THE RESULT: Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez scored a seventh-round TKO over Daniel Lugo in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The bout was stopped at 2-17 of the seventh, scheduled for 12 rounds. Lugo lost for the first time since 2021.
KEY MOMENTS: Boxing with his hands too low, Hernandez was hurt in round three. Lugo motored forward and the crowd started to feel that another underdog story was unfolding.
Hernandez stopped trying to box and tucked up, offering Lugo inside for a war. That strategy paid off in round five as Lugo’s nose dripped with blood.
Hernandez put his foot down in round seven, landing a powerful uppercut that staggered Lugo who was on the end of relentless punishment before the referee mercifully jumped in.
RECORDS: Hernandez pushes his slate to 35-2 (32 KOs), while Lugo returns to the drawing board at 27-3-1 (18 KOs).
TALKING POINTS: Hernandez needed to bounce back strongly from the disappointment of a last-round KO to O’Shaquie Foster. He did just that. Getting closer to a world title opportunity, Hernandez had his eyes on the prize as he proposed to his partner after the bout.
Lugo punched his way to prominence by grabbing a surprise 10-round draw with Mauricio Lara in February. Hernandez put him back in his place here while also stealing the credibility from Lugo’s Lara display.
QUOTABLE: “We knew that when two Mexicans get into the ring, it’s an all-out war,” said Hernandez, who referenced the Foster experience as a positive.
“I want that world title shot. O’Shaquie Foster, Joe Cordina, Oscar Valdez, I want you to know that Rocky Hernandez is ready for you!”
“It did surprise me how hard he hit,” said Lugo, who did his reputation as a solid B-side opponent no harm at all.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: Commentator Corey Erdman accurately described Hernandez as one of the best television fighters on the scene. Ranked highly by the WBC, Hernandez was announced as the new WBA super-featherweight Latin American champion. The WBA king is Lamont Roach Jr, who defends his title against Ireland’s Feargal McCrory on June 28.
One thing Lugo can be credited for is the relatively quick turnaround after drawing with Lara in mid-February. This suggests he will be ready to go again soon rather than wallowing in the misery of defeat.
SUPPORTING CAST: Erika Cruz Hernandez fought to a 10-round draw against Nazarena Romero. Cruz’s WBA super-bantamweight title was on the line.
Randy Leon just about held on to his unbeaten professional record by scraping out a controversial majority draw against Misael Cabrera, who looked to be the deserved winner.
Criztec Bazaldua maintained his unbeaten record with a six-round points win over Luis Fernando Ruiz by unanimous decision.
Leonardo Rubalcava moved to 7-0 after Roberto Nevarez was withdrawn before the fourth round with a badly damaged right eye.