Cuba heavyweight Dainier Pero makes prospect-of-year case on MVP card

ORLANDO – It may be a minor belt not worth a mention to most, but to Cuba’s Dainier Pero, having someone place the WBA Continental USA heavyweight title around his waist is an invaluable symbol of the progress he’s making.

A Cuban defector following his 2021 Summer Olympics loss to silver medalist Richard Torrez Jnr of Central California, Pero, 9-0 (7 KOs), meets Detroit’s 8-2 (6 KOs) Walter Burns on a Most Valuable Promotions card at the Caribe Royale hotel.

The main event is a WBA interim bantamweight title fight between Florida’s Antonio Vargas, 18-1 (10 KOs), and Nicaragua’s Winston Guerrero, who is 22-0 (13 KOs). Both fighters made weight Thursday and complete weights from the full card are listed below.

Pero has posted five consecutive technical knockout victories and his trainer, Bob Santos, nicknames his boxer “The Fear” and says he deserves consideration for prospect of the year.

Pero is driven by his personal travails of enduring several failed defections from Cuba, one of which compromised his training for the Olympics.

“Everybody goes through tough times. That was my tough time,” Pero said. “Everybody also has a dream. I have a dream that God has something in mind better and greater for me, to fulfill something great and make history.”

He wouldn’t lament the Torrez loss, knowing well how the Top Rank product is off to a 12-0 start with 11 knockouts, including one that came Saturday in Phoenix.

“It was a tough fight. Things happened, but I make no excuses,” Pero said. “I wanted to do my best. I want to keep growing now and do better every time. Those things happen in Cuba. I couldn’t be as disciplined as I wanted. I want to keep chasing my dream.” 

That dream starts with this minor belt on a card being staged before many important eyes watching with the opening of the WBA Convention.

“It’s huge, my first title fight,” Pero said. “I hope it launches me into 2025, where I can only imagine what’s in store for me. I would love to fight as many times as possible.”

Pero’s ability to continue his stoppage streak would be a boost.

His attention on offense mirrors the Cuban trend away from defense and technique, embracing the knockout more fully.

“I’m Cuban. I come from the great boxing school of Cuba and I present a lot of difficult skills to make me dangerous,” Pero said Thursday before his ceremonial weigh-in. “In this new generation, we know we have to win by knockout and have to win by fabulous performances, and I’m definitely up for that.

“Mañana, you’ll see.”

Weights from Orlando: Main Event: Antonio Vargas 117.2 vs. Winston Guerrero 117.8, for WBA interim bantamweight title; Co-main: Wanna Walton 135 vs. Erik Hanley 133, lightweights; Dainier Pero 236.8 vs. Walter Burns 225.8 for WBA Continental USA heavyweight title; Tammara Thibbeault 160 vs. Natasha Spence 158.6; Jeovanny Estela 153.6 vs. Jackson Bianco 153.2 for WBA  Continental USA super welterweight title; Gurgen Hovhannisyan 275 vs. Patrick Mailata 309.4, heavyweights; Hendri Cedeno 142 vs. Luis Hernandez Ramos 146.6, super-lightweights; Jamar Pemberton 162.8 vs. Kahlil Mitchell 164, middleweights; Antraveous Ingram 153.2 vs. Freddy Espinoza 156.4, super-welterweights; Fradimil Macayo 134.8 vs. Oscar Escandon 138, lightweights; Alex Bray 154 vs. Gaston Rios 151.6 for WBA Continental Americas super-welterweight title.