The Harder They Fall

For 2026, the writer Andrew Rihn conjured up an informal book club called "Hitting the Books," consisting of four boxing-themed novels with the first being Budd Schulberg's The Harder They Fall.

Schulberg was raised in Hollywood and grew up a big boxing fan. His father, B.P., was a famous movie producer. Budd became friends with Jewish boxers Jackie Fields, Mushy Callahan, Newsboy Brown, and Maxie Rosenbloom among others.

First published in 1947, The Harder They Fall is loosely based on the career of former heavyweight champion Primo Carnera. Toro Molina is plucked from his job as a strongman in the circus back in Argentina and used by an amoral manager, Nick Latka, to enhance his bankroll. Unbeknownst to "the big bum," Molina's fights are all fixed and it's the job of the narrator, Eddie Lewis, to build up the fighter in the eyes of the public and the press.

Though explicitly Gentile, Lewis is at heart a Jewish character. A New York schmoozer, who constantly grapples with the morality of his occupation, he's always questioning himself and his surroundings. An aspiring playwright, Eddie feels more comfortable in the often contradictory world of boxing. By the end it's clear that he is nothing more than a schlemiel, destined to remain in the shady realm of pugilism.

The novel is littered with actual Jews, from Bummy Davis to Daniel Mendoza, Lew Tendler, Abe Attell, Callahan, and Benny Leonard. An Irishman named Danny McKeogh, who along with the Jewish hunchback Doc Zigman, train Toro Molina. The fictional McKeogh had been knocked out by Leonard in the first round and then became the trainer of Leonard's potential successor, Izzy Greenberg.

Schulberg's novel is immensely quotable and one of the less profound is about the fictional Greenberg, who traveled around the world fighting "the Australian champion, the Champion of England, the Champion of Europe, which is not as much trouble for Izzy as slicing Mazoth balls with a hot knife."

Danny is the impetus for an observation from Eddie, "There's nothing duller than an old ball player or an old tennis star, but an old fighter who's been punched around, spilled his blood freely for the fans' amusement only to wind up broke, battered and forgotten has the stuff of tragedy for me." It's hard not to concur.

Boxing is "a genuinely manly art, dragged down through the sewers of human greed," Eddie explains the thesis of the novel toward its end. It's a profound statement that still resonates today.

Though Schulberg published The Harder They Fall over 75 years ago, he sums up not only boxing, but the American political climate when he writes, "Hope is the blind mother of stupidity."

As Eddie tries to sell Toro Molina to the press, he encounters a skeptic and laments, "A historian yet! In every town you hit, there's always one jerk like that, the natural enemy of the press agent, the guy with integrity." For over fifteen years, the founder of The Jewish Boxing Blog has strived to be that jerk.

The next Hitting the Books entry is The Professional by W.C. Heinz.

Barwick Shows Heart as Boston Falls to Phoenix, 15-13

Brooklyn Barwick fought in two rounds in the Team Boxing League matchup between her new team, the Boston Butchers, and her old team, the Phoenix Fury. She showed a strong chin and a heart the size of the Grinch after he gives back Whoville's gifts, but was outclassed in her two rounds.

Boston jumped out to a 7-1 lead before Barwick entered the ring for the ninth round against her friend, Tierra Brandt. Hall of Fame broadcaster Al Bernstein described Brooklyn as "a good professional" before her round began. Barwick came out aggressively, but Brandt used her height and superior counter punching to completely dominate the three-minute period. Brandt used 1-2s and left hooks to the body as Barwick was forced to cover up for much of the round.

Dave Bontempo, a terrific veteran announcer, declared it was  "a tough introduction against a very good fighter," for Barwick this season.

Phoenix stormed back in the middle rounds to take an 11-9 lead when heavyweight Manuel Villalobos stopped Kimbo Boykin for a four-point sixteenth round. Boston's Rashidi Ellis, Ronald Ellis, Skylar Lacy, and Jahyae Brown all took care of business, but none could score a knockdown or a stoppage to offset Villalobos's four point outburst.

Barwick climbed through the ropes for the 22nd round against Brenda Hernandez. Hernandez had lost to Brandi Robinson in third, but she had a reach advantage over Barwick. The two fighters exchanged fire to open the round with Brooklyn boxing well, but Hernandez gradually wore down Barwick, landing clean overhand rights and right uppercuts as the round progressed.

