By Jake Donovan
While many anticipate a Fight of the Year candidate between Juan Diaz and Julio Diaz this weekend just outside of Chicago (Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, IL), rare is the fight that can stand alone without a major undercard to support it. With so much local talent in the Windy City area, it only makes sense to load up the support bouts with hometown flavor.
As such, former junior middleweight contender and local favorite Angel “Toro” Hernandez saw this weekend as the perfect opportunity to return to the ring.
“I’ve been out of the game for a little while, but the sport never left me,” claims Hernandez, who returns to the ring this weekend after a 17-month hiatus. “I’ve stayed in shape, while clearing up promotional issues, helping others in the gym and waiting for the right opportunity to come back. Now is that time.”
Hernandez (27-6, 16KO) will need to bring his A-game this weekend, as he takes on fellow Chicagoan, former Chi-Town Golden Gloves champ and present undefeated middleweight prospect Louis Turner (11-0, 7KO). There’s a lot more than just hometown bragging rights at stake. Hernandez knows that, at age 32 and out of the public eye for a minute, he needs to not only win, but make a statement if he to re-emerge as a major player in or around the junior middleweight division.
“For this first fight back, I wanted to try out 160,” says Hernandez, who claims the middleweight experiment will be one and done. “But I have a lot of unfinished business at junior middleweight. I let a lot of stuff outside the ring get in the way of reaching my goals. That’s no longer an issue. I have the right people looking out for me, which means I spend less time stressing about the business side, and more time focusing on fighting.”
Such was a luxury that Hernandez was rarely afforded during what he refers to as his first career. Having spent years saddled with local promoter Bobby Hitz, Hernandez found himself in a position all too familiar among fighters who aren’t adept to the business side of the sport. There were no shortage of premium dates – “Toro” was a familiar face on ESPN2, Telemundo and HBO Latino throughout his prime years. What came up short when all was said and done was his end of the purse.
“Angel went through hell when he fought for Hitz Boxing,” claims Julio Hernandez, Angel’s brother and now manager. “He received low minimums for fights where he should’ve made a lot more, and then for the big fights, Angel would be left with like 30-40% of what he expected to make. When you’re getting paid, you’re more motivated. But once you get to where everyone has their hands in your pockets, it affects you.
“Angel needed to break free from all of that, and step away from the game. Clear his head, and come back correct. You’re going to see a new and improved Angel come Saturday night.”
The old Angel developed a reputation for taking on any fighter, and an uncanny knack for making all of those fighters look bad, win or lose. Angel lost a little more than he won once at the top level, but left his impression on everyone he fought.
“When you’re taking one tough fight after another in such a short span, of course you’re not going to win all of them,” contends Julio. “But Angel knew where he stood. He’d rather take a loss or two knowing he can hang with the best, than have a protected record without knowing whether or not he can fight.”
Fighting wasn’t always in the cards for the Mexican brawler. Angel’s father was a talented pitcher during his days with the Mexico City Red Devils in the Mexican Baseball League. So talented, in fact, that he was invited to try out for the New York Yankees before suffering a career-ending knee injury.
Angel dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps until 1992, when his father was killed in a car crash. His family moved to Chicago shortly thereafter, at which point Hernandez turned to boxing. Four years later, Hernandez decided to punch for pay, rattling off eight straight knockouts to begin his career.
Hernandez sprinted out to a 13-0 start before running into former world title challenger Wilfredo Rivera. Hernandez dropped a 10 round decision, marking the only time he would lose in his adopted home state of Illinois (25-1 overall in The Prairie State), but won over the crowd with his balls-to-the-wall performance.
From there on out, Hernandez would serve as proof that a loss or two – or more – is not equivalent to a death sentence. The wildly adored Mexican filled out venues on the Chicago club circuit, brawling his way into junior middleweight contention. Decision wins over Julio Cesar de la Cruz and former world title challenger Juan Carlos Candelo stood out amongst a stretch where Toro charged to a 12-1 run (24-2 overall) over a three-year period following the Rivera bout.
