Danielle Perkins had little difficulty in bumping off her second straight unbeaten opponent.
The former St. John’s college basketball standout and pro baller continues to find her way in a boxing ring, stopping previously unbeaten Princess Hairston inside of five rounds Thursday evening at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California.
An accumulation of punishment forced referee Ivan Guillermo to intervene at 1:41 of round five.
Traffic was all one-way in this billed heavyweight contest, though Perkins came well under the cruiserweight limit for the bout. The 6’0” southpaw from the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, New York—who now lives and trains in Houston—quickly erased a 10-pound weight advantage enjoyed by Hairston (1-1, 1KO), a squat heavyweight from Lynchburg, Virginia by way of Detroit.
Perkins was dialed in with her heavy jab and straight left hand, consistently landing that combination while also working Hairston’s midsection. A stoppage seemed well on its way in a power-punching display by Perkins in round four, working in right hooks and often forcing Hairston under siege while fighting through earmuff defense.
The end came in the closing seconds of round five, with Perkins once again on the attack and Hairston no longer able to defend herself. With that came Perkins’ first career stoppage, improving to 2-0 (1KO) after having made her pro debut this past August.
In her college years, Perkins led St. John’s women’s basketball squad to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 2005 and 2006. Perkins was among the nation’s top 10 in rebounding during her 2005-06 senior season before taking her act overseas for a pro career ultimately cut short after suffering a traumatic car accident in 2008 which left her temporarily paralyzed.
Two years of physical therapy left Perkins feeling stronger than ever, also taking her talents from the hardwood to the boxing ring where she aspires to become a heavyweight champion in 2021.
The bout streamed live on Ring City USA’s Twitch channel, ahead of the main card which will air live on NBC Sports Network.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
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