Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez stored his spot close to the highest of the WBC light-weight rankings in anticlimactic trend this night, beating Thomas Mattice by technical resolution of their DAZN important occasion.
Hernandez (36-2, 32 KO) hit the bottom operating as all the time, stalking a cellular however largely passive Mattice (22-3-1, 17 KO) throughout the ring and seeking to punish the physique. He landed his fair proportion of fine blows, although nothing demanding a extra dramatic adjective, and shrugged off the perfect counters that Mattice managed to ship.
Mattice discovered his approach into second gear after a conflict of heads opened up a lower on Hernandez and shortly proved himself the sharper, faster puncher. A second lower quickly tilted the scales from aggressive to one-sided as Mattice spent the sixth spherical teeing off on a bloodied “Rocky.”
Then issues acquired bizarre.
Referee Mark Calo-oy, a fixture of the Texan and Mexican scenes, waved off the combat as Hernandez’s nook males struggled to plug that second lower. Ruling that each cuts got here from headbutts, which video proof suggests might not have been the right name, he known as for a technical resolution as an enraged Mattice accused Hernandez of quitting.
David Diamante took three tries to learn the playing cards appropriately and award Hernandez the win on scores of 59-55, 58-55, and 58-56. If 58-55 sounds off, it’s as a result of the decide truly scored it 58-56 earlier than the supervisor bungled the addition.
It’s an extremely robust break for Mattice, who actually appeared to have figured Hernandez out. One would hope that Matchroom would pursue a rematch or, if Hernandez strikes on to face the winner of Robson Conceicao vs O’Shaquie Foster 2, give Mattice one other alternative. Not numerous time left on the clock at 34.
As for Hernandez, he’s nonetheless acquired the defensive lapses that left Foster flip issues round on him and his energy didn’t appear like the nice equalizer it often is. We’ll see what he can handle on the drafting board.
