Perez back in training and looks set to fight in July World title eliminator

Cork based Cuban Mike Perez has been cleared to begin training next week after suffering a shoulder injury that cancelled his fight against Bryant Jennings. The Perez-Jennings bout could land on the undercard of a July 26 defense by WBA middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin at New York’s Madision Square Garden, according to Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions.

Perez (20-0-1, 12 knockouts) was injured during training in advance of the slated May 24 bout with Jennings (18-0, 10 KOs), which represents a second mandatory title eliminator for the WBC. The entire Jennings-Perez card, including the supporting middleweight bout between ex-beltholder Daniel Geale (30-2, 16 KOs) and former title challenger Matthew Macklin (30-5, 20 KOs), was scrapped.

“Mike doesn’t need surgery for the shoulder injury, so the doctors have said that he would be able to begin training on May 27, and, that would give him enough time to be ready for that July 26 date,” said Loeffler.

“It would make sense to put it on the Golovkin show. Since Perez was cleared, that could work. All indications from the doctors is that he could be ready to fight by the end of July, so he could start training on May 27, and that would give him enough of a time frame to be ready by that July 26 date.”

The news has highlighted concerns raised by Matthew Macklin after the first card was cancelled. The Irish middleweight claimed he was ‘shafted’ as the May 24 card was cancelled not as a result of any injury but to make room for a Geale v’GGG’ bout.