The impressive streak was enough to get Hernandez within sniffing distance of his first world title shot, only to drop a thriller in a return go against Candelo late in 2002. The loss wasn’t enough to keep Hernandez out of the title picture, but did mark a period in his career where his resume would follow a pattern of “win some, lose some.”
It also led to a pair of fights garnering him more national exposure than at any point in his career. Tough losses to Kassim Ouma and Winky Wright in a span of six months earned him the respect of millions of fans, who appreciated his never-say-die attitude even against the sport’s best.
However, it was a controversial split decision loss to Raymond Joval early in 2004 that had Hernandez reconsidering what he wanted to do for a living.
“I reached a point where, even though I had tons of fans who appreciated my courage, I just grew tired of dealing with the nonsense in the sport,” admits Hernandez. “I lost motivation in the gym, and started stressing out over whether or not I’d get another fair shake in a close fight. It just discouraged me, though it may have been a blessing in disguise.”
Hernandez was officially inactive from 2004-2006, though splitting his time between helping young fighters in the gym and also tending to his wife and three kids at home in Chicago. The rest allowed Angel to relax, reload, and rejuvenate, though it only led to a one-and-done tune-up fight last May in Chicago. The split decision win over upside-down journeyman Antonio Garcia was a less-than-desired result, though enough to put him back in the win column.
What the fight failed to do, however, was quench Hernandez’ fighting thirst.
“I didn’t feel the same in that fight,” recalls Hernandez. “Part of it was ring rust, but I also felt like it wasn’t the right time to return. It was nice to come back home, and fight for all of my adoring fans, but I felt like I wasn’t able to give them 100% of Angel Hernandez.”
No such problem this time out.
“When I got the call to appear on the “Dia de los Diaz” card, I was thrilled. To fight on a Don King show in front of my hometown, I mean, I can’t ask for a greater honor following such a long layoff. I’ve been through the worst, and know what I’m in for this time around.”
Hernandez can only hope his opponent can say the same.
“I know Louis Turner is undefeated, and they say he’s from Chicago, but the kid’s name just doesn’t ring out like mine does. I’m sure they offered me up, and his people thought they were getting some stiff with a name. But he hasn’t truly experienced what it’s like to fight in front of a rabid hometown crowd. We may live in the same city, but no way he represents this town like I do. That’s one lesson he’ll learn this weekend.”
This time around, Hernandez doesn’t plan to stop at just one comeback win.
“We’re definitely in this for the long haul,” says brother/manager Julio Hernandez. “There are a lot of great opportunities awaiting him after he wins this weekend. The junior middleweight division is wide open. Who knows. Maybe he even gets Ricardo Mayorga if he’s able to get past Fernando Vargas in November. Their nicknames alone make it a perfect matchup – El Toro and El Matador. Don King might as well draw up the poster right now.”
Not that Hernandez is looking past this weekend.
“I know a lot of people from the Chicago area are coming out to show their support,” acknowledges Angel. “Any plans I have for the future go out the window if I look past this kid and let him mess around and beat me. There’s too much at stake now to let anyone else steal one from me. I don’t know what they call Turner, but this weekend I’ll have them calling him “Turned Away.” My record may not look as pretty as his, but I’ve been through the trenches, while he’s been protected. I’ve fought far better than him throughout my career. He better be hungry, because looking at his record, he damn sure can’t say the same about me.
“Come Saturday night, he’ll learn the hard way the same as everyone else I’ve fought. No matter who it is, I come to fight.”
And that’s no bull.
MORE LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Hernandez-Turner isn’t the only crosstown rivalry to be found on the card. A pair of once-beaten local heavyweight favorites in Art Binkowski (Chicago, via Bielewa, Poland, 16-1, 11KO) and Mike Mollo (Oak Lawn, IL 18-1, 11KO) throw down in an 10-round heavyweight battle for Windy City bragging rights.
Mollo was a streaking heavyweight prospect before DaVarrl Williamson violently knocked off some of the new penny shine with a 4th round knockout last May in Massachusetts. Mollo shook off the lone loss of his career and regrouped, riding a three-fight winning streak heading into this bout, including a 2nd round KO over Kevin McBride last October in Rosemont, IL.
