To say that welterweight Bryant “Goodfella” Perrella lives, eats and breathes boxing wouldn’t be an understatement.
The 29-year-old Fort Myers native trains year round, doesn’t drink or smoke and keeps a strict diet. When he’s not feverishly pounding away at the heavy bag, shadowboxing, sparring, or doing roadwork in the sweltering heat, Perrella’s likely at a fitness facility in Southwest Florida.
“He puts his entire life into this sport and taking care of his body,” said Michael Nowling, Perrella’s head trainer. "I’ve seen plenty of fighters work hard in the gym to get ready for a fight then take breaks after and balloon up in weight. Bryant is the exact opposite – I have to tell him he needs a break.”
A 6’1 southpaw, Perrella’s regarded as one of the better up and coming 147 pound fighters. At 15-1 with 13 wins by knockout, Perrella’s scored impressive victories over fellow welterweight hopefuls David Grayton and Alex Martin. In his lone setback, a fourth round stoppage by title contender Yordenis Ugas, Perrella entered the bout with a right leg injury and left with many lessons learned.
Still, he’s expecting the toughest challenge of his career when he battles former welterweight champion Luis Collazo, 37-7 (20 KO’s), August 4 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. Residing in nearby Brooklyn, NY, the slick southpaw not only has the hometown advantage but the edge in experience having faced Shane Mosley, Keith Thurman, Andre Berto, Ricky Hatton, Victor Ortiz and Amir Khan among others.
“Luis Collazo is one of the craftiest boxers around and he’s been a top fighter for many years,” Perrella said. “He’s given everybody a tough fight and had a few close decisions go against him. I expect this to be the biggest challenge of my career but I’m ready for it. Fights like these are the reason I’ve dedicated my life to boxing. I don’t just want to win – I want to win impressively and show the boxing world that I’m worthy of a title shot in the near future.”
Perrella meets Collazo over ten rounds and the bout airs at 5:30 pm ET on FS2.
Fans can follow Perrella on Instagram @BryantPerrella.