By Luis Sandoval
If there was a difference in the Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado rematch besides Alvarado being the victor, it was experienced trainer Rudy Hernandez being in charge of the Alvarado’s corner. Hernandez worked solely as the cutman in the first fight but he was giving the reigns for the rematch and the change paid off greatly as Alvarado came out on top.
Hernandez was on the latest edition of BoxingScene Radio and he discussed how he was given the chance to be the head trainer.
“I went to Denver a month in advance before this fight and when we were there it was established that I would be the one leading the team and that I would be the head coach for this fight. With the experience that I have and my knowledge, Mike liked the idea. When I set the game plan he looked at it and he loved it and he worked on it” Hernandez would tell BoxingScene Radio.
“A couple of the guys there weren't too happy with it because it wasn't traditional boxing; it was something out of left field. But as the days went by they got more comfortable with it and they started to see the difference and how things were changing in sparring. They felt more comfortable and the more time went by the more comfortable they got and the happier they were”.
Alvarado was able to apply his strategy for the entire duration of the bout which was a feat he was not able to do the first time as Rios’ pressure and activity eventually caught up with the Denver native. Hernandez informed they executed the game plan to perfection and everything they worked on in camp showed up in the fight.
“Look at the footwork, the movement, the distance - look at everything that Mike did different in this fight as opposed to the first one. That's the result of the work we put in. And like I said, I couldn't do this without Mike. A few things we also have to keep in mind is that Mike believed in it and also Mike was capable of doing it. So that made it a little easier when it came down to it” said Hernandez.
Alvarado used plenty of movement in the fight to ease some of Rios’ pressure and to keep Rios’ feet moving throughout the fight. Most were wondering if Alvarado could last 12 rounds moving that much and credit has to be given to his conditioning. Alvarado actually had his camp in Denver, CO as opposed to returning to Los Angeles where he had been training for his last few fights. Hernandez informed he was the one who decided to keep Alvarado in his hometown.
“I thought it was a great idea to go to Denver and I enjoyed being out there. If it was up to [his team] they would've liked to have taken him out of Denver and brought him out but I put in my two cents and said 'let's keep him here in Denver and then let's use that altitude to get him in shape’. Running up there on the bedrock where the mountains are at, running up those stairs, man that is no joke up there! I ran up there with him one time and almost passed out when I got to the top!” shared Hernandez.
As far as a third fight, Hernandez doesn’t care if they fight Rios again or if they decide to go a different direction. He’s leaving that up to the managers and promoters as his sole objective is to get Alvarado ready for whoever they put in front of him.
You can listen to Rudy Hernandez’s interview in its entirety by listening to the BoxingScene Radio podcast: http://tobtr.com/s/4496211
You can follow Luis Sandoval on Twitter @Truewest007. You can also tune in to The Boxing Lab, Boxingscene’s official audio show every Tuesday from 6-8PM PST with hosts Ernest Gabion, Luis Sandoval, and Ryan Burton.
