Beware Tall Skinny-Boy Boxers: Thomas Hill vs. Marco “Madman” Hernandez – Super Welterweights

I’m trying to catch up on my boxing after being so busy with other less important things having to do with paying the rent. While much attention is given to the big fights upcoming (hopefully), I get almost as much enjoyment out of watching boxers who are up and coming and those who had or have solid careers but did not rise to huge media attention. 

I’m talking about guys like Hammerin’ Hank Lundy and Breidis Prescott for the latter, not to exclude many other great ones, just that these two just now popped into my mind. There are so many that I respect because they have been successful in the hardest sport in the world.

 Many are not called to the sport and these become either disinterested or critics, but of the many who are called to the sport, few will be chosen to ascend to the Realm of the Boxing Gods.  That doesn’t mean they couldn’t wipe the rest of us out in about two seconds.

I’ve talked some trash on occasion, having learned from the likes of James Toney (best of the trash talkers imho), but I try not to.  Seems to me the only people entitled to trash  talk even journeyman or beginning boxers are those who have actually survived the ring.

It’s okay to have your favorites – whether it’s Canelo or GGG –  or Adonis Stevenson vs. Kovalev – or Andre Ward vs. anyone, but I don’t appreciate these people who bust on one or the other saying the one is weak and scared, the other is going to beat the ass of the other like a rented mule. It’s all bullshit – anyone who has gotten that far in boxing is in a place few people know anything about.

Therefore I am a boxing fan, only a boxing fan. I know where I fit in the world of boxing. I watch it with a great deal of admiration, trepidation, and edification. Meaning I like it, appreciate the dangers, and learn from it.

I’d recorded some fights I didn’t have time to watch and now I’m catching up. A very interesting fight I watch today featured Thomas Hill of Milwaukee but fighting out of Vegas and Marcos “Madman” Hernandez of Fresno, California. Fresno is a long time fight town whether people know it or not and Hernandez has that kind of mentality, you know. Life’s a struggle – keep fighting therefore and have a good time doing it.

His opponent, Thomas Hill, was also undefeated. Both fighters had seven victories, and both were light on KOs. Hernandez went into the fight with one, and Hill with none, but both guys were undefeated and had a lot to lose. Hill had some good sparring partners and teachers at Mayweather’s gym, and the announcers seemed to think he’d have the edge.

The fascinating thing about Hernandez is the way he uses a 4-3 combination, something he used effectively in three or four earliest rounds and then intermittently throughout to the 8^th and final round. The fight announcers, especially Sergio Mora, were criticizing Hernandez for shooting the uppercut (4) and then a left hook (3).  Mora felt Hernandez it was too dangerous leading with a right uppercut and said he was throwing it from too far out but it was working and Hill was getting tagged regularly with the combination. I think Mora was right in his theory but wrong in its practice, as so many things are in boxing.

Hernandez started to flag in maybe the 5^th and 6^th rounds and Hill put together some of his really blazing fast 1-2-1-2 body attacks but then Hernandez crew (his dad is the trainer) woke him up and he went back to work.  Two good fighters, and both have futures if they wish to remain focused on the sport, but the unanimous decision was right in giving Hernandez a big edge.

Another interesting thing about the super- welterweight bout was that both fighters were tall – Hill being 6 foot 1 and Hernandez being 6 foot even. Beware tall skinny boys with fast hands and big hearts.