HARRISBURG, Pa. — The road to glory for Harrisburg boxer Anotonio Perez started at 11. He gave the sport a try thanks to his family members, including his brother and cousin, and now he's quickly making a name for himself
"I started at 11 years old my first 2 years I was undefeated at 23 and 0," said Perez. "I still was into other things but boxing became so natural to me it basically wasn’t any other choice to take it seriously and it's been nothing but accomplishment after accomplishment."
Perez recently won the WBC International lightweight title in Miami, Florida and is undefeated at 9-0 since turning pro. A big win for his career which has ranked him 15th in the world, but it was also an important win for the city he comes from.
"It's been amazing for the City of Harrisburg," said Perez. "I feel like I'm giving everyone hope in the boxing industry but I want to take it to another level and want the world to know not just the city of Harrisburg."
Perez, like any other adult, spends his days working and taking care of his dog, but when it comes to his craft he takes a focused and calculated approach to become the best.
His trainer Jose Martinez has seen a lot of boxers come through but feels Perez is truly primed for something special.
"Here at home we are all rooting for him," said Martinez. "We would like to have a world champion and he's the closest we got right now."