DAVAO CITY — Filipino boxer Rey “Technician” Perez will fight Mexican-American Christian “Chimpa” Gonzales at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California, USA on February 22.
The eight-round non-title bout is promoted by Oscar de La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions and will be televised on ESPN USA.
It will be the second outing for Perez (21W-9L-0D, 6 KOs) since he arrived in the US to join the RED Boxing International of new manager Rey “Cacoi” Rodis II.
Perez, however, dropped a unanimous decision against unbeaten Lamont Roach at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill last Nov. 30.
“But Perez fought in the 130 lbs. Masyado siyang napiga noon (He was so pressured then). Now, he will be fighting in the 135 lbs., which he is more comfortable with,” said Rodis.
The 27-year-old Perez has been training at the Casillas Boxing Gym for the past two weeks with trainer Salvador Casillas and Filipino assistant Jules Tagalog.
Perez sees a big chance of winning the bout because of his ideal weight.
Perez, a native of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, has already sparred with three undefeated fighters – NABF Junior super featherweight champion Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (13W-0L-0D), lightweight Saul “Kid Dinaita” Rodriguez (21W-0L-1D, 15 KOs) and welterweight Arnold Barbosa Jr. (17W-0L, 6 KOs) at the Maywood Gym.
“Mas focus ngayon ang trainer sa kanya (The trainer is more focused on him now),” added Rodis.
Perez, a former WBC Youth Silver super bantamweight champion, won the title by stopping Japanese Tatsuya Takahashi via a 10th-round technical knockout in 2012.
He fought for the vacant WBC International Silver super bantamweight title against Hugo Fidel Cazares in 2013 but lost.
Perez also bowed to Andres Gutierrez by a unanimous decision when he challenged the Mexican for his WBC Silver super bantamweight crown that same year.
Gonzales (18W-1L-0D, 15 KOs), on the other hand, won his last two fights since his only defeat via a second-round knockout to another Filipino, Romero “Ruthless” Duno, for the vacant WBC Youth Intercontinental lightweight title at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles on March 10 last year.
Gonzales bounced back with a third-round knockout win against Daniel Perales at the Belasco Theater on Aug. 10, 2017. The 22-year-old Mexican previously scored a unanimous win against compatriot Gamaliel Diaz at the same venue on Oct. 26 last year.
Diaz was deducted one point for holding and hitting in Round 8 while Gonzales was also cut on his right eye from an accidental headbutt.
Gonzales’ first Filipino opponent was then Philippine super bantamweight champion Jhon “The Disaster” Gemino (13W-6L-1D), who lost by a unanimous at the StubHub Center in Carson in 2016.
Gemino, however, bounced back from that defeat by knocking out South African Toto Helebhe in Round 2 to win the vacant WBA Inter-Continental super bantamweight title at Emerald Casino, Vanderbijil Park.