WBA No. 7 heavyweight meets veteran puncher over ten rounds
Dainier Pero defends his WBA Continental USA heavyweight belt Friday in Orlando against Donald Haynesworth over ten rounds. Ranked No. 7 by the WBA, he is fighting to stay in line for a sanctioned eliminator.
Pero is 12-0 with 9 knockouts. Haynesworth is 19-9-1 with 17 knockouts. The power threat is real. Seventeen stoppages in nineteen wins tells you he can end a night with one clean right hand.
Camp was handled in Las Vegas with Bob Santos. The work centered on jab discipline, balance, and punch placement. Pero is at his best when he starts with the jab, sets range early, and lets straight rights go with full extension. When he resets his feet between combinations and works the body. The fighter with the sharper jab is usually the one who keeps his offense flowing into the late rounds, still setting his feet and letting combinations go while the other man’s pace starts to fade.
He addressed the preparation clearly.
“This camp with Coach Bob Santos has been about sharpening every tool I have,” said Pero. “We didn’t just train hard, we trained smart. Every day was focused on discipline, conditioning, and refining my technique. I feel stronger, faster, and more complete than ever.”
Haynesworth throws with power and will gamble on overhand rights. He squares up at times, but he commits. If Pero stands tall after punching or pulls straight back, he gives a puncher a target. Heavyweights do not get many second chances once a clean shot lands and checks their chin.
Pero knows it.
“Haynesworth can punch, his record show that. In the heavyweight division, one mistake can change everything. That’s why I respect every opponent.”
The WBA Continental USA belt is a regional strap. It keeps Pero visible inside the top ten. It does not secure a world title shot. A strong showing keeps him in line when the WBA orders a final eliminator or looks for a voluntary challenger for its champion. A poor outing sends him backward.
“A big win here puts my name even louder in the heavyweight conversation,” Pero said. “I’m not here to stay in the middle of the rankings, I’m here to challenge for the top.”
Date: February 20, 2026
Start time: 7 pm ET / 12 am UK
Streaming platform: Boxlab Promotions YouTube
Venue: Caribe Royale Resort, Orlando, Florida
Fight card or results: Dainier Pero vs. Donald Haynesworth, 10 rounds, WBA Continental USA heavyweight title