Tony Salam battles Perez for WBA Inter-continental title
Nigeria boxer Tony “Sugar” Salam is already in beast mode for the vacant WBA Inter-continental Cruiserweight title fight against Cuban boxer Mike Perez at Hotel Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, United Arab Emirates tonight.
SportingLife reports that the two boxers underwent the mandatory weigh-in on Thursday and Salam ( 14-2-0-9KOs) assured his fans of victory over Perez (24-3-1-15KOs), who is making a return to the ring after three years.
“Just want every single one of you to know that I appreciate all your well wishes massively and will respond in due course. And I want you all to know that I’m now here. Most importantly I didn’t come here to get money, far from it. I’ll rather die before I allow someone to get one over me. I’m here to bring the WBA to Motherland In Sha Allah,” he posted on his Facebook page.
Salam’s last fight was in January 2020 where he recorded a third round technical knockout over James Ukadike in their national Cruiserweight challenge at the Indoor Hall of Rowe Park Sports Center, Yaba, Lagos
The fight will however be Perez’s first since he defeated Puerto Rican Keith Tapia for a ranking title in Orlando back in October of 2018.
The former amateur sensation hasn’t appeared since but has been in training and has seen a number of fights fall through including a proposed June 2019 fight with Ilunga Makabu.
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The former heavyweight turned cruiserweight has been in Belfast of late training alongside Cathy McAleer and under the watchful eye of Belfast’s Panamanian Bernardo Checa.
The former world title challenger has somewhat of a stop-start career. He won heavyweight Prizefighter and has shared the ring with the likes of Alexander Povetkin, Darnell Wilson, Carlos Takam, Bryant Jennings, and Mairis Briedis.
Others in action at the event promoted by Legacy Sports Management will be former three-time light middleweight champion Austin ‘No Doubt’ Trout (33-5-1, 18 KOs), who takes on Mexico’s Alejandro Davila (22-2-2, 9 KOs). Anthony Sims Jr vs Hernan David Perez at super middleweight, and Christian Thun against Lucas Browne at heavyweight.