Bermudian Teresa Perozzi has landed a fight with the world's top female boxer Laila Ali.and it will be shown on Lifetime this month!

The 29-year-old Ms. Perozzi, who went to Los Angeles to further her boxing career and become a Certified Massage Therapist, ended up doing something totally unexpected.she got a part as a boxer in an upcoming episode on Strong Medicine where she fights Ms. Ali. The show will air on August 17 at 11 p.m. Bermuda time.

"Boxing is my passion, massage therapy is my career," said Ms Perozzi who, while enjoying her brief acting stint, isn't about to sacrifice all to make it in show business.

"I'm not into acting, that's not something I want to pursue," she admitted honestly.

"My title was a professional stunt boxer so I may try to pursue some stunt boxing, maybe on the east coast.

"You never know, they were very impressed with me, they really enjoyed working with me and felt that was something I could do well in."

The whole acting thing only came about because Ms Perozzi is a good friend of Ms Ali, the daughter of boxing great Muhammad Ali, which only serves to confirm the long held notion that breaking into show business is sometimes all about who you know!

"No, it wouldn't have come about without her," she admits.

"I got to know her back in January when I sparred with her for a couple of weeks in Las Vegas. She was getting ready for a fight in February with a left-handed girl and I'm left-handed so that's how that came about.

"She's (Ms. Ali) trying to be an actress, it's something she's really into. She lives in Vegas but next month will be moving to LA to pursue that. Strong Medicine approached her about doing the show, they wanted to do an episode on a boxer and had a storyline for that.

"Part of the story is she gets knocked out. She had a concussion from before and they told her she couldn't fight, but she wants to fight this underground fight. She needs to fight because she needs the money. She doesn't let anybody know she plans to lose and I knock her out with a left hook.

"Laila's husband (and manager), Johnny (Yahya) McClain choreographed it. They knew me and thought I would be good for the part, so that's how it came about. I had to be a part of SAG (Screen Actors Guild), which is for anybody who wants to be an actor.

"I'm a part of SAG and apparently people try for years, they are desperate to get into this union."

Ms. Perozzi got to experience life on a Hollywood set and what goes into making a television show. She also got to meet one of the regular cast members, Rosa Blasi, who plays Dr. Lu Delgado on the show, who was on the set to watch the fight scene.

"She's a doctor and it is her episode that Laila is on," she explained.

"She rushed into the ring after I knocked her out. They shot it at night and wanted an underground feel so they had it in an empty swimming pool and the people were around the outside. It was in an old closed down YMCA and they made it look rough and sweaty."

Ms. Perozzi had been in California about 18 months and admits that starring on television and making her professional debut were the two highlights of her time there. Back home only two weeks as a Certified Massage Therapist, she has already set up her massage business called Body in Balance.

Some of the services she will offer are repetitive use injury therapy, deep tissue, Swedish and sports massage, pre and post natal massage and reflexology. She hasn't given up on a professional boxing career, and is prepared to travel abroad periodically for fights.

"I have office space Wednesdays and Thursdays, it's temporary at the moment and I'm filling in for a therapist who is away at the moment," explained Ms Perozzi.

"I also go to clients and have them come to me where I'm staying. Between the three places is what I want to focus on. I had clients from when I came home and visited last August, so I have already established a client base."

Ms Perozzi's mother and siblings live in California, however, she sees Bermuda as the best place to raise her six-year-old son Micah.

"It was a great experience in all aspects but not a place to raise children, not at all," she said of California.

"Fortunately my mom and sisters are out there so I had a support system. I don't think I would have done it without that. It's very difficult to make it out there and I'm not into the whole Hollywood scene.

"I was actually in Santa Monica which is the beach and is supposed to be beautiful, but they have never seen here, obviously. It gave me a much better appreciation for Bermuda."

She turned professional while in Los Angeles, winning her first fight in March of this year by split decision against Nicole Conant. The bout, televised by MSG Sports, was on the undercard of the William Abelyan-Jose Luis Tula North American Boxing Association featherweight title fight. Ms Perozzi won by a score of 169 to 164 at the end of the four round contest. She is especially pleased with her performance considering she only had only eight days to prepare for the fight.

In an effort to get in the best possible shape for the fight against the former Nevada State Strongwoman champion, Ms Perozzi turned to Laila Ali for advice. The top fighter travelled to Vegas for the fight and gave Perozzi a pep talk beforehand and even involved herself in the pre-fight preparation.

"I was in Vegas going up against the hometown favourite," Ms Perozzi told The Royal Gazette after the fight.

"They had made a big deal about her, giving her a lot of coverage and they really hyped her up. One thing I learned about boxing is that it is not always fair and the likelihood of me getting the win and upsetting their champ was not likely.

"When they said the winner was the `Pride of Los Angeles' it still didn't register that I had won. I'm so used to thinking of myself from Bermuda that it didn't click right away. But then my trainer jumped in the ring and picked me up. I was the most incredible feeling of my life."

Except for the studio set, Ms Perozzi hasn't been in the ring since.

"The boxing was more difficult than I thought it would be, trying to get fights," said the Bermudian who began fighting about three years ago.

"I had three amateur and then had my first professional fight on March 21. I had hoped to have more, at least three or four, before I came back. It's very difficult getting fights. I had two offers in the last few months but they were from girls very experienced and we just felt it wasn't the time. I still want to fight somebody at my level."

For now her focus is on her career and raising her son.

"I'm going to be 30 this year so I have to think about my son," she stated.

"I knew from the start Bermuda was my home and where I wanted to raise him and have a career. Boxing is not something you do forever.

"I had planned to stay out there another six months to a year but it just seemed the right time to come back now and get him in school for September and get my massage career started. I learned a muscle release technique for basically every part of the body and it helps a lot of sports injuries."

Ms Perozzi is looking forward to renewing some old boxing acquaintances in the coming weeks, too.

"I feel better training here with Troy Darrell and Forty Rego, even though we don't have the facilities that I had away," she said.

"Mentally I'm happier here and that's what 90 percent of boxing is. I learned a lot away and I can use it here. I'm registering on a women's network and will try to get fights on the east coast.

"Yahya (a former cruiserweight champion) is a promoter and they want to work with me. Things will happen. I'd like to fight maybe two or three times a year.

"I talked to Troy yesterday and let him know he'd better be ready to train me. After the (Cup Match) holiday I'll be ready to get back."