ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – When Top Rank Boxing comes to Tingley Coliseum on August 10, plenty of eyes will be on a fight that isn’t even the main event. Angelo Leo and Luis Alberto Lopez will square off for the IBF featherweight title, but another title fight — the IBF USBA flyweight title — will feature two undefeated New Mexicans.
Matthew “Diamond Boy” Griego (14-0, 10 KO) and Abraham “Hammer” Perez (10-0, 5 KO) have each made a name for themselves locally. The two flyweights have cruised through the competition, and fans have been eager to see them face each other. It’s finally happening.
“There’s never a perfect time to wait for anything,” said Perez. “If you wait for anything, then it’s probably never going to end up coming to you, and this is one of these moments that’s an opportunity. Why shy away from something? Start knocking on the door instead, right?”
The fight will be nationally broadcast on ESPN and will be the biggest stage both Griego and Perez have ever fought on. Despite the magnitude of the fight, Perez seems to be treating it like every other fight of his career.
“No pressure, at all,” said Perez. “I could say the motivation has always been there, so the past times I’ve been in the ring I’ve had that same spark, same motivation, same drive, just to get back in there and to perform for the city.”
The two boxers know of each other but are more of acquaintances than friends. They have somewhat followed each other’s careers but haven’t had much contact other than a few sparring sessions three years ago. Perez insists that there is no bad blood or grudge between them.
While this fight is building excitement around the local boxing community, it also could propel the career trajectory of the winner more than any of their previous bouts.
“I feel like I could still go bigger. Where it will get me, I hope it will get me closer to that big stage.”
