Tunisian professional boxer Young Victor Perez: biography, achievements and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

Victor Young Perez is a Tunisian boxer who competed in the professional Flyweight category. His real name is Victor Yunki. The most significant achievement in his career is the championship in the WBA world championship. In view of the events that took place during the Second World War, namely the extermination of the Jewish people, Victor Perez was killed on January 22, 1945 in the Gleiwitz concentration camp.

Victor Young Perez, biography: early years

Born October 18, 1912 in Tunisia (in the capital of the same name). His family, like himself, of Jewish origin, lived in the Jewish quarter of Hafsia (ethnic ghetto) in the city of Tunisia. From his youth he was always involved in sports, was fond of many martial arts. At that time, sports sections were not common, so Perez independently developed physical exercises, and also practiced combat sambo with his uncle.

At the age of fourteen I went to the sectionboxing when a new Maccabi sports club opened near his area. Here he completely devoted himself and his body to grueling training and the study of military equipment. Gradually, "filling his hand", he began to be called up for various city competitions, where he showed good results.

At this time, the Senegalese Battling Siki was at the peak of boxing glory. It was the childhood idol of Victor Perez. After two years of hard training, the young man achieved good results and began to take part in boxing matches at a professional level. Victor Perez became a recognizable athlete, his height was 154 centimeters. In view of this, he was given the nickname Young.

Victor Perez, biography: the beginning of a professional career

For the first six months he performed in his homeland (in Tunisia) and sometimes went to competitions in neighboring Algeria, where he demonstrated the highest skill and character. Perez's rivals have always underestimated him. And they could be understood, because in front of you was a forty-kilogram 16-year-old guy with a height of 154 centimeters.

However, this attitude only worked to the advantage of the young Tunisian boxer. Not to say that he knocked everyone out, sometimes, and lost, nevertheless, the statistics speak for themselves - 13 wins, 0 draws and 2 losses on points.

Viktor Perez understood that great merits could only be realized outside the African continent, so he thought about leaving his homeland and conquering the world. But where to go? At that time, Tunisia was a French colony, so the choice of a boxerbecame obvious. Victor Young Perez went to try his luck in France. The transition did not go as smoothly as we would like. Poverty and poverty did not allow to comfortably move abroad. Rumor has it that Victor Perez even sold his boxing shoes in order to buy a one-way ticket.

Perez's professional career abroad

Arriving in France, the boxer adapted to the new land for a long time. He is turning 17 very soon, and after a modest celebration of his birthday, he begins to prepare for his first fight. The debut duel in Europe turned out to be unsuccessful - a draw with Lucien Beauvais. Apparently this fight became a lesson for the Tunisian boxer, and he began to more deeply engage in his physical training and sports skills. All the work went in favor - the adaptation was successful. Victor Perez started to box better and, oddly enough, to win.

Soon his fight statistics were as follows: 31 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses. In fact, such a result for a boxer from the lightest weight category is very successful. Victor Perez has gained worldwide fame and popularity.

Success in the ring

In 1930, Perez fought the future British European bantamweight champion (who was on the list of the top 10 lightweight boxers of all time). Then the Tunisian prodigy had a fight with Johnny King, a boxer who was incredibly popular at the time, but our hero turned out to bestronger.

In each of his subsequent fights, Perez entered the ring as a favorite. In 1931, he defeated Victor Ferrada and Valentin Angelmann, the top contenders for the vacant WBA title. Soon, Victor Young Perez becomes the champion of France in the flyweight category. The final duel for this title was against the same Angelmann. The fight ended in the 7th round when Anglemann was unable to get up after another series of fast and striking blows from the Tunisian.

After this fight, Victor Perez was preparing for the main event of his life - the fight for the WBA world title. The fight was supposed to take place in 4 months, so Victor did not miss the opportunity to train daily.

Title event in Victor Perez's boxing career

At the final, 30-year-old Frank Geniro was waiting for him, who at that time was already the champion of the Olympic Games, as well as a multiple participant in title fights for the title of champion. In October 1931, a battle took place between Perez and Geniro. Both fighters were quite young - only 19 years old, but the opponent of the Tunisian was more experienced and persistent.

The boxing match was the most difficult for two athletes. Geniro had great technique and timing, while Perez lacked experience and patience. The first round went to Frank, but then Young began to show his endless potential for energy and enthusiasm.

Already in the second round, after a brilliant attack by the Tunisian boxer, Frank Geniro fell on the platform of the ring, and the judge announced an early victory by knockout. Victor Perez became WBA champion inFlyweight.

Speaking of knockouts, in his entire sports career, Geniro was knocked out only 4 times, and Perez, in turn, never differed in external power and knocked out few people. Victor Pérez is a boxer with good technique and rhythm who has rarely had clean knockout wins in his career (26 knockouts in 133 fights).

The fall of a great athlete

After the legendary victory, Perez gained worldwide fame. He visited all the most expensive places in Paris - nightclubs and restaurants. Along with this, he began to drink alcohol in large quantities. He often missed training, so he gradually lost shape. At the same time, he started an affair with actress Mireille Bali, a beauty of Franco-Italian origin.

By the age of 21, he had already squandered his former skills and in a fight with Jackie Brown in 1932 lost his champion title. The Tunisian boxer simply refused to go to the 14th round due to lack of strength.

Perez's subsequent fights were no longer interesting. There were fewer fights, and Victor himself boxed without motivation, most often at half strength. Because of this, and lost almost every time.

His last fight took place in December 1938, when he was only 27 years old. A month before the battle, events took place in neighboring Germany, referred to in world history as Kristallnacht. Then the Nazis began to exterminate the Jewish people - they destroyed their homes, schools and synagogues. Despite this, Perez, who was Jewish, decided to stay in Paris (they say that because of an affair with an actressMireille).

He passed away like a real hero

In June 1940, the Nazis took over France and Victor Perez was trapped. His later life was a complete wandering around the concentration camps. There he participated in boxing matches for life (the loser was executed, and the winner was given re-rations) in order to amuse the Nazi army. Here he always emerged victorious, despite the fact that tall heavyweights came out against him. However, he is remembered as a generous man. He always shared food with fellow prisoners like him. He was shot dead in 1945, 3.5 months before the end of the war, when he once again tried to pass a piece of bread to his cellmates.