Abraham “Hammer” Perez delivered the biggest victory of his young career Saturday night, defeating veteran Filipino contender Esneth Domingo to capture the vacant IBF Inter-Continental flyweight championship in the main event of The Legacy Continues III at Embassy Suites in Albuquerque.
Fighting in front of a packed hometown crowd, Perez rose to the moment and added the most significant belt of his unbeaten run, a win that now pushes the Albuquerque native one step closer to the world-title picture at 112 pounds.
The title victory carries added meaning for New Mexico boxing fans because it reconnects Albuquerque to one of its proudest championship traditions.
The last Albuquerque fighter to wear the IBF flyweight world crown was hometown legend Danny Romero, who won the title in 1995 with a unanimous decision over Francisco Tejedor in Las Vegas. Romero’s championship run helped cement the Duke City as one of boxing’s great lower-weight fight towns.
Now, more than three decades later, Perez has brought another important IBF belt in the flyweight tradition back home, giving local fans a powerful reminder of Albuquerque’s rich championship lineage.
Perez’s poise, composure, and ability to rise on a big stage showed why many around the New Mexico boxing scene believe he is ready for bigger opportunities. Against an experienced opponent in Domingo, Perez proved he belongs in the international conversation and now figures to climb in the IBF rankings.
For Albuquerque, the moment felt bigger than a single win.
More than 30 years after Danny “Kid Dynamite” Romero first lifted the IBF flyweight title, Abraham Perez now carries that same championship tradition forward for the city. From Romero to Perez, Albuquerque’s flyweight legacy is alive and thriving once again.