By Rick Reeno, Keith Idec
LAS VEGAS – Mark Anthony Hernandez pulled off a minor upset on the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor undercard Saturday.
Hernandez beat Kevin Newman by unanimous decision in a non-televised, six-round super middleweight match at T-Mobile Arena.
Hernandez, who was credited with a knockdown in the sixth round, won 59-54 on the scorecards of judges Lisa Giampa and Richard Ocasio. Judge John McKaie credited Hernandez with a 57-56 victory.
The 24-year-old Hernandez, of Fresno, California, improved to 10-1. The 25-year-old Newman (7-1-1, 3 KOs), a Las Vegas resident who Mayweather promotes, had his seven-fight winning streak snapped.
Hernandez pressed the action for most of the bout and was more effective later in the bout. Newman mostly moved backward, used his jab and periodically landed right hands, but it wasn’t enough to impress the judges.
Hernandez scored a knockdown during the sixth round after landing a counter left, but Newman complained to referee Vic Drakulich that Hernandez stepped on his foot. Newman got right up and the action resumed quickly.
In the first fight Saturday, Savannah Marshall comfortably out-boxed Sydney LeBlanc in a four-round, women’s super middleweight match.
The 26-year-old Marshall, who’s promoted by Mayweather’s company, made her pro debut. LeBlanc, of Gretna, Louisiana, slipped to 4-4-1.
The 5-feet-11½ Marshall used her height and reach advantages to pick apart the 5-feet-9 LeBlanc throughout their one-sided, ordinary fight. All three judges – Burt Clements, Lisa Giampa and Patricia Morse Jarman – scored each of the four rounds for Marshall (40-36).