Prior to 2007, Binkowski was best – and perhaps only – known for his turn as former heavyweight journeyman Corn Griffin in the 2005 Academy-Award nominated film, “Cinderella Man”. That changed this past April when, brought in as the perceived opponent for a ShoBox telecast, Binkowski shocked the boxing world with a thrilling, come-from-behind stoppage over former amateur standout Raphael Butler.
Binkowski thrice hit the deck in the opening round before spending the rest of the fight attempting to chip away at Butler’s lead. Forced into a fast-paced brawl, Butler ran out of juice in the 8th and final round, where Binkowski dropped him and eventually forced a stoppage with just 37 seconds left in a fight where he hopelessly trailed on the cards.
The win was a huge lift for Binkowski, who was 1-1-2 in his prior four heading into the bout. After scoring a tune-up win in his native Poland this past May, Binkowski hopes to score what would be considered his second big upset win of the year.
Crowd favorite and Poland-based Matt Zegan returns to Chicago for the third time in as many years, taking on Damian Fuller in a battle of former lightweight contenders in search of one last shot. Zegan has served well for Don King’s Chicago-based cards in the past, tapping into the market that boasts the largest number of Polish and Polish-American residents in the United States. How that translates in the win-loss column remains to be seen, with Zegan entering the bout having dropped his last two. Conversely, the 30-year old Fuller is in the midst of a career revival, having gone 8-0-1 since his brutal knockout loss to the late Diego “Chico” Corrales more than four years ago.
ADDITIONS
Rising junior welterweight prospect Devon “The Great” Alexander (12-0, 7KO) couldn’t have been happier to receive a last minute phone call from promoter Don King. Once rumored to be appearing on the October 19 edition of ShoBox before the date was given to another promoter and his fighters, the St. Louis native landed on his feet in the end, garnering a slot on the undercard against fellow unbeaten Cory Peterson (Bay City, MI, 7-0, 4KO).
The junior welterweight attraction is scheduled for eight rounds or less.
The card’s best kept secret comes in the form of a 12-round junior lightweight. Anges Adjaho, originally from Benin but now fighting out of King’s training camp in Orwell, OH, takes on Venezuelan Miguel Acosta, in a bout to determine the next mandatory challenger for knockout artist Edwin Valero.
SUBTRACTIONS
The rumored heavyweight clash between former alphabet titlists John Ruiz and Sergei Lyakhovich remains just that – a rumor. Lyakhovich and his team passed on the Ruiz fight, insisting bigger (figuratively and literally) and better things awaited in the form of a potential fight with 7’2” Nicolay Valuev sometime next year.
Ruiz, who signed the contract the moment it was presented to him only to learn of the letdown earlier this week, was to remain on the card, “against anyone willing to fight me.” Apparently, there were no takes as The Quiet Man has since been removed from the show.
Still trying to decide if that’s necessarily a bad thing.
Lightweight contender Nate Campbell was also bumped from the card, after having been originally scheduled to face Humberto Toledo in a 10-round stay-busy lightweight fight. Reasons offered range from sparring injuries to his opponent failing to secure a Visa to Campbell forced to contend with legal troubles back home in Florida.
While all of that sorts itself out, the last word was that Campbell and his co-promoter Terry Trakas will both be at ringside, anxiously awaiting the main event between Juan Diaz and Julio Diaz. Campbell is the mandatory challenger to one of the three alphabet titles on line in the bout, with hopes that a fight with the winner can be secured a lot sooner than later, after having chased a Julio Diaz bout for nearly two years.
TICKETS AND SHOWTIME
Tickets are still available, for those hoping to partake in the last major boxing event during Hispanic History Month (though spanning two separate months, September 15-October 15). Tickets priced at $300, $150, $100, $75 and $35 are available from the Sears Centre Box Office, select AMCORE Bank Outlets, by phone at 1-888-SEARSTIX, or on-line at www.searscentre.com .
