Ex-world champ faces Banal Saturday

TWO-TIME world champion Luis Alberto Perez of Nicaragua vowed to demolish world-rated AJ “Bazooka” Banal in their 10-round fight at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu this Saturday. 

The former IBF super flyweight and bantamweight champion, nicknamed the “Demolition Man,” is one of three foreign fighters who will highlight the Pinoy Pride mega boxing showdown presented by Cebu’s ALA Promotions in cooperation with ABS-CBN. 

Bladimir “The Blade” Hernandez of Mexico will battle welterweight prospect Mark Jason Melligen and Sapapetch Sor Sakaorat of Thailand will clash with young Filipino prospect Jason Pagara of Cagayan de Oro City. 

Perez arrived in Cebu recently with trainer Mario Antonio Garcia Fonseca and manager Luis Reynaldo Mendoza. 

Perez, who has an impressive record of 26-4 with 17 knockouts, won the IBF super flyweight title by beating Felix Mechado. He defended the title three times with wins over Mechado, Luis Bolano and Dimitri Kirilov of Russia. 

Perez later won the IBF bantamweight title via a seventh-round TKO win against Genaro Garcia.