'It doesn't get any better than this'

WEDNESDAY, SEP. 19: ‘All or nothing.’

It’s been said so often it’s become a cliché, a meaningless expression.

But come October 13 Teresa Perozzi and Tori Nelson will enter the ring, each one wanting to be world champion. When the 10 round bout is over, one will walk away with both the prestigious WBA and WBC middleweight crowns, while the loser will walk away empty-handed.

With less than a month to go, Perozzi has been training hard. She’s had the benefit of former pro Troy Darrell in her corner.

She said: “He’s helping me work more on my weaknesses and not focusing so much on my strength. He has me doing things repetitively so that I will hopefully implement them in the fight.”

Diversity

Perozzi won the vacant WBA female middleweight title last December when she won a split decision against Lorissa Rivas in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. She then had a tune-up match against April Ward in March and won handedly 100-90, 100-90, 98-92 on the judges’ cards.

The fight will take place in the ballroom at the Southampton Fairmont, which will be the first Perozzi has fought there.

“I haven’t fought there yet so I’m looking forward to. The last event was just the best ever at Berkeley so I think it’s going to be very similar.

“It was very diverse – the last one was black, white, young, old, locals, expats — it was a very united feeling to being able to fight in front of that type of crowd. I really felt all of Bermuda was represented. It was really amazing.”

Perozzi said people who have told her they are buying tickets to the title fight have the same diversity and the same united feeling.

“I don’t want to lose my belt. I know I’m not taking a guaranteed win here but I’m not the sort to do that anyway.

“I don’t want to say I don’t get excited about belts, but obviously the WBA and the WBC, especially the WBC, which is the one I’ve been wanting to get. There are no other belts out there I would want. These are the two belts you should get.

“There’s a lot of pressure, but at this time of my life it doesn’t get any better than this now.”

The undercard will also feature Bermuda’s Sentwali Woolridge against Canadian Kechego. It also has Bolivian Jennifer Salinas taking on American Karen Dulin in a featherweight bout.

Perozzi said it’s great having another women’s bout on the undercard.

“You’ll see quite a different style and they’ve both had quite a bit of experience. I think an all-female card would be great sometime.”

Tickets: general are $65 and ringside $95. Tickets are available at www.ptix.bm, the International sports Shop and Gorham’s.