The Canon: Hernandez Vs. Veron in Review
On a night dominated by The Ring Magazine, ProBox TV put on yet another card featuring the well-worn Vladimir Hernandez.
Image Courtesy of Eight Count.
It is no secret that July of 2025 is a month of substantial importance to the wider canon of the sport.
In a rather short space of time, July sees Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2) come out of retirement in a shot for world title honours, a unification with the potential for undisputed at super-flyweight courtesy of Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (21-0) and Phumelela Cafu (11-0-3) and another crowning of an undisputed heavyweight champion via Oleksandr Usyk (23-0) and Daniel Dubois (22-2).
Not only is that a lot, but that is only one night.
On Friday 11th July, Katie Taylor (25-1) and Amanda Serrano (47-4-1) became the genesis for a vibrant future in the women’s strain of the sport, as the Irish super-lightweight titleist definitively won a clean sweep in their trilogy.
Not to mention, that card also featured an eclectic collection of the greatest female athletes on the planet in contests that will have major ramifications.
Compounding the brilliance of the month, a double-header of Edgar Berlanga (23-2) Vs. Hamzah Sheeraz (22-0-1) and Shakur Stevenson (24-0) Vs. William Zepeda (33-1) provided intrigue with an impact on The Ring Magazine rankings, at the great Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.
Somewhere amongst this entire onslaught of canonical events, there was another quality ProBox TV venture at the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, California. With Lester Martinez (19-0) ejected from his main event slot once more, it was trail-horses Vladimir Hernandez (17-7) and Francisco Daniel Veron (15-1-1) that saved the card with the Argentinian Veron prevailing via unanimous decision.
Vladimir Hernandez Vs. Francisco Daniel Veron
The super-welterweight division is one of considerable talent.
Vladimir Hernandez and Francisco Daniel Veron know this all too well, as each man has fought the greatest fighters in the division and put together a more than interesting record of upsets between them both.
Hernandez, a Mexican southpaw, stole the unbeaten streak of Lorenzo ‘Truck’ Simpson (15-3) and built a three fight win streak against Guido Schramm (16-4-2), Raul Garcia (14-2-1) and Isaias Lucero (19-3).
His Argentinian counterpart in Veron similarly maintained a competitive record, with wins over an undefeated pair in Leonardo Di Stefano (16-5) and Timur Kerefov (14-1) as well as a draw against Jahi Tucker (15-1-1) of the 160lbs division.
This made this instance of matchmaking all the more intriguing: who would upset who?
Well, it would be Francisco Daniel Veron - with over a year out of the ring - that would prevail via unanimous decision after ten feral rounds of boxing.
In fact, despite the time spent away from the harsh lights of the ring, Veron was nothing but comfortable from the sound of the opening bell. Collected and composed, Veron took a swath of that initial round, utilising the right hand to deliver damage.
Hernandez did manage to push the Argentine backwards, as the three minutes came to an end.
After a tepid opening round from Hernandez, the Mexican sought to press matters with extreme fits of aggression. Veron had little space to breathe, although he remained considered in his own approach.
By the third round, there was blood; a clash of heads had cut Veron, which was only worsened by Hernandez’ drive to attack the wound. Veron responded with his back-hand, which was still finding fresh skin throughout.
The fourth and fifth rounds lit into a bonfire of fