Arslan expects to beat Yoan Pablo Hernandez

By Boxing News - 07/12/2014 - Comments

Steve Herelius, Yoan Pablo HernandezBy Eric Thomas: In fight involving questionable match-making, IBF cruiserweight champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez (28-1, 14 KOs) will be defending his title against 43-year-old Firat Arslan (34-7-2, 21 KOs) on August 16th at the Erfurt Exhibition Hall in Thuringia, Germany. Arslan is a former WBA cruiserweight title holder, but he lost his strap 6 years ago in a loss to Guillermo Jones.

Recently, Arslan has lost 2 out of his last 4 fights in the past two years, and he hardly should be given another world title shot based on two defeats at the hands of WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck.

This fight just kind of an indication how the better known fighters get title shots at the expense of the lesser known guys with a higher ranking. Arslan isn’t ranked in the top 15 by any of the sanctioning bodies at this time in the cruiserweight division.

“It is good to be back – back to work! Even before my last fight in November last year, my health was on the downside and it got even worse by February,” Hernandez said. “Finally, I am fit to fight again and I cannot wait to defend my world championship. Firat Arslan is a fighter my teammate Marco Huck had some trouble with. I respect the way he performs, already being 43 years old. I will be well prepared for Arslan as I do not want to go more than twelve rounds against him.”

What you can say about the Hernandez-Arslan fight is that if Hernandez loses the fight, then he doesn’t belong as a champion, because Arslan has seen better days by far during his career. What’s troubling is that the International Boxing Federation sanctioned this fight. When you have a fighter losing 2 out of his last 4 fights like Arslan has, they shouldn’t be getting world title shots. If this was the NFL or the NBA, you wouldn’t be awarding a struggling team with a Super Bowl shot or let them fight in the finals of the NBA. Only in boxing do you see this kind of stuff.

“My deep respect for Yoan Pablo Hernandez, who is not only the defending IBF Cruiserweight Champion but also the best at that weight,” Arslan said. “I will have a plan to beat him on August 16. The man who will help me to work this plan out will be Fritz Sdunek. With him and my friend Dieter Wittmann at my side, I am more than equal to Hernandez and his coach Ulli Wegner. My dream will come true – I will become a world champion again!”