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In the nineteenth century the problem was that God is dead; in the twentieth century the problem is that man is dead. Erich Fromm |
Victor "Young" Perez (October 18, 1911 - January 22, 1945) was a Sephardic Jew born in French Tunisia, who became the World Flyweight Champion in 1931 and 1932. He was born to Khmaïssa Perez a household goods salesman and Khaïlou René Perez. He was raised along with his four siblings in Dar-El Berdgana, the Jewish quarter of Tunis. He started training as a boxer at age 14 along with his older brother Benjamin “Kid” Perez to emulate his idol Louis Phal, “Battling Siki,” a boxing champion from Senegal. Perez had a brief relationship with French-Italian actress Mireille Balin of Monaco.
Perez was denounced to the Occupation authorities and arrested in Paris on Septemner 21, 1943 and detained in the Drancy internment camp before being transported to Auschwitz where he was assigned to the Monowitz subcamp to serve as a slave laborer for I.G. Farben at the Buna-Werke. He was killed on January 22, 1945 on the death march from Monowitz to Gleiwitz.
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The 5'1", 110-pound Perez captured the French Flyweight title in Paris in 1930, defeating Kid Oliva from Marseille
On October 24, 1931, he won the International Boxing Union’s version of the World Flyweight crown with a 2nd-round knockout of American champion Frankie Genaro becoming the youngest world champion in boxing history
After losing his title one year later to England’s Jackie Brown, Perez moved up to the bantamweight class, but lost a championship bout decision to "Panama" Al Brown in February 1934. He continued to box until December 1938. His professional record: 133 bouts—W: 92 (28 KOs), L: 26, Draw: 15.
Perez arrived at Auschwitz on October 10, 1943, as part of "Transport 60" a group of 1,000 prisoners shipped from Drancy internment camp, France. While at Auschwitz, Perez was forced to participate in boxing matches for the amusement of the Nazis. By 1945, Perez was one of just 31 survivors of the original 1,000.
Perez was one of the prisoners on the "Death March that left the camp on January 18, 1945. He was reported as being killed on January 22, 1945. Perez was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.
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