By Jake Donovan

Barely a week removed from his 21st birthday, undefeated lightweight prospect Michael Perez celebrated in style on Friday night with an eighth round stoppage of Marcos Herrera in front of a rabid crowd on hand at Coliseo Felix Mendez Acevedo in Lares, Puerto Rico.

Perez weighed 136 lb, while Herrera came in slightly lower at 135 lb. for their Telefutura televised main event.

Traveling all the way from Newark, New Jersey, Perez felt right at home as he effectively boxed and brawled throughout his first televised main event. Herrera was game but had no answers for the rising lightweight prospect at any point in the evening.

The early rounds saw Perez alternating between styles. At times, he chose to box and move, forcing Herrera to follow him around the ring. Once he became bored with boxing, Perez would plant his feet and score with left hooks upstairs and to the body.

Perez played cat and mouse in the middle rounds, working behind his jab and darting in and out to keep Herrera guessing.  The tactic worked to perfection, but not enough for the American, who upped his game in a surgical fifth round that proved to be the beginning of the end for Herrera.  

After more of the same followed in the sixth, Herrera came out in the seventh fighting like a man who knew the end was near if he didn’t kick it up a notch. It was a noble effort, but only wound up contributing to Perez’ effort, who began to wear down Herrera.

The end came midway through the eighth. Perez scored with a right hand and left hook, sending Herrera into the ropes. An ensuing flurry left the Colorado journeyman defenseless, forcing the referee to intervene.

The official time was 1:36 of the eighth and final round.

Perez cruises to 12-0-1 (6KO) with the win, while Herrera falls to 6-4-1 (2KO).

After having spent his first two years stateside, Perez has found a home away from home in Puerto Rico. The bout was his second straight in La Isla Encanta, and drew by far the most raucous cheers of the evening, confirmation that the natives have adopted him as one of their own.

Unbeaten featherweight Jayson Velez (15-0, 12KO) led off the telecast with a dominant fourth round stoppage of John Molina (28-15-3, 19KO). Velez was in control every second of the bout, relentlessly imposing his will until Molina’s corner decided to stop the bout prior to the start of the fifth round.

With time to fill before the end of the broadcast, middleweight newcomer Eddie Gomez made the most of his unexpected airtime with a second round knockout over hapless Jose Ramon Sanchez. Gomez, Bronx-born but now based out of Puerto Rico, scored two knockdowns before forcing the referee to jump in and stop the onslaught at 2:21 of the second round.

Braulio Santos (1-0, 1KO) had exactly eight minutes left in the telecast to make the most of his pro debut. He only needed less than two, flattening local tomato can Jose Padilla (0-3) in one round.

The show was presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Promociones Miguel Cotto.
 
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com. Follow Jake on Twitter at twitter.com/JakeNDaBox or submit questions/comments to JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.