a major opportunity. Perez knows what is on the line and welcomes the challenge.
For Perez, he feels this step up in competition is coming at the perfect time in his career and he has been ready for this kind of test for quite some time.
“I wouldn’t dare take Gamboa lightly, I’ll train hard for a tough fight and he’d be well-advised to do the same because I’m a top fighter. I will prove to everyone that I am a world-class fighter and the rest of the world will figure out what I already know after June 8th,” said Perez.
Gamboa, with his aggressive style, has emerged as one of the best fighters to defect from Cuba. He’ll look to continue his winning ways on fight night.
“I keep looking to prove my worth and will now do so in trying to win a 4th world title in a third weight class, the lightweight division,” Gamboa said. “I like challenging myself. June 8th I plan on showing my best yet again.”
Gary Shaw, Perez’s co-promoter, knows how ready his fighter is for this opportunity and is also aware of the fact that a win for Perez would be considered a significant upset. However, he thinks that if people were educated enough on Perez’s ability then they wouldn’t see it as that shocking an outcome.
“You have to understand that we’ve been waiting on an opportunity like this for Perez to make his mark. Some may feel like it is Darley’s chance to pull off the shocking upset, but I see it as more of a coming out party. We’ve had him caged in waiting for the chance to unleash the beast and we could’ve pulled the trigger a couple fights back and then the world would be aware of his chances in this fight. But because we knew that an opportunity like this was only a matter of time we waited and now he will show he’s been a top contender all along,” Shaw said.
“The fight on June 8th between Yuriorkis Gamboa and Darley Perez is going to be very exciting.” said Curtis Jackson (AKA 50 Cent). “Gamboa has been training really hard and his fighting style is aggressive while Perez showcases a calmer demeanor in the ring which will make for a very competitive showing.
Alex Camponovo, general manager of Thompson Boxing Promotions said, “Darley Perez is not a simple opponent, he has the necessary tools to back up his undefeated record and he will be ready to fight a guy like Gamboa. We are excited to get him this opportunity and we trust in his ability.”
