“It was a very interesting fight,” said Hernandez. “It was war, and you could see which of the two was better prepared physically.”
Ranked in the top two by the WBA, WBC and WBO, Hernandez showed his potential as a future world champion once again, displaying a combination of savvy boxing and vicious power-punching to pile up rounds against the determined Veron. While Veron held an edge in punches thrown (809-649), Hernandez easily outpaced him in power punches landed (122-45) and overall connected with an impressive 31% of his shots.
“I liked that Verón was the type of fighter who applied pressure,” said Hernandez. “That’s exactly what I was looking for in an opponent. It was really good for me to face a fighter like that.”
Hernandez was able to recover from his shakiest moment in the fight, which occurred late in round five when he was caught off-balance by a shot and was forced to retreat to the ropes. Veron was unable to take advantage of the opening, and was too often unable to break through Hernandez’s high guard.
“I was never going to stand still in front of him,” said Veron. “I had him rocked a few times, but he knew how to withstand it. I don’t know what I was missing. I caught him off balance with a hook that landed clean, but he responded very quickly. That would have dropped anyone at 154 pounds.”
“This was a fight that gave me valuable experience,” said Hernandez. “I got the victory, and now I’m waiting for my big opportunity.”
Cris Esqueda / Premier Boxing Champions