Braithwaite Stops Hernandez

By Boxing News - 03/29/2008 - Comments

braithwaite46433.jpgBy Scott Gilfoid: In somewhat of an upset, former WBC cruiserweight champion Wayne Braithwaite (23-3, 18 KOs) stopped previously undefeated Cuban prospect Yoan Pablo Hernandez (14-1, 8 KOs) in the 3rd round tonight to claim the WBA Fedelatin cruiserweight title & WBC Latino cruiserweight titles at the Sparkassen-Arena, Kiel, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Braithwaite, 32, rallied from a 1st round in which he was knocked down once and staggered on a separate occasion from the 23 year-old Hernandez. However, instead of going for the kill, Hernandez seemed to back off as if wanting to prolong the fight for his viewers.

In a way, it was like watching an old news real of the former great Cuban super heavyweight Teofilo Stevenson, who would often be incredibly patient while fighting and would knock many of his opponents out with a single punch. If that was Hernandez’s plan, it was a big mistake because Braithwaite hits too hard to keep him in the fight, and Hernandez was making it easy by him by opening up with wild exhanges, leaving his chin vulnerable from counter shots by Braithwaite. Hernandez controlled the action though the first and second round, though at the end of the second, he was hit with two right hands from Braithwaite, one of which landed at the bell and seemed to hurt Hernandez.

In between rounds, Hernandez received a lecture from his trainer Uli Wegner, who let him have it about leaving his defense wide open. Hernandez seemed to agree but he didn’t appear to be really paying attention, for in the third round Hernandez started out with a wild flurry of punches, missing most of them. Shortly after athat, while attempting to throw a right hand, Hernandez was hit with a short right hand from Braithwaite that knocked him to the canvas.

Hernandez got up off the canvas but was badly hurt and couldn’t stand without listing from one side to another. The referee didn’t seem to notice, as he let the fight continue. As soon as the action resumed, Braithwaite came running accross the ring and landed a left followed by a left-right combination and another left hand that sent Hernandez to the canvas, skidding into the ropes on his backside.

He made it up and was in even worse shape, yet the referee let Hernandez continue perhaps because he was the home town fighter. Seconds later, Braithwaite ended it with a big right hand to the side of Hernandez’s head, sending him down for the third and final time in the round. This time after getting up, Hernandez could only stagger from one side of the ring to the other, at which time the referee Jose Martinez did the right thing and stopped the bout at 1:51 of the third round.

For Hernandez, it was perhaps too big of a step up in class for the young 23 year-old fighter. He made some silly mistakes in the fight, starting with letting Braithwaite off the hook when he had him hurt in the first round, and then by not using his height and reach to fight Braithwaite from the outside. Hernandez didn’t need to slug it out with him as he could have won the fight on his jab alone but seemed to have little respect for Braithwaite.