Phoenix went up by two points after the 22nd and that's where margin lay at the end of the contest. Boston falls to 0-1 while Phoenix rises to 1-0.

This was invaluable experience for Barwick, who needs to work on her lateral movement and counter punching in order to prevent onslaughts like she faced tonight. She's 6-1 as a pro with 6 KOs, but is still a relative neophyte in the sport of boxing, having first picked up the gloves just three years ago. The 26 year old has come along way since then, but still has room for improvement.

Brooklyn Barwick Weighs in Ahead of TBL Clash

Brooklyn Barwick weighed a flat 128 for her two rounds tomorrow in Boston. Barwick is a member of the Boston Butchers of Team Boxing League, where a group of boxers compete in one or two rounds as part of a team competition.

At the weigh-in, Barwick said the other fighters were acting like “hyenas.” She spoke up and told them to calm down. One of the Phoenix Fury told her to, “Shut up, fucking Jew.” Barwick, who wore a Star of David pendant, was pissed, but her coaches told her that while it was messed up, she should try to stay focused on the fight. 

Mazza and More sponsored her refuel: grilled chicken and mushroom rice with corn. She had a cinnamon kokosh  and washed it down with two bottles of Keten grape juice and a bottle of water.

Barwick will face her friend Tierra Brandt in one round. The two showed respect for each other at the face-off and vowed to hang out after the fight. Brooklyn will face Brenda Hernandez in a “money” round.

Barwick is using the TBL to gain important experience. Her next pro bout is scheduled for May 16 in South Carolina. She then will face Grecias Novas in a rematch of a disputed decision loss.

Alan Blyweiss - The Inspirational Sparring Partner

"I was set to be the heavyweight champion of the world," Alan Blyweiss said ruefully. "The first Jewish heavyweight champion."

Instead, Blyweiss made a living sparring the likes of Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, and Riddick Bowe. After a small fire had broken out in his house earlier in the day and under the threat of a tornado warning, Blyweiss spoke with The Jewish Boxing Blog about his harrowing life. Alan believes he threw away his opportunity to achieve more in boxing, but the difficulties he endured have allowed him to pass on his hard-earned wisdom to the next generation of fighters.

A self-described "heroin baby," Alan Joel Blyweiss was born on March 14, 1969. Born less than a year after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the subsequent riots, he was adopted by Lithuanian Jewish parents and raised in the Southeast D.C. community of Barry Farm, an almost exclusively Black neighborhood. "There's nothing white beyond the White House except the Blyweisses," a catchy area saying went.

Alan's father Harold was a mensch, but his mother was "mean and abusive." The unrelenting physical and emotional abuse shaped Alan's entire life. An angry kid, he began boxing at seven years old. By nine, he was the first Jewish white kid jumped into the Bloods. "I stayed in that life far too long," he admitted. In Barry Farm, crime increased exponentially during the 1970s and by the 1980s, it was widely regarded as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country. At the age of 13, Alan and his family moved north to Columbia, Maryland.

Shortly after his Bar Mitzvah at Beth Shalom, Blyweiss was sent to juvenile detention for two years after holding his abusive mother at knifepoint for 16 hours. He wasn't going to kill her, but he wanted her to feel something akin to what she had put him through. When he got out of juvie, he showed promise as a high school soccer player. Alan hated to run, but his dad felt soccer would force him to get in shape for boxing. But Alan was never far from trouble. He was kicked out of Atholton High School and didn't last much longer at Mount Hebron.

After getting in trouble, a school official told Harold that his boy needed some tough love. Harold strongly disagreed, but the official quickly discovered the importance of listening Mr. Blyweiss the hard way. As the bloody official expelled Alan for good, Harold quipped, "I did warn you."

At 15 years old Alan was sent to Cus D'Amato in Catskill, New York. He sparred a few rounds with Tyson when he was the heavyweight champion of the world. Throughout his career, Blyweiss learned from other such luminaries as Emanuel Steward, Kevin Rooney, Eddie Futch, and Angelo Dundee.

He said he had over 100 amateur fights although different sources give varying numbers as is customary with records in the unpaid ranks. He said he rose to be the third ranked amateur heavyweight in the country. He took on Tommy Morrison in Kansas in the final of a big tournament. He fought smokers at the Hillcrest Heights Boxing Gym.

Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank showed interest in Blyweiss and gave him a $125,000 signing bonus. Alan blew through the money in three months. Instead of training, he partied and used cocaine. "I was given everything, and I blew it," he said.

Trained by Vardell McCann and sporting the nickname "The Rock," Blyweiss had his pro debut on April 18, 1990 against Gus Linver at the Pikesville Armory. Even in the amateurs Blyweiss suffered from anxiety, but it came to a head in his debut. His mother's constant criticism contributed to his crisis in confidence. The anxiety would build as the fight approached. "I felt anxiety because I knew I hadn't trained properly," Blyweiss said.

Pikesville, Maryland was a hub of Jewish life at the time. Alan and his dad used to go to Pikesville on Sundays to get bagels and herring. He came to the ring wearing a tallis and a yarmulke. About 800 Jewish fans packed the armory, roaring for Blyweiss. "The crowd was awesome. I was ready to take care of business. Except I wasn't." He was stopped in the second round.

After a first round stoppage loss to George Harris in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania on November 15, 1991, Blyweiss says Arum froze his contract for six years, effectively ending his pro career. He then became a full time sparring partner.

Blyweiss had been a southpaw, but an elbow injury forced him to switched to an orthodox stance. He sparred Terry Ray under the watchful eyes of Kevin Rooney. As a small speedy heavyweight, Blyweiss fought in the style of Evander Holyfield. "I hit like a mule, and I could take a punch," he recalled. "Against big heavyweights, I boxed their ears off."

Jerry Rabinowitz, a cantor from Pikesville who loved boxing, gave Alan a salary of $850 a week and he also made $100 a round to spar. He was often used as a sparring partner for Holyfield's opponents, including for Riddick Bowe during his trilogy with the cruiserweight and heavyweight champ. Blyweiss said he traveled for three years with Lennox Lewis working with him.

At one point, Blyweiss was offered another $600 a week and a hundred a round to travel up to Philadelphia and spar with James Thunder. "He had muscles on top of muscles," Alan said of Thunder. "I looked at him and said to myself, 'I'm not too sure about this.' I sparred six rounds with him and then I told them that my beeper went off. When I came back, I said my grandmother had just died. I had to go home."

She hadn't. "Over the years, I've had a lot of grandmothers die," he deadpanned.

In 2000, Alan was near death himself. While staying in Boston, he was shot and stabbed. In the hospital, he was induced into a coma. He needed eleven abdominal surgeries. His dad was told to come up to Boston and say his last goodbyes.

Alan survived, but health problems persisted. His boxing career was done. He trained fighters, but bad luck stuck to him like velcro. In 2017, he was diagnosed with probable CTE and Parkinson's Disease. That year a card near Baltimore called "Punches and Prayers for Alan Blyweiss" was promoted to help Alan with mounting medical bills.

Despite many health challenges, things are looking up. Alan and his wife have remarried after previously divorcing. He works at 5 Stones Fight Club in the Hershey, Pennsylvania area. There his Jewish, Muslim, and Christian pupils have an opportunity to safely talk about their differences and similarities. The world, hopelessly divided, needs more of what Alan is giving his charges.

In addition to his boxers' recent success at the Central PA Golden Gloves, he advises popular MMA star Natan Levy, an Israeli who is recovering from knee surgery. Alan reports the plan is to get Levy back into the UFC or the PFL. In the meantime, Levy is on tour speaking out against the rising wave of anti-Semitism.

Alan's life has been a struggle since the beginning. Some of it has been self-inflicted and some the result of inexplicable misfortune. Those difficulties have provided the necessary experiences to help the next generation of fighters learn from his mistakes.

Brooklyn Barwick's TBL Season Starting March 29, U.S. Debut May 16

Brooklyn "Big Deal" Barwick is jumping right back into the ring after a disputed hometown decision loss to Grecia Novas last month. The 26 year old is a member of the Boston Butchers of Team Boxing League this season, and the team's first scheduled match is set for March 29 against her former team, the Phoenix Fury.

Fighters fight one or two rounds per TBL contest. Boston has nine contests scheduled that run through July 19. After the March bout, Barwick will be fighting on April 25, May 9, May 16, May 22, May 30, and June 13 for Boston.

Barwick is scheduled to make her U.S. debut in the pro ranks on May 16 in South Carolina. A rematch against Novas is set for June back in Santo Domingo, but the exact date hasn't been finalized yet.

