Lenar Perez Rallies From Adversity
To Stop Thabiso Mchunu In Eighth Round!
By: Joe Martin Adam
Thursday, September 3rd, “Cabaret du Casino de Montréal”, Quebec, Canada: In the ten round main event of a Camille Estephan - Eye of the Tiger card streamed live internationally on DAZN, Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, France based, Lenar “The Cuban Prince” Perez retained his WBA Continental Americas Cruiserweight title with an eighth-round TKO over Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa's, Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu.
The 6’ 5” Perez used his height and reach to work from distance early, but Mchunu’s experience and timing repeatedly brought him into range. The turning point came in the fifth round when Mchunu sent the previously unbeaten Cuban to the canvas with a heavy, clean right hand.
Perez making it upright, rather than allowing the knockdown to derail him immediately returned to work reclaiming control in the sixth, firing and scoring with authority, dropping Mchunu to a knee with a shock, uppercut.
Mchunu, showing his veteran grit and durability surviving the round remained threatening going into the seventh, but “The Cuban Prince” swarmed the rugged veteran with another ravaging right-hand attack dropping “The Rock” again immediately forcing the referee to put a stop to the bout at 1:12 of round eight. Back to his heavy-handed ways, the victory moves Perez to 17–0, 15Ko’s as Mchunu2-4 in his last six bouts falls to 25–9, 14Ko’s.
In the co-feature, Montreal, Quebec, Canada’s, Moreno “The Soldier” Fendero made the second defense of his WBC Continental Americas Super-Middleweight title with a convincing points win over Yaoundé, Cameroon’s, Stephane Fondjo.
Fendero, a southpaw, took charge early and flooring Fondjo with a sharp counter left in round two. “The Soldier” marched on steadily building his advantage controlling the pace and action with his superior speed, movement and accurate punching boxing his way to a clear ten round 97–92, 99-90 times two ten round unanimous decision win. Fendero stays unbeaten at 16-0, 12Ko’s. Fondjo, 2-2 in his last four bouts falls to 15-3-1, 10Ko's.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, WBC Continental Americas Super Lightweight champion, Jhon “El Tigre” Orobio added the WBA version to his collection with a zero retaining fourth-round stoppage of Mexico City, Mexico’s, Antonio “Tono” Moran.
Orobio starting quickly put Moran down in round two, stayed on the attack delivered the decisive blow a heavy right hand flooring the experienced veteran a second time in the fourth forcing the referee to call the scheduled ten rounder at 1:27 of round four. Orobio on a six-bout KO run improves to 19-0, 17Ko’s. Moran stopped in consecutive bouts drops to 31-9-1, 21Ko's.
In scheduled eight round lightweight action, Kennetcook, Nova Scotia, Canada’s, Wyatt “The Kennetcook Kid” Sanford remained unbeaten with an impressive second-round TKO over Marbella, Andalusia, Spain, based Romanian, Costin Ion.
The taller, longer, 2024 Olympic Bronze medalist, Sanford working behind a measuring southpaw right jab, repeatedly found the target with a sharp, piercing straight left hands, breaking down and dropping the out gunned Spaniard forcing the referee to the referee to put a halt to the bout at 1:37 of round two. Sanford with consecutive stoppage victories stays unbeaten at 8-0, 4Ko’s. Ion 1-3 in his last four fights falls to 11–6–2, 6Ko’s.
In a four-round pairing of unbeaten light heavyweights, Montreal, Quebec, Canada’s, Keven “Hot Sauce” Beausejour stopped Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico's, Leonel Silva Salas in one round.
Beausejour exploded out of the gate, overwhelming Salas and scoring two knockdowns prompting the referee call the bout at 2:57 of the opening frame. Beausejour stays perfect at 4-0, 4Ko’s. Salas evens up at 1-1, 1Ko.
Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada’s, Victor Tremblay celebrated his 22nd birthday with a third-round TKO stoppage win over Sint Maarten’s, Kesny Joseph.
Joseph landing several solid right hands early saw Tremblay, settle in finding his range and rhythm overcome the early resistance and take complete control breaking down the Frenchman, hurting and dropping him with a sustained barrage of shots along the ropes forcing the referee to stop the scheduled four round featherweight match at 2:10 of round three. Tremblay stays perfect at 4–0, 4Ko’s. joseph with back-to -back losses falls to 1-2.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Nickenson Denis banked a second-round TKO stoppage of Bridgetown, Barbados, Jaheem Estwick.
The three-time Canadian amateur champion Denis, dropped Estwick with a right hand to the body in the opening round of the attack, then put him down again with a sharp straight right in the second forcing the referee to stop the scheduled four-round super-middleweight bout at 1:13 of round two. Denis improves to 2–0, 2Ko’s. Estwick falls to 1-3.
Eye of the Tiger
Since 2008, Eye of the Tiger has been committed to recruiting the most promising talent, arming them with the tools and support to ensure their success, and creating opportunities that will allow them to scale the greatest heights of their endeavors. In order to achieve excellence, we work as arduously and with the same ferocious determination as our athletes do in the ring.
Ten years after its inception, EOTTM is as determined than ever and reiterates its goal of building a force to be reckoned with on the international scene, and to train champions who will transcend the sport and kindle passions.
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