MIKE JONES vs LUCIANO PEREZ

Undefeated Philadelphia welterweight Mike Jones is showcased in Friday’s Telefutura main event although his opponent, Mexican-born Luciano Perez, is the Hispanic fighter.

I wasn’t terribly impressed with Jones when he stopped Brazilian Juliano Ramos on Telefutura in August. The finish was exciting but I thought that for the first five rounds Jones boxed almost in safety first fashion against a fighter who, despite 12 KOs in 15 wins, wasn’t really in his league.

The Chicago-based Perez is a willing fighter who gave former champ Carlos Baldomir a rough go of it in November 2007 — a majority decision loss that was just one round on one card from being a draw.

Perez is slow and somewhat awkward, but he is strong and game, quite heavy handed — he rocked the iron-chinned Baldomir with a left hook in the third round — and always gives an honest effort.

Although Perez was stopped in three fights in a 14-month spell in 2005/2006 he stood up to some good shots from Richard Gutierrez on Friday Night Fights in June 2007 and was never troubled by the best punches that Baldomir could throw at him. He has always been considered easy to hit but he was actually evading punches quite well against Gutierrez although basically outclassed.

Jones, 25, could look very good in this fight. Will he, though? I am not sure Jones is quite the puncher that his record (13 KOs in 15 wins) suggests. Before stopping Juliano Ramos he had to go the full eight rounds in an easy decision win over Gilbert Venegas, a sturdy sort of similar ability to Luciano Perez. Jones wasn’t all that impressive in outpointing Germaine Sanders although admittedly he was facing a slick veteran who isn’t easy to hit squarely.

With Telefutura’s boxing series drawing to a close, I would love to see Jones open up and show the sort of hard-hitting form that his promoter, Russell Peltz, believes he possesses. Going by Jones’s last few fights, though, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him box his way to a rather careful victory by unanimous decision. Whether it’s powerful display or a points win, though, Jones looks a certain winner