The “Cuban Prince” Lenar Perez (16-0, 14 KO) will defend his continental cruiserweight title against two-time world title challenger Thabiso Mchunu (25-8, 14 KO) this Thursday at the Casino de Montréal.
The stakes are high, as usual, especially considering EOTTM president Camille Estephan has said that he sees Perez as “the best cruiserweight in the world,” nothing less.
Of course, the four-time Cuban national amateur champion, who will make his first title defense on Quebec soil, will have plenty to prove if he wants to be mentioned in the same sentence as Benavidez and Opetaia. And that starts with a convincing performance against Mchunu.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Lenar Perez
The Ultimate Test
The choice of words and opponent could not be more fitting, because defeating Thabiso Mchunu without leaving any doubt is certainly no easy task unless you’re an elite-level cruiserweight.
Despite his record, Mchunu has only been stopped once in the last decade… by Oleksandr Usyk. The king of the 200-pound division at the time, now the king of the heavyweight division, managed to stop Mchunu in nine rounds in 2016 on the late, but legendary, HBO boxing network.
In 2022, when Mchunu fought for the world title again, then-champion Junior Makabu had to work much harder to ultimately earn a split-decision victory.
In fact, if you go on BoxRec, of the 31 fans who took the time to post their unofficial scorecards… a majority had Mchunu winning.
That goes to show that even for a world champion, it can be difficult to look good against “The Rock” Mchunu, translated as “The South African Rock” by Laurent Poulin of Boxingtown Québec.
Photo: Sowetan – Thabiso Mchunu
Familiar Territory
Another important fact to highlight is that Thabiso Mchunu has the same coaching team as Isaac Chilemba, who just faced Lenar Perez last March.
Could the African team once again push Lenar Perez to the limit? That would be the safest bet, but perhaps Chilemba is simply indestructible, having also gone 12 rounds with Osleys Iglesias, another Cuban whom many consider the most dangerous puncher on the planet.
This Thursday, we could therefore discover Lenar Perez’s true level… and the true level of his power.
The Local Showdown
The semifinal has a good chance of being a much closer affair, at least according to the bookmakers.
Although the defending continental super-middleweight champion Moreno Fendero (15-0, 11 KO) will face Montreal’s Stephane Fondjo (15-2-1, 10 KO), Fondjo appears to be brimming with confidence.
Ian Mackillop’s protégé even promised on social media that he would “inhale” Moreno Fendero, nothing less… And, for that matter, I also saw popular American boxing vlogger PhillikesFight say on X that Fondjo had “a good chance” of winning.
Photo: Jeff Lockhart – Moreno Fendero (left)
Also seen on social media: Quebec boxing superfan Jean-Sebastien Fournier said that the #FenderoFondjo showdown could have been the main event of the evening… Which goes to show that this is one you don’t want to miss!
The 2026 Prospect of the Year?
At the top of the undercard, a third championship bout will feature two-time continental super-lightweight champion Jhon Orobio (18-0, 16 KO) against Mexican veteran Antonio Moran (31-8-1, 21 KO).
When the fight was announced, Ring Magazine’s #1 journalist, Mike Coppinger, described it as a “step up in competition” for Orobio.
For “El Tigre,” this is also a chance to measure himself against the elite, as Moran has faced the likes of Mercado, Haney and Barbosa. But once again, it is also an opportunity to strengthen his candidacy for Prospect of the Year, an award for which he was previously nominated in 2024 and 2025.
Indeed, following the latest victory of Marc Ramsay’s protégé against American Jonathan Montrel last June, Adam Abramowitz, also of Ring Magazine, said that Orobio should “definitely” be on the list of the sport’s top prospects. We’ll find out more Thursday.
Photo: Vitor Munhoz – Jhon Orobio
The National Elite in Action
As Punching Grace columnist Nathan Décarie pointed out, September 3 will be a day of reunion for Canada’s national amateur boxing team.
The first three bouts of the evening will feature two-time Olympian Wyatt Sanford (7-0, 3 KO), EOTTM newcomer Keven Beausejour (3-0, 3 KO), and Boisbriand prospect Victor Tremblay (3-0, 3 KO).
Just a few years ago, all three were members of the national team.
Oh, and by the way, you can add a fourth with the addition of Nickenson Denis on the card!
It will therefore be an opportunity for fans not only to witness high-level boxing, but also to see the very best of boxing from right here at home.
It all gets underway at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday.
For those who won’t be at the Casino de Montréal, head over to Punching Grace so you don’t miss a thing — and to the Mise-o-jeu+ app to get in on the action!
