Hernandez Survives Chi-Town War With Tackie
By Joe Harrison
Friday night at Cicero Stadium located near Chicago, welterweight prospect Freddy Hernandez (22-1, 17 KOs) overcame a bloody head and multiple low blows to defeat veteran Ben Tackie (29-7-1, 17 KOs) by a unanimous decision in their scheduled ten-round contest. In a full-scale battle, each man went to the extreme, landing meaningful punches and doing anything possible to gain control of the bout.
Tackie, who had faced big names such as Ricky Hatton, Sharmba Mitchell, and Kostya Tszyu, was able to land an overhand right to the face of Hernandez with regularity. Even when Hernandez was able to cover up high, Tackie dominated the inside with a relentless body attack. In the third round, a clash of heads created a gash on the forehead of Hernandez, creating a stream of blood running between his eyes and down his nose.
During the middle rounds, Hernandez was able to land straight lefts and rights to the face of Tackie. Meanwhile, Tackie continued with his body attack in an attempt to slow his foe down. Then, his hands began to sink below the belt of Hernandez. In the fifth round, Referee John O’Brien deducted a point from Tackie for low blows. In the sixth round, another point was deducted from Tackie for low blows.
As the battle progressed, Hernandez took control of the action using his accurate jabs. He also tried leaning on Tackie in an attempt to diffuse his body attack. However, in the seventh round, a point was deducted from Hernandez for holding the back of Tackie’s head.
By the tenth round, Hernandez seemed spent as he circled away from his aggressive and seemingly desperate opponent until the bell ended the contest. On the final scorecards, Judge Emily Cain scored 96-91, Judge Jim LeBel scored 95-92, and Judge Mike Fitzgerald had 94-93, all in favor of Hernandez.
After the fight, Hernandez was pleased with his performance.
"I felt good, I have good conditioning. I did get tired, but around the tenth I got my second wind," Hernandez said. “I got some blood in my eyes, but I still won.”
Hernandez also said that he is looking to improve.
"I don’t feel that I am the best yet. I need to work more,” Hernandez said. "I will talk to my managers to see what’s next."
In the co-main event, lightweight Daniel Jimenez (17-1-1, 10 KOs) pummeled Angel Chacon (30-8-2, 15 KOs) over ten rounds to earn the victory by a unanimous decision. Jimenez never stopped applying pressure as he constantly beat Chacon to the punch.
On numerous occasions, Chacon’s face turned beat red as Jimenez continuously landed effective combinations. Instead of letting up, Chacon would only smile and move forward looking for the punch that would change the fight. That punch never came as Jimenez picked Chacon apart and nearly knocked him out in the sixth round.
Chacon stayed on his feet until the end of the contest, but never had Jimenez in any kind of trouble. On the final scorecards, Judge Gary Kruse scored 99-90 while both Judges Robert Hecko and Bernard Hightower each scored 100-90, all in favor of Jimenez.
In the opening bout, undefeated super welterweight Jose Angel Rodriguez (11-0, 2 KOs) defeated Damon Antoine (5-14-1, 3 KOs) by a six-round unanimous decision. Antoine could never find an answer for the quick hand-speed and superior defense of Rodriguez.
Antoine showed the heart of a warrior, but his defense was nearly non-existent as he took many blows to his face through all six rounds. He tried to develop an attack but was repeatedly countered and overall outclassed by Rodriguez. In the end, all three judges saw it 60-54 for Rodriguez.
Despite his shutout, Rodriguez said he did not feel his best.
“I felt a little sluggish,” Rodriguez said. “I felt that I could have had a better performance, but I pulled out the win the way I was supposed to. I’m happy for what I’ve done. A win is a win.”
Rodriguez also said that he was anxious for his next fight.
“I’m looking forward to my next fight on July 21st,” Rodriguez said. “I’m just going to ease my way up and fight experienced opponents. I’m looking forward to being champion some day. That’s something that is in my heart and my soul.”