Heavyweights Lenier Pero and Jordan Thompson previewed their bout and went face-to-face at the pre-fight press conference. The two fighters square off atop the Matchroom Boxing card, live from the Caribe Royale in Orlando, on Saturday, November 1.
Miami-based Pero (12-0, 8 KOs) of Cuba is coming off a decision victory over Detrailous Webster in April. The unbeaten 32-year-old said he is in his best shape.
“You know when you come into these fights how ready you need to be, and I feel like I’m very much in the best physical and mental shape I can be in,” Pero said on Thursday. “I think you know from the fights I’ve been in that I am a great warrior.”
“I want to welcome my opponent, Jordan Thompson, but also say that this is not cruiserweight, and you’ll see that on Saturday night.”
“The reason I believe I can win this fight is that I’ve prepared really well and I am completely ready for this. I also want to show what I am made of, and I believe I can show that.”
‘This isn’t a sport where you take silly risks and roll the dice with hope’
Making his U.S. debut, Thompson (15-1, 12 KOs) of the UK returns to the ring after being stopped by Jai Opetaia in an attempt to claim the IBF cruiserweight title two years ago. The 32-year-old said he is confident in himself and his team and is looking to come out victorious.
“I’m grateful to be back and on this stage, and blessed to keep getting opportunities with you guys,” Thompson said. “It’s the sport of boxing, this is my trap, take risks and prosper. Nothing worth having comes easy, it’s all about going out and taking the risks, and I’m confident in myself going out there and doing what I have to do.”
“Cruiserweight was a tough ask, but we’ve made the move up and we’re taking another risk, another roll of the dice, but it’s a calculated one and a roll that I see myself winning. My team are confident in me, I’m confident in my team. I can’t wait to get out there, I want to have fun, express myself, and emerge victorious.”
“This isn’t a sport where you take silly risks and roll the dice with hope. There’s no hope involved, this is calculated, it’s self-belief, and we’re going to come up with something. And this is the thing in this fight – to go out there and believe in myself, express myself.”
On Pero vs Thompson undercard
- Yoelvis Gomez (9-1, 7 KOs) of Cuba faces Antraveous Ingram (12-0, 6 KOs) of Kissimmee, FL at super welterweight.
- Pat Brown (4-0, 4 KOs) of the UK takes on Felix Valera (24-8, 21 KOs) of the Dominican Republic at cruiserweight.
- Orlando’s Omari Jones (3-0, 3 KOs) goes up against Yusuph Metu (12-2, 9 KOs) of Tanzania at super welterweight.
- Nishant Dev (3-0, 2 KOs) of India and Mexico’s Juan Carlos Campos Medina (4-2, 3 KOs) battle at super welterweight.