HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) – Bermudian Teresa Perozzi and American Tori Nelson have signed up to meet in a rematch early next year for the vacant women’s WBC middleweight belt, the Royal Gazette said yesterday. The newspaper said both fighters had agreed to fight at the Berkeley Institute gymnasium on February 2 for the vacant belt with the winner set to earn more than US$10 000.
“We are on for February 2 in a rematch for the WBC middleweight championship of the world and it will be Teresa versus Tori,” an event organiser told the Gazette.
Perozzi, a 38-year-old southpaw, who was born in New Hampshire, and the unbeaten 36-year-old Nelson fought out a draw in the first meeting between the pair at an “all or nothing” WBC and WBA middleweight unification championship bout at the Fairmont Southampton resort in October.
Judges Lynn Carter of the United States and Claude Paquette of Canada both scored the fight 95-95 while local judge Vic Richmond scored it 98-93 in Perozzi’s favour.
The result helped Perozzi retain her WBA belt while the WBC belt, once held by Nelson, remains up for grabs.
Asked about the purse, the organiser said: “The purse is much more than it was in October … it’s between $10 000 and $20 000.”
Perozzi boasts a professional record of nine wins, four defeats and two draws while Nelson has won six of her eight fights and drawn the other two.