Odelia Ben Ephraim to Host Art Event

In addition to painting opponents' faces red, Odelia Ben Ephraim is also a talented artist. The former French featherweight titlist will present her art in a show called Dualité at Andre Zeitoun's gym tomorrow at 6pm in Paris, France.

Odelia has a professional 5-5 record, having fought tough opponents from the outset of her career. She has been on the wrong side of a couple of dubious decisions, but is one of the most exciting fighters to watch in boxing. She throws accurate combinations and can take a punch.

Ben Ephraim says this show blends her two passions: boxing and art.

Sidney Jackson: The Father of Uzbek Boxing

Uzbekistan has become one of the premier boxing nations in the world, dominating amateur tournaments and boasting world champions in the professional ranks. That success can be traced back to one Jewish guy from the Bronx named Sidney Jackson.

Jackson was born on April 14, 1886 in the Bronx, New York. The family lived at 1310 Brooke Avenue. His father, Louis, a worker in a chemical plant, died of tuberculosis when Sid was just six years old. His mother then took up work in the garment district. Sid and his brothers split time between attending school and scraping out a living. He spent a stint working as a tailor's apprentice.

One day, a friend showed Sid a magazine featuring pictures of boxers. Sid instantly understood his calling in life. He began boxing at the age of 11. A report from 1943 claims Jackson first fought as a 13 year old in Cleveland representing the Bronx Club and won by knockout. Most sources claim he turned pro at the age of 18. There was a Sidney Jackson who fought in Hawaii as a middleweight along side his brother Nigel beginning in 1903, but our Jackson campaigned as a bantamweight and a featherweight. Contemporary accounts of his pro career have been hard to come by.

In 1914, Jackson joined a a group of American boxers on an overseas tour. While in Glasgow, Jackson injured his thumb and was unable to fight. He, along with fellow boxer and friend Frank Gill, left Scotland to travel throughout Europe. It was an unfortunate time to traverse the continent. On June 28, Gavrilo Princip shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne, and his wife. A month later, war broke out. Jackson and Gill were already in Russia "to see the bears walking down the streets."

No bears in sight, the duo kept traveling east at the suggestion of the American Consulate in St. Petersburg. They ran out of money in Tashkent. Both sent telegrams back home to the States, but only Gill received his money and left; Jackson did not.

Boxing was virtually unknown in what was then called Turkestan, so Jackson worked as a tailor at the Yaushev Garment Making Firm. At first, he knew no one. He lived those early years in a one-room mud hut with a roommate. In 1917, revolution swept Russia and its surrounding areas. When the Basmachi movement threatened the Bolshevik takeover, Jackson volunteered and fought the anti-communist rebels with a brigade that included a mishmash of ethnicities and nationalities. He served for four years and was wounded twice in battle.

After the war, Jackson settled down back in a rapidly industrializing Tashkent, which was then the largest city in the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. He got a job as a sports instructor at the former Romanov Palace, a relic of the czar era built in 1891 for the grandson of Nicolas I. From there, Jackson began teaching boxing, but it wasn't so simple.

The club didn't have any boxing equipment and no way to get some. So as one writer explained, "Sidney made sport equipment for classes with his own hands from improvised materials. He made a makeshift ring from [an] old ship's tarpaulin, hemmed three pairs of old gloves, and sewed several new pairs of leather and horsehair from a local slaughterhouse. The trainer made punching bags from the canvas bags here as well." He stuffed seaweed in one of the old gloves to serve as padding.

Jackson didn't just coach boxing, but introduced track and field, basketball, and swimming to the area. He advertised the sporting association by posting flyers on fences and trees throughout the city of Tashkent.

In 1922, he finally received his exit papers from the United States, but by that time he had made a life in Tashkent. He soon gained Soviet citizenship. In the mid-1920s, the USSR banned boxing, but the sport was soon reinstated with only amateur rules permitted. At the age of 43, Sidney married a Russian Jewish woman named Bertha. They had two kids, a son named Leo and a daughter named Paina. Leo started boxing at 11 and rose to become a top amateur in the country. After fighting, Leo became a respected surgeon while officiating boxing bouts on the side.

In the 1930s, Sidney Jackson decided to go to school. In his 50s, he earned a degree in English and served as a professor at the Tashkent Institute of Foreign Languages. He assumed the name Sidney Lvovich Jackson.

