By Ryan Maquiñana
Days after Dannie Williams soared into fans’ prospect lists with a fourth-round knockout of Antonio Cervantes on ESPN Friday Night Fights, NABO junior lightweight champion Eloy Perez reflected on dealing the St. Louis native his only loss as a pro two years ago.
“I guess he’s said several times that he wants a rematch, and he says he was robbed,” Perez said of the unanimous decision victory. “He used the excuse that he was drained from trying to lose the weight, but we’re all professionals. We should all be able to lose weight the right way.”
Perez then analyzed that fateful September 2009 night in the Playboy Mansion.
“I’m not taking anything away from Dannie,” Perez admitted. “He was my toughest opponent. I wobbled him with a left jab and then left hook, and then a right hand over the top, and I put him down.
“When he got up, I tried finishing up, but he got me and knocked me down, and he got me again the next round. But I got up and I finished strong. Every time he knocked me down, I got up and came back stronger. I outboxed him and took most of the rounds after that, and that’s why I won. It was an exciting fight.”
The Salinas native addressed any talks of a rematch down the line.
“I’d love to fight him again, but right now, unless he wants to come back down to 130 [pounds], it will have to be later, because I have unfinished business here,” he said. “I’m close to a world title and I want that shot.
“I will say that Williams winning helps my résumé. All the guys I beat don’t get far after I beat them, but I hope that Dannie Williams keeps winning because he’s going to make me look better each time he does.”
Perez (21-0-2, 5 KOs), currently ranked No. 4 by the WBO, hopes to improve his stock when he returns to his hometown on Sept. 2 to face Puerto Rican Daniel Jimenez (20-3-1, 12 KOs) in a TeleFutura Solo Boxeo Tecate headliner.
“I’ve been sparring with Mike Dallas,” Perez said. “He’s a big kid, tall, with a long reach. He pressures you and throws combinations, and it’s just what I needed for this camp.”
Ryan Maquiñana is the boxing correspondent at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. He’s a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at www.maqdown.com or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.