The Hard Road of Alejandro Perez...Next Stop: Diego Magdaleno, July 15th 2011

After maintaining an undefeated record through his first thirteen assignments with moderate regional-level matchmaking (a dozen wins, one drawn) the Californian youngster ran into the cagy, better-than-his-record spoiler Adolfo Landeros and was dealt his first loss by split decision.

From there, it's been all uphill.

He took a more or less lateral move against Victor Martinez (fresh off a very game performance against Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., where WV2 was stretched into the 12th round before the stoppage and knew for damn sure he'd been in a fight the next day) - and blitzed him in a mere ninety seconds.

Then he rematched and retired Landeros - becoming one of only four men to stop him in 42 pro bouts (the others including Guillermo Rigondeaux and the aforementioned Vazquez...)

Then came an enormous step up against unbeaten prospect Rico Ramos, who he took eight rounds for the first time in Suavecito's career - getting up off the canvas early and hanging tough in a unanimous decision loss.

That showing against Ramos - and the sixteen month layoff that followed - perhaps made him an attractive target to Antonio Escalante, who was desperately in need of a win after getting brutalized by Daniel Ponce De Leon in one of the few highlights of the Mosley-Mora PPV. The idea may have been to log some rounds against someone beatable. The idea to handpick Perez backfired. Escalante would get creamed by his lesser known opponent in a combat where he never seemed able to firmly establish any control. At the end of three minutes, Escalante was horizontal and Perez not only vertical but poised at an incline toward bigger and better things...




Now, cast in the role of large underdog for the third time straight (arguably fourth, due to the first outcome against Landeros) he is jumping back in the fire against one of the highly touted - and unbeaten - Magdaleno brothers. Specifically, the one who is further along in his progression and considered to be very close to contention already: Diego.

The tale of the tape is actually similar to the Escalante bout - with Alejandro standing the same height as his opponent and enjoying a three inch reach advantage. Unlike Escalante, however (Escalante being a solidly built super featherweight, mind you) Diego Magdaleno is an absolute physical specimen at 5'6"...built like a tank with a racecar engine and adept at countering out of the southpaw stance while gliding around the ring as though on a cushion of air.

Mr. Perez has his work cut out for him, but if he can somehow pull off another upset when he and Magdaleno square off next month on ShoBox: The New Generation he will have cemented himself as a key player at 130lbs - and would sure as hell get my vote for Most Improved/Best Comeback of 2011.