When the Soviets entered World War II, several of Jackson's pupils made worldwide headlines. One was Leonid Mesh, who knocked out cold a German soldier with an uppercut and then took him prisoner. Another, Ivan Treyakov, put together a left uppercut-right hook combination that destroyed another German soldier.

After the war, Jackson continued to teach boxing at the Palace of Pioneers where he always rode his bicycle to work. One of his prized post-war proteges was Valeri Popenchenko, who not only won Olympic gold in the middleweight division at the 1964 Olympics, but also captured the Val Barker trophy as the most outstanding boxer at the Games.

Throughout his career, but particularly as he aged, Jackson basked in the unwavering success of his pupils. "My father was both very kind and very tough," recalled his daughter Paina. "He loved people. That was one of his main features. And people reciprocated. He had that kind of aura.

"One of his students wrote that he is one of the sites of Tashkent," said his daughter. The residents of the city could tell time by his actions. "Jackson's going to work. That means it's almost seven o'clock," she remembered hearing in the streets. Jackson was so respected, a heavyweight boxer took his girlfriend to ask for the coach's blessing even before introducing her to his parents.

Another decorated disciple, Rinat Yusupov, began training with Jackson in 1964. "I thank my lucky stars. He made a man of me," he said.

Jackson taught Jewish boxers Vladimir Agaronov, Iosif Budman, and Eli and Gershon Luxembourg, among many others. The Luxembourgs moved to Israel and their gym in Jerusalem featured a prominent portrait of Jackson. "Jackson passed on to us that attitude to respect other people and other nationalities," Gershon  explained. "Among the boys there [at Jackson's gym], there were lots of Uzbek kids training, lots of Jewish kids, lots of Russians, Tatars, everyone. We were all together in that melting pot... We all felt the same love and care from that man."

World champion and Olympic silver medalist Rufat Riskiyev said that Jackson taught him his "stance, the right way to punch, footwork, good breathing." Jackson focused on a boxer's breathing as a way to increase their stamina.

"Among his students were heroes of the Soviet Union, PhDs, candidates of science," said Uzbek champ and coach Mirsalikh Sagatov. "He used to say,  'Boxing is a mental form of sport. In the ring you have to think.' And this attitude of his, his words, passed into those people for their whole lives."

Sidney died on January 5, 1966 at the age of 79. He was buried at the Botkin Street Cemetery in Tashkent.

Uzbeks consider their teacher to be equal to their father, and Sidney Jackson was the father of Uzbek boxing. Over one hundred years after his arrival, Jackson's legacy, not limited to boxing, endures throughout the country.

Sources

"A Guy from the Bronx and His Contribution to Uzbekistan's Boxing Gold." The Times of Central Asia. Aug. 14, 2024.

Babayev, Boris. "The Phenomenon of Sidney Jackson." 2002.

"Old Time American Fighter Teaches Soviet Kids the Art." The Daily Worker. Jun. 24, 1943. Pg. 6.

Piklicka-Wilczewska, Agnieszka. "In Uzbekistan's Corner, Muscle and Pride." Eurasianet. May 1, 2020.

Riordan, Jim. "Sidney Jackson: An American in Russia's Boxing Hall of Fame. Journal of Sport History. Spring 1993. Pgs. 49-56.

"Sidney Jackson - An American Boxer in Uzbekistan." Uzbek Journeys. Jan. 27, 2016.

"Sidney Jackson - The Grandfather of Uzbek Boxing." Asian Boxing.

"Uzbek Story of American Boxer." Uzbek Travel.

Isaac Chilemba Shut Out by Lenar Perez

Isaac Chilemba lost a ten-round decision to undefeated cruiserweight prospect Lenar Perez tonight at the Montreal Casino in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The 38 year old resident of South Africa proved himself to be a durable gatekeeper after two years away from the ring.

Chilemba walked to the ring to the nostalgic chords of Lukas Graham's "7 Years" while Perez, a 28 year old Cuban who splits time between Russia and France, strode to the squared circle to "Nueva Era," an energetic song by Duki and Myke Towers. Their choice of music proved apt for their distinct purpose in the fight.

Chilemba showed flashes of his former greatness. A defensive wizard, he ducked, slipped, and blocked most of Perez's shots. But the younger man kept up a constant assault. He pumped his long jab to set up stinging straight rights throughout the fight. Perez's offense was an effortless poem while Chilemba's resembled a quadratic equation. He concocted elaborate combinations in order to land one shot, usually a left hook.

