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

Victor Young Perez is a boxer from Tunisia, who performed in the flyweight professional flyweight category. His real name is Victor Yunky. The most significant achievement in his career is the championship in the WBA world championships. 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 concentration camp of Gleiwitz.

Victor Young Perez, biography: young years

He was born on October 18 in 1912 in Tunis (in the capital of the same name). His family, like himself, by origin Jews - lived in the Jewish quarter of Hafsiyah (an ethnic ghetto) in Tunis. From his youth he always went in for sports, was fond of many martial arts. At that time sports sections were not distributed, therefore Peres independently developed physical exercises, and also was engaged in fighting sambo with the uncle.

At the age of fourteen, I went to the boxing section when a new sports club, Maccabi, was opened near his area. Here he completely devoted himself and his body to exhausting training and studying military equipment. Gradually "stuffing his hand", began to be called at various city competitions, where he showed good results.

Senegalese Bettling Siki was at the peak of boxing glory at that time. 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 sportsman, his height was 154 centimeters. In view of this, he was given the nickname Young.

Victor Perez, biography: the beginning of a professional career

The first six months he performed at home (in Tunisia) and sometimes went to competitions in neighboring Algeria, where he demonstrated the highest skill and character. Rivals of Peres always underestimated him. And they could be understood, because before you stood a forty-kilogram 16-year-old with a height of 154 centimeters.

However, this attitude only went to the hand of the young Tunisian boxer. Not to say that he knocked everyone down, used to, and lost, nevertheless, the statistics speaks for itself - 13 wins, 0 draws and 2 losses on points.

Victor Peres realized that great services can be realized only outside the African continent, so he thought about leaving his homeland and conquering the world. That's just where to go? At that time, Tunisia was a French colony, so the choice of the boxer became obvious. Victor Young Perez went to torture happiness in France. With the move, not everything went as smoothly as we would like. Poverty and poverty did not allow people to move abroad comfortably. It is rumored that Victor Perez sold even his boxing shoes in order to buy a one-way ticket.

The history of Perez's professional career abroad

Arriving in France, the boxer for a long time adapted to the new land. Very soon he turns 17 years old, and after a modest celebration of his birthday, he begins to prepare for his first fight. Debut fight in Europe was unsuccessful - a draw with Lucien Beauvais. Apparently, this battle was a lesson for the Tunisian boxer, and he began to more deeply engage in physical training and sports skills. All the work went to good use - the adaptation was successful. Victor Perez began to box better and, oddly enough, to win.

Soon, his statistics of battles was as follows: 31 victories, 3 draws and 4 losses. In fact, such a result for a boxer from the easiest weight category is very successful. Victor Perez has acquired a comprehensive world fame and popularity.

Success in the ring

In 1930, Peres boxed with the future British champion of Europe in the lightest weight category (who was on the list of the top 10 boxers in lightweight of all time). Then the Tunisian child prodigy had a fight with Johnny King, a boxer who at that time was incredibly popular, but our hero was stronger.

In each of his subsequent duel Perez went to the ring as a favorite. In 1931, he defeated Viktor Ferrad and Valentin Angelmann - the main contenders for the vacant WBA title. Soon Victor Young Perez becomes the champion of France in the easiest weight category. The final duel for this title was against the same Angelmann. The fight ended in the 7th round, when Anglemann could not get up after another series of quick and startling strikes by the Tunisian.

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

The title event in the boxing career of Victor Perez

In the finals, he was waiting for 30-year-old Frank Geniro, 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 Tunisian opponent was more experienced and persistent.

The boxing match was the most difficult for two athletes. Geniro had excellent technique and timings, and Peres did not have the experience and patience. The first round was left for Frank, but then Young began to show his infinite potential of energy and enthusiasm.

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

By the way about knockouts, for the whole sports career Geniro got knocked out only 4 times, and Peres, in turn, never differed in external power and few people were knocked out. Victor Perez is a boxer with good technique and rhythm, his career rarely had a clean knockout (26 KOs in 133 fights).

The fall of a great athlete

After the legendary victory, Perez acquired worldwide fame. He visited all the most expensive establishments in Paris - nightclubs and restaurants. Along with this, he began to consume alcohol in large quantities. Often missed training, so gradually lost shape. At the same time, he started a romance with actress Mireille Bali - a beauty of French-Italian origin.

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

The subsequent fighting of Peres was already uninteresting. Fights became less, and Victor boxed without motivation, more often than half. Because of this, and lost almost every time.

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

He passed away like a real hero

In June 1940, the fascists captured France, and Victor Perez was trapped. His further life was a complete wanderings in concentration camps. There he participated in boxing matches for life (the loser was executed, and the victor was given a second ration), 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 magnanimous person. He always shared food with the same prisoners as he. He was shot in 1945 for 3.5 months before the end of the war, when he once again tried to pass a piece of bread to his cellmates.