January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Female Athlete of the Year
Perozzi: Heart of a champion
Her next fight wasn't until September, but it was for the WIBC Middleweight belt. She pummelled Trinidad and Tobago's Scroller Carrington for six rounds and at the start of the seventh the other boxer threw in the towel to give Perozzi the title.
It should have been a joyous moment. But moments after parading around the ring with the title belt, WIBC chairman Don ‘Moose’ Lewis tried to grab the belt back.
He claimed all the fees for sanctioning the fight hadn't been paid and that there were other irregularities. After getting into a “he said, he said” tit for tat with promoter Boxu Potts, Lewis stripped Perozzi and four other winners of their hard-earned titles.
It wasn't until Ed Hutchinson, president of the North American Boxing Council, stepped in, that Perozzi was officially recognized as the world champ.
“I had no idea that I’d end the year as the world champ,” Perozzi said. “At the beginning of the year I was so desperate to fight, that I actually fought for free and raised $2,400 to get a chance to fight.”
“The world title came so unexpectedly. I didn’t know that I would get a chance so soon. “I took it as the underdog and people assumed I’d lose that fight.”
Perozzi said she never doubted herself going into the fight because she didn’t think Carrington could match her power.
She said the fiasco after the fight wasn’t the first she had in dealing with boxing’s shady side.
“It was certainly the first at the World title level. I can tell you stories from every fight I’ve ever had, even right down to the amateurs. It didn’t surprise me, but it was very disappointing.”
She said when the NABC stepped in and awarded her the world title, it was “a big surprise. I didn’t realise they could do that.”
Perozzi still believes that she won the fight against Ramsey in April by taking the first three rounds of the four round bout — at the very least she should have had a draw.
Ramsey had a point taken away in the third round for punching in the back of the head.
“There was not one professional judge in that panel and the referee was not professional. I would certainly like a rematch with her. The promoter wants to schedule a rematch for next year, but I’m going to do it on my terms.”
On the unanimous decision over Kerin, who latter complained that Perozzi got a home town victory, Bermuda’s champ called her a “sore loser.”
“She never went public with those feelings except here. She had a chance to when she went away to the WBAN (Women’s Boxing Archive Network), but she never did. I clearly won that fight.”
Perozzi is hoping to defend her title in Bermuda early next year, but added that Boxu Potts, the promoter from Trinidad wants to schedule Perozzi for a rematch against Carrington for the vacant WBC (World Boxing Council) middleweight title. “They’ve approved for me to fight for it, but I’m not quite sure when it will happen.”
She said the world title has brought mostly positive reactions.
“A lot of young people, girls and children have said it ‘s been inspiring to them, so it’s been nice.
The champ said winning the world title hasn’t changed her life too much except “I’m a little nicer on the roads now because you’ll never know who’ll see you. It’s made me more aware of myself because people are watching me.
“They’re watching what I eat. If it’s not too healthy they let me know. They tell me ‘You’re not supposed to eat that.’ I was getting some cookies for two other people I was eating with and someone said to me ‘That’s not a boxer’s diet.’”[[In-content Ad]]
Comments:
You must login to comment.