Interview Dated May 2005

Mario "Python" Perez

Mario "Python" Perez may be one of the most overlooked of Houston's young new professional fighters. In his first two bouts, which have lasted a combined total of five minutes and eight seconds, he has shown fluid movement, blinding handspeed and crippling power. He is the manager of the Cardio Boxing Gym in Conroe, Texas. In light of his first outings the question has to be, just how good is this guy? The answer is likely to be: Good. Very good.


HBS - Where are you from originally?

MPP - Conroe, Texas.

HBS - You've lived here all your life?

MPP - No I was born in Mexico City. I came here when I was two years old but I don't remember anything from Mexico.

HBS - You mentioned to me once that you would have fought in the Olympics but there was some question about your status.

MPP - I won Golden Gloves twice in a row but every time I won I wasn't able to advance so whoever I beat would advance for me because I wasn't a U.S. citizen. I wasn't allowed to represent the U.S.

HBS - So you've still never been naturalized even though you're essentially American by upbringing. Tell me about how and why you first started getting into boxing.

MPP - Rocky. I used to watch a lot of Rocky movies when I was young. Motivation. What more to motivate you than that you know?

HBS - Tell us a little bit about your amateur career. You seem fairly polished. You look like you've had a pretty good amount of schooling.

MPP - Believe it or not I only had 32 amateur fights. When I was 15 I was beating guys with 100 plus (bouts experience). I dropped the number four ranked guy in the nation at the Games of Texas but still once again I can't advance so....

HBS - Why is it that you think you were able to do so well with such a limited amount of experience and training?

MPP - Just, I had a lot of ring experience. I would spar more than most other boxers. They spar maybe twice a week. I would spar four or five times a week and I think that's the best way to learn how to box. Hands on, you know. You can't how to box hitting the bags. The bags won't hit you back.

HBS - You said 32 amateur fights. You mentioned you lost at least once.

MPP - Yes I lost three but they were all decision. One was to Benjamin Flores, decision.

HBS - You turned pro not too long ago and you made pretty short work of both your opponents. Tell us about those fights.

MPP - The first, Chris Taylor, he just caught a good body shot I guess. To me it looked like it was all in slow motion. I saw him raise his hands up, I saw the opening, went ahead and took it, you know. And the second one I was told to let these people, give them a show, at least one round. So I wanted it to go at least one round, people get their money's worth, after that, Monty Lane told me to go ahead and put this guy out so I did what he told me. (The bout was stopped at 43 seconds into the second round).

HBS - You have obviously a fair amount of power. Do you do a lot of lifting or what?

MPP - The most I do is just pushups. I really don't believe a lot in lifting. It makes me real tight, and it slows me down to where I start throwing a lot of hooks. I'm more of a boxer, not a fighter but I can slug if I have to. But I like moving around being real versatile and giving them something to catch, not just stand there in one place and fight. It's dangerous with eight ounce gloves.

HBS - How'd you come up with this name, "Python"?

MPP - I was 15 I'd always joke around, I always called myself the Python, I was real scrawny, that's how it just stuck to me.

HBS - What is it you like about the sport?

MPP - I love it. It's a rush. It's like you can fight without getting in trouble and I can just blank everything else out, if I'm ever frustrated, come in the ring, box, get all my anger out and I'm not doing it for the money. I love it.

HBS - So the W.B.A. Lightweight Champion, Juan Diaz is from Houston. What do you think of him.? How would you compare yourself to him?

MPP - I'm not impressed at all. His last fight, you put a pole with arms in front of me I'll beat him up too. You know, I'll let him stay on the ropes. I went once to spar him before his fight and they said that, his coach Mr. Savannah told me that I wasn't serious enough for Juan Diaz, as if I was just joking around you know. I didn't get to spar him, who was in my weight, but he did let me spar a 175-pounder, which I didn't think it was fair at all but I didn't care. I still spanked him so it made me look better.

HBS - You mentioned you're like a lot of guys that are kind of new starting out, you're having a little trouble getting fights. Do you have a manager?

MPP - James Reyna, he's our manager right now. But he's new at this so we're having a little difficulty getting fights and we had somebody mention to us that if you fight out of town most of the time if it goes to the decision you could get robbed. But I'm really not worried about that because I don't think I'll even let it go all four rounds.

HBS - So right now you're looking for the next fight you can get or what's in the immediate future for you?

MPP - Yes sir. I want to get as many fights as I can and hopefully one day I want to fight Juan Diaz. Prove 'em wrong.