Vladimir Hernandez has taken a tough road as a professional, one that ultimately he hopes ends with a title shot
Hernandez is the main event Saturday as he faces Francisco Veron in a 10-round junior middleweight bout at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The bout will stream on ProBox TV.
Hernandez, 17-6 (7 KOs), doesn’t have the shiny record of most title contenders. He instead has a bunch of upsets. He upset former titleholder Julian Williams, Alfredo Angulo, and Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson. When people might have counted out Hernandez, a 36-year-old from Stockton, California, he reinvents himself. After losing a middleweight bout to Troy Isley, Hernandez has won three straight fights on ProBox TV. If he were to win a fourth fight on Saturday, he believes big things are ahead.
“I think people love an underdog story,” Hernandez told BoxingScene. “People love to support people who come from the hood, the slums, and build their way up.”
Veron, 14-1-1 (10 KOs), has only lost once, and that was his last fight to Brandon Adams in August. Veron, a 26-year-old from Buenos Aires, Argentina, also had a draw with Jahi Tucker in 2023. Veron most notably competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Hernandez, who has suffered tough losses in his career to up-and-comers such as Jesus Ramos Jnr, Souleymane Cissokho, Isley, and Israil Madrimov, doesn’t want to start all over again.
“I am finally ranked No.15 by the WBC, and winning this fight will put me in the position for a title fight,” Hernandez said. “Honestly, I can’t afford to lose, and that is where I am.”
Hernandez received his fair share of accolades in his last three fights. His knockout of Guido Emmanuel Schramm was seen as a knockout of the year contender in 2024. Hernandez’s win against Raul Garcia is considered one of the most exciting fights of that year. In March, Hernandez won a split-decision over Isaias Lucero in a back-and-forth barnburner. Hernandez sees himself as the fighter of the people, an action fighter who embodies the fighting spirit of the fight fans who pay to see him compete. When asked if he saw himself as the people’s fighter, he responded.
“I 100 percent believe that,” Hernandez said. “Thank you to everyone who supports me, it makes me feel like I am the fighter from the pueblo, the town’s fighter, and the people’s fighter.”
