Lenar Perez was successful in his first fight in North America since defecting from Cuba eight years ago, shutting out experienced veteran Isaac Chilemba over 10 rounds Thursday at Montreal Casino in Montreal.
Perez, 16-0 (14 KOs), earned scores of 100-90 on all three cards, defeating the former title challenger Chilemba in the co-featured cruiserweight bout of an Eye of the Tiger Management card, which aired live on DAZN and Punching Grace.
Perez, a former international amateur in the Cuban system, now splits his time between Russia, where he was based after defecting, and France, where he now trains under Mehdi Oumiha. Thursday’s fight was the 28-year-old Perez’s first under Eye of the Tiger, a Canada-based promotion.
Perez, who appeared a division larger than his opponent – a career light heavyweight – gave Chilemba lots of angles to dodge punches from, coming between the gloves and around them as well, plus straight down the middle with right hands when he countered the jabs of his opponent. Chilemba, fighting for the first time in nearly two years, remained game early on, countering with double jabs and hooks. Still, the elusiveness of his upper-body movement along the ropes began to slow near the end of the third round, allowing Perez to land overhand rights.
Sensing that he needed to make a statement to avoid getting run over, Chilemba began pressing the action in the middle rounds, which gave Perez opportunities to land right hands from distance that did damage. Perez caused more damage in the sixth as he fired eight straight right hands that sent Chilemba retreating across the ring.
Chilemba never wilted despite his inactivity, using his high guard and rolling to take the power off Perez’s biggest shots, while offering back a pot shot here and there. For the most part, it was Perez doing the meaningful work and remaining in control against a durable opponent who wasn’t interested in becoming another knockout statistic.
Earlier on the card, Jhon Orobio brought his fight with Yomar Alamo to an immediate end with a destructive overhand right, halting the durable Puerto Rican at 45 seconds of the fifth round.
Orobio, 17-0 (15 KOs), timed the dip of Alamo’s hands and turned the lights out with one punch – a wind-up shot that Alamo was not prepared to absorb.
The loss was the second by stoppage for Alamo, 22-6-1 (13 KOs), with the previous one coming in 2022 against current IBF junior welterweight titlist Richardson Hitchins.
Orobio, 22, a native of Cali, Colombia, who now resides in Montreal, scored a knockdown in the third with a flurry of hooks and rights, forcing Alamo on the defensive before tracking him down for the stoppage.
The win was the fourth straight by stoppage for Orobio.
Steve Claggett scored the 40th victory of his pro career, stopping Alejandro Frias in two rounds in their junior welterweight meeting.
Calgary’s Claggett, 40-8-2 (27 KOs), overwhelmed Mexico’s Frias with nonstop activity before a left hook high on his head caused Frias’ legs to give way. He beat the count at nine but was obviously hurt, leading the referee to halt the fight at 2 minutes, 13 seconds.
The loss snaps a two-fight losing streak for Frias, 21-13-2 (12 KOs), who took the fight on short notice after six different opponents withdrew.
Claggett, 36, has now won two straight since losing a unanimous decision to Teofimo Lopez Jnr in what was the first world title opportunity of his career.
Opening up the card, Moreno Fendero, a French native now based in Montreal, moved his pro record to 14-0 (10 KOs) with a unanimous decision over American Shawn McCalman, 17-2 (8 KOs), in a 10-round super middleweight fight.
Two judges scored it 96-94, while the third had it 98-92.
Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.
