From Olympic Trials to the Brink of Death to Interim World Champion
it was July 28, 2024, and Albuquerque’s Abraham Perez was preparing for one of the biggest fights of his young career.
Perez was scheduled to face Matthew Griego in a bout that would be televised on ESPN. The former 2020 Olympic Trials winner was deep into training camp, focused on taking the next step in his professional boxing career.
But that day, everything changed.
While doing water exercises as part of his training, Perez suddenly fell unconscious and was unable to breathe. What happened next became a fight for his life—one that had nothing to do with a boxing ring.
Perez’s mother and sister reacted quickly, pulling him from the water and attempting to resuscitate him while emergency personnel were called. Paramedics and an ambulance eventually transported Perez to the hospital.
Without the immediate actions of his family, the outcome could have been drastically different.
Perez had spent years preparing for fights, but now he was facing something far more serious.
He was fighting to survive.
Despite the severity of the accident, Perez refused to let the experience define the rest of his life.
“I was back in the gym about two to three months later when I couldn’t even walk after the accident,” Perez stated. “Now, with the birth of my daughter and a bigger lease on life, I look to make everything count, as we never know what could happen in the future.”
That determination has helped carry Perez back to the highest point of his professional career.
This past June, Perez captured the WBA interim flyweight championship of the world, completing an extraordinary comeback from an accident that nearly cost him his life.
From winning the 2020 Olympic Trials to fighting his way back from the brink of death, Perez has experienced more adversity than most fighters face in an entire career.
Now, he is a world champion.
Perez will defend his WBA interim flyweight championship against Yorkis Rivera on November 7 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in front of his hometown fans. The event will be promoted by Salida Promotions, in association with Legacy Promotions.
The stakes are significant.
Perez is not simply looking to retain his interim championship. He has his sights set on the WBA’s full flyweight championship and hopes a victory over Rivera will put him in position for an even bigger challenge.
If successful against Rivera, Perez hopes to face Richard Sandoval, who holds the WBA flyweight championship as well as the WBC title.
Perez’s ultimate goal is bigger than winning another belt.
He wants to unify the flyweight division.
In a sport that has traditionally had multiple champions across different sanctioning organizations, Perez wants to simplify the picture by becoming the undisputed champion and having one champion standing at the top of the division.
For Perez, that goal represents the next stage of his journey.
But boxing is no longer the only thing shaping his life.
Recently, Perez and his wife, Meghan, welcomed the birth of their daughter.
Becoming a father has given Perez an even greater perspective on life. After coming so close to losing it, he now understands more than ever that every opportunity matters.
The birth of his daughter has provided another source of motivation as he continues his pursuit of championship glory.
His journey has taken him from the Olympic Trials to the brink of death, from being unable to walk to returning to the gym, and ultimately to becoming a world champion.
Now, he has a daughter waiting for him at home.
“I look to make everything count,” Perez said, “as we never know what could happen in the future.”
On November 7, Perez will once again step through the ropes in his hometown.
This time, he won’t just be fighting as an Olympic Trials winner or a world champion.
He’ll be fighting as a husband, a father and a man who has already faced the biggest fight of his life.
And Abraham Perez is still standing—with his sights set on having all the belts around his waist.
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