Boxing champ Teresa Perozzi will defend her world title on the beach in Bermuda next month.
The North American Boxing Council's world middleweight champion will take on American boxer Roselin Morales who has an imposing 5-0 record in her professional career.
The contest will be an open-air bout on Clearwater Beach.
Liz Mooney, who fought on the same card as Perozzi on the night in Trinidad when she won her title, will be flown in to provide a sparring partner for the Bermudian boxer in the build up to the July 22 clash.
One of Morales five pro bouts was a victory over Monica Nunez, who controversially beat Perozzi on points in 2004.
And the champ said she was preparing for the fight to go the distance against a fit and technically accomplished boxer.
"She is living and training in New York, she's getting good sparring, this is a big opportunity for her and she will be well prepared. She's got so many good gyms and other boxers to work with out there."
By contrast Perozzi is limited to getting her boxing training in three times a week when the police gym is open.
Thanks to sponsorship from Capital G she is able to fly-in Mooney, who is a similar build to Morales, for ten days of intense-sparring. But she is still unsure where they will work out, with the lack of facilities on the island clearly becoming a source of frustration.
"There are only so many times my determination can get me through.
"But I'm not going to let that get to me. I had a chance to fight the other girl that pulled out last time (Kimberley Harris) but her record is nowhere near as good.
"I'm not going to do this forever so let's do it now. I want to get a higher world ranking and I want to fight people who are tougher each time."
Morales is third in the World Boxing Council and fifth in the World Boxing Association rankings while Perozzi is sixth in the WBC and eighth in the WIBA.
She said she expected Morales to be her toughest opponent yet.
"At this level it's rare to get a knock down. Really I just need to be in shape because I still believe she can't match my power.
"I think it has a good chance of going the distance so I need to be in shape."
She said the past few weeks getting back into fight training had been rough but it was coming together now.
She's doing three sessions a week in the boxing gym as well as power and sprint training, long distance running and working on the beach in the midday sun.
She said was relishing the prospect of fighting on the beach.
"This was always an idea I had so I was glad when they (the promoters Pure Pleasure Entertainment) suggested it.
"I think it's going to be a huge success. Hopefully the weather will come through."
The gates open at 6pm at Clearwater on July 22 with the fighting set for a 7.30pm start. The following day has been set aside as a rain date.
Tickets priced $20 for under-18s, $40 for adults and $50 for ringside are being sold at Sports R Us, Secrets and Hair Fantasy.
Reader Comments
Posted: Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Comment by:
Meg Kyle
I am only reading this artical after I attended the actual event on July 22. I am embarressed for Teresa she was out classed and out boxed. Her belt should no longer be hers and in her heart she knows it. Please ask her or the Athletic Association of Bermuda since when is it legal to provide your own scale to be weighed in on? Her corner also came to Ms Morales corner to ask if the Morales corner felt Perozzi won the fight. I guess the corruption in the world of boxing is in every corner. Ms Perozzi should do a re-match here in the states where Ms. Morales can have fair judging. If the July 22 fight wasn't in Teresa's home island there would of been a different out come. I hope she can sleep at night knowing corruption in the sport is the only reason she still has a belt. She got a royal ass whipping the worst of her career. I will be contacting Ed Hutchinson the Pres. for NABC. I still want to know since when boxers supply equipment that according to the rules need to be supplied by and certified by the boxing commission and the Athletic Assoc. The rematch if Ms. Perozzi isn't to afraid will have a different out come I know that a knock out can't be corrupted.
