Ring Rap Interview: Manny “Manos” Perez
Interview was completed by Mark Kilburn
Mk-Manny, let me say that this is a huge thrill for me to talk to you tonight, how are you feeling?
MP-I’m feeling great!
Mk-You look great Manny, you really do!
MP-I appreciate that, thank-you.
Mk-How old are you Manny?
MP-I’m 29 years old, sir.
Mk-How long have you been boxing?
MP-I started fighting when I was 11 to 12 years old and turned pro at 19.
Mk-How did you hook up with Grudge?
MP-Trevor, Jake and I go way, way, back. We got together after I fought Hector, Hector was one of Trevor’s fighters and he and I fought three times. We had some really tough and grueling matches and later became close friends, best friends. When I made the transition from amateur to pro at 19, I worked with Coach T. (Trevor Whitman) and later on (3-4 years) Jake Ramos and I began working together, we had a real good fit and I’ve been with Jake ever since.
Mk-Can you talk just a little bit about some of your championship belts?
MP-We won the Continental America’s title at 130lbs. the WBC Youth World title at 126lbs., the WBC Latin Title at 140lbs. and the biggest title we held was the NABA at 140lbs.
Mk-That is an impressive four belt collection, congratulations Champ. Manny we talked a little last week about how just like in the Vernon Paris fight you are always fighting up in weight or in plain English you always seem to fight guys bigger than yourself, and not just a couple of pounds. We are talking 10 -25 and maybe even 30 pounds bigger. Can you talk about the reasons for this discrepancy?
MP-Yes sir, it tends to be the ongoing situation with me fighting at 147lbs.you know, I am a sucker for a good fight and if it’s going to be a crowd pleaser I’m not going to pass on it solely because my opponents bigger than me. I want to be a courageous fighter who’s known for what he does inside and outside the ring, who goes down in the history books as the guy who put on as many memorable fights as I possibly could.
Mk-And if you have to chase these bigger guys around the ring, so be it.
MP-Yes, it doesn’t matter to me the weight class, I can make 135lbs. or 140lbs. fairly easy, going up to 147lbs. is a bit tougher and I will lose 3 or 4lbs. by the night of the fight, but I’ve never shied away from bigger fighters. I love this sport and I want to give back, this sport has done great things for me and my family. I think it would be shame on me if I didn’t give the fans and crowds the best and most memorable fight I possibly could.
Mk-What is your favorite weight to fight at?
MP-140lbs. I can fight and make 135lbs. but 140lbs. is my best weight for fighting. I feel I match up really well with other fighters at 140lbs.
Mk-I’d like to quickly ask you to comment on the Vernon Paris fight, can you share with us how it feels to know you won a fight only to have the judges, some of who may have never stepped foot inside a ring let alone worked out in a fight gym, yet are still somehow allowed to rule and judge some of boxing’s biggest fights take it all away from you and then add some salt in the wound by making it a unanimous decision and not even trying to make it less obvious.
MP-It was extremely difficult to deal with that loss, we felt strongly that we did everything we needed to do to win that fight! We felt here I was the smaller fighter going in there against a much bigger fighter and we felt I’d done enough to win. Everyone was talking about his power and how good he was but I’ve been in there with many great and tough fighters before. I’ve been in there with Brandon Rios twice, and with Diego Magdaleno, Mercito Gesta, Jose Miguel Cotto, Edgar Santana, and Matt Remillard, I am used to fighting great fighters.
Mk-(Let’s not forget Vernon Paris)
MP-I’ve been in there with great fighters from 126lbs. up to 147lbs. I felt that they took that fight from me, and it was a huge disappointment. I put a lot of work into that fight as well as my entire team, my family was a huge part of that as well. It was a huge setback for all of us, but I can’t let that poor decision define me or slow me down. There’s tons of good fight left in me so I won’t let it get me down and will continue to do what I love to do, I will continue to fight.
Mk-It seems to me this problem that continues to plague even the biggest fights has an easy fix. Simply follow what Major League Baseball, the NFL and the NBA have been doing for years and hold referees accountable. The big fights will have the best judges and judges who come in with negligent decisions don’t work and hence, don’t get paid. We just saw a negligent if not impossible decision in the Mayweather fight. What do you think of that decision Manny?
MP-Yes sir I agree, I believe judges should have to work and earn their way up the ladder, just like fighters have to, the ones who make unfair decisions should not be allowed to work. Any judge who makes an unfair decision affects the fighter’s standings and that is wrong and there should be consequences. I agree that the judge who ruled it a draw in the Mayweather fight was ridiculous and I’d have never bet against Mayweather, I knew he’d win that one but I am an Alvarez fan and he is a great fighter, just not quite there yet, and Mayweather, he’s in a league of his own, but unfair rulings by some of these judges can hurt a guy’s entire career as well as altering his standing. One fight can change his entire career!
Mk-Absolutely Manny, I’ve been hearing stories and examples of your legendary work ethic since my first day at Grudge. Are you still working two fulltime jobs as well as your fight training, and can you describe your typical work week.
MP-If I need to get up early to get my road work in then that’s what I do, I run at 5 A.M. running Sunday and Monday then on Tuesday through Saturday I work for 2 & 1/2 hrs. a night at the gym. I worked two fulltime jobs for 5&1/2 years, and I always had two jobs to provide for my family but was able to cut back to one job after I won NABA title. I work 10 to 101/2 hrs. a day 5 days a week and am also lucky to have my loving wife who is super supportive and gives her blessing so I can continue to do what I love to do. My wife is my backbone and without her I couldn’t do any of this. As busy as I am I make sure I’m always home to tuck my two boys in, read them a bedtime story and say goodnight. I have very busy weeks and I have to balance work family and boxing, thankfully my wife supports me and we make it happen. I do what I have to do at the gym.
Mk-I’ve had the privilege of seeing your two beautiful boys playing at the gym. Can you tell us about them please?
MP-Man, they are so awesome, they’ve all been in the gym since they were 3 days old. They know the sounds, the way it smells, we are a boxing family so they know all about the gym but I don’t want them to box because it can be so hard on the mind, soul and body, at the same time if they do choose to fight I will support them 110%.
Mk-Okay Manny, Thanks so much for the interview and good luck tonight.
MP-Thank-you and good night.
One final note on the Vernon Paris fiasco, if Vernon wants to look in the mirror and tell himself he won the Manny Perez fight he’d have to come to Denver for a rematch, because Manny whipped him in his hometown of Detroit and something like 95% of the fans who watched thought so. Turnaround is always fair play so come out to Denver for a rematch if you are going to convince yourself you won. You don’t even have to ask Manny if he’s game, simply knowing what kind of fighter Manny is will tell you he’d accept. What kind of fighter is Vernon Paris? Is he a fighter like Manny who looks for tough fights or does he run from tough fights?
As a footnote to Manny’s running, he runs as much as 5 miles on Sunday and on Monday he will run as far as 6-7 miles, so that’s what his roadwork consists of.
Email me with your questions or comments, Mark D. Kilburn ringwrap56@hotmail.com