SAN ANTONIO – Frank Sanchez immediately informed Julian Fernandez that he was all business Saturday night.
Fernandez extended his glove as a sign of sportsmanship at the start of their 10-round heavyweight fight at Alamodome. The Cuban contender promptly responded by unloading a right hand toward Fernandez’s head.
The night didn’t get much better for the overmatched Mexican from there.
The skillful Sanchez mostly battered Fernandez before he knocked his opponent out of the ring just after the midway mark of the seventh round. Fernandez fell between the second and third ropes, onto the ring apron.
Referee Jon Schorle started to count, but he quickly realized Fernandez was in no condition to continue. The time of the stoppage was 1:35 of the seventh round.
The 28-year-old Sanchez scored his 13th knockout while improving his record to 17-0. The 27-year-old Fernandez (14-3, 11 KOs) was knocked out for the third time in four years as a pro.
Germany’s Tom Schwarz (26-1, 18 KOs) knocked him out in the second round of their September 2018 bout in Magdeburg, Germany. Fernandez subsequently won three fights in a row, but Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov (11-0, 11 KOs) then stopped him in the third round of their September 2019 bout in Montreal.
Fernandez fought Saturday night for the first time since Makhmudov defeated him 14 months ago.
The round before Sanchez sent Fernandez from the ring, Sanchez knocked Fernandez backward with a right hand early in the sixth round.
Sanchez blasted Fernandez with a right hand that snapped back his head and moved him into the ropes late in the fifth round. Fernandez waved him forward and demonstratively dared Sanchez to come after him.
Sanchez couldn’t finish him off, though, as Fernandez made it to the sixth round.
Fernandez caught Sanchez with a left hook that got Sanchez’s attention in the second half of the third round.
Sanchez’s right hand hit Fernandez behind the head with just over two minutes to go in the third round. Fernandez took a knee, but barely took any time to recover before the action continued.
Sanchez staggered Fernandez with a left hook a minute into the second round. Fernandez lost his footing, but moved and held his way to the third round.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
