NEWTOWNABBEY'S Steven Ward fought Cuban-Irish fighter Mike Perez in a cruiserweight clash on Saturday night in Ipswich’s Portman Road stadium. Both fighters now very much in the twilight of their careers knew they could not afford a loss. Time would unlikely facilitate any re-builds back into title contention and retirement surely beckoned for the defeated.
Perez has enjoyed a recent resurgence, with an overall record of 30 wins, three losses and one draw. He entered the ring on an eight-fight unbeaten run that stretches back over seven years. Ward was coming off the back of a stoppage win in March this year taking his record to 15-3.
Perez opened calmly and methodically in the first round, working from the centre of the ring and throwing a few warning left hands as Ward circled looking for an opening. In the second Ward stood his ground and worked patiently behind his jab as he tried to frustrate and tire the 39-year-old Perez. The Rebel started the third with a thumping jab and kept this momentum throughout as he increased the tempo and put together decent combinations to keep Ward against the ropes.
The Cuban began to show some signs of tiredness in the fourth as his workmate dropped, with Ward's strategy appeared to be working. Could he see some success in the latter rounds? The fifth passed without any real breakthrough for either man. Perez began the sixth with a flurry of shots with the backing Ward onto the ropes and later into the corner. He looked visibly hurt and tired in closing seconds of the round.
Ward tried to push the pace in the seventh and had some success but Perez staved off the pressure. Ward ended the round with blood pouring form his right eye. The Quiet Man was floored in the eighth with a brutal left uppercut. He bravely hauled himself off the canvas with the count getting to seven. Perez smelt blood and continued this onslaught dropping Ward for the second time only for the bell to save him as he returned to his feet.
More work from Perez in the ninth put Ward to the sword and a final body shot saw him fall to one knee. Ever the warrior, he quickly jumped to his feet but his corner had seen enough and threw in the towel.
With retirement likely for Ward, he can look back on a great career and be proud of giving boxing fans some great nights, most notably his stoppage win in the SSE Arena over Belfast’s Tommy McCarthy. Take a bow Steven.