Though Chilemba evaded, blocked, or rolled with many of Perez's shots, enough of them landed to swell up the eyes of the wizened veteran. Isaac's best moments were to start the third and the tenth rounds, but even in those valiant attempts, he was unable to capture the rounds. He gave Perez a spanking in the seventh, albeit in the literal sense. While in a clinch, he gave the younger man a pat on the behind.

Chilemba presented a tough puzzle for Perez, but he was unable to expose the taller Cuban's main flaw, an amateurish habit of producing an open-mouthed shout whenever he threw a power shot. Isaac tried to land left hooks, but could never time it while Perez's mouth remained agape. Yet, he lasted the ten rounds after fighting fewer than two since 2022.

The three judges scored the bout 100-90 in favor of Perez. The Jewish Boxing Blog concurs. Chilemba is now 27-11-3 with 11 KOs. Perez improves to 16-0 with 14 KOs.

Isaac Chilemba and Lenar Perez Make Weight

Issac Chilemba and Lenar Perez both weighed in under the 200-pound cruiserweight limit ahead of their clash tomorrow at the Montreal Casino in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Chilemba (27-10-3, 11 KOs) came in at 191.5 pounds. This is the heaviest weight of his 21-year pro career by over three pounds. This is only the third time Isaac has come in over the light heavyweight division's limit of 175 pounds. He was 184.3 pounds in his last fight back in 2024, a second round stoppage loss to Aleksei Papin who boasted a 15-pound advantage over Chilemba. Isaac was 188.3 in a 2019 stay-busy fight. Chilemba has primarily vacillated between the super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.

Perez (15-0, 14 KOs) is ten years younger than Chilemba and weighed seven and half pounds heavier. His weight of 199 pounds is firmly in the middle of his range. Perez has consistently hovered around the cruiserweight limit. His lightest was 196.3 pounds in 2022. His heaviest was 205 for two separate fights in 2019.

This bout is scheduled for ten rounds and can be seen on DAZN. For a preview, visit here.

Preview of Isaac Chilemba vs. Lenar Perez

Isaac Chilemba is in tough on Thursday against undefeated cruiserweight Lenar Perez at the Montreal Casino in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A native of Malawi based in South Africa, Chilemba is coming out of retirement to act as a gatekeeper for Perez.

Nicknamed the "Golden Boy," Chilemba is far removed from the days when he challenged Tony Bellew in two competitive fights. He has had a remarkable career, but the slick boxer's record is just 3-8-1 over the last ten years. His overall record is 27-10-3, facing such esteemed fighters as Dmitry Bivol, Olexandr Govzdyk, and Sergey Kovalev.

In his prime, Chilemba was one of the best defensive fighters in the game. His best weights were super middle and light heavy. In recent years, he's fought only two rounds since 2022. Cruiserweight Alexei Papin stopped him in the second round of their 2024 clash. Chilemba looked overmatched in that one. Not only is he in his late 30s, but the Golden Boy has not always lived the clean life, admitting to bouts with alcoholism.

Perez (15-0, 14 KOs) is a 28 year old Cuban resident of Russia. He has fought for Shamo Boxing, IBA Pro, and recently signed with Eye of the Tiger Promotions. A skilled fighter, he goes to the body far more than one would expect a 6'5" Cuban to do. He used a body shot to set up the chopping rights that stopped Giorgi Tevdorashvili in 2019 and ended the fight against Igor Vilchitskiy with a left to the liver in the fourth round of their 2020 affair.

Vilchitskiy repeatedly landed uppercuts, which knocked out Perez's mouthpiece three times in the third round. Though Perez is a taller fighter, uppercuts seem to be his kryptonite.

Perez boxes well behind a smart jab. He sometimes curls up into a Philly shell and rarely counters. He prefers to fire combinations when it's his turn to throw. After 14 consecutive knockouts to start his career, the Cuban had no problem outboxing Aleksei Egorov last April to win something called the IBA intercontinental belt.

Perez signifies a tough ask for Chilemba, who may have given Perez a frustrating fight in his prime. However, Perez holds the size, height, reach, activity, and youth advantages. Chilemba may present Perez with a puzzle early, but Perez could very well coast to a decision victory if he doesn't get the aging Malawan out early.

This bout is scheduled for ten rounds and will be broadcast on DAZN.