Former Cuban amateur boxing star, Yoan Pablo Hernandez (14-0, 8 KOs) flattened Algerian Mohamed Azzaoui (22-2-2, 8 KOs) in the 1st round on Saturday night to win the World Boxing Association Fedelatin and World Boxing Council Latino cruiserweight title at the Seidensticker Halle, in Bielefeld, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. The fight had started out slowly, with both boxers caustiously jabbing at each other, when Hernandez suddenly landed a monstrous left hook that connected to the jaw of the 32 year-old Azzaoui, sending him to the canvas badly hurt.
By the time he could make it to his feet, the referee Massimo Barrovecchio had counted him out. The fight was officially stopped at 2:08 of the first round. Hernandez, only 23, a former 2005 Cuban National champion at light heavyweight, who also participated in the 2004 Olympic games, started slowly in the bout, focusing on landing his jab and right hook combination and keeping Azzaoui guessing as to what punch would come next.
A short time later, after backing Azzaoui up with a series of jabs, Hernandez hit him with a jab followed by a sweeping left hook that landed flush to the jaw of Azzaoui, sending him falling backwards to the canvas. The referee then counted Azzaoui as he tried to stagger to his feet.
Hernandez, ranked # 8 in the World Boxing Association, is arguably one of the best prospects in the cruiserweight division at this time, and who holds a victory – a 3rd round KO – over fellow countryman Odlanier Solis. At 6’4″, Hernandez has both the reach and the power to be one of the top cruiserweights in the division. His first round KO over Azzaoui seems more impressive in light of the fact that it recently took World Boxing Organization cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli four rounds to accomplish the same task.
At this point, I’d pick Hernandez over any of the top cruiserweights, leaving perhaps only David Haye as someone that would give him problems. I’d easily pick Hernandez over Steve Cunningham or Marco Huck, both of whom I’d see Hernandez quickly knocking out within the first half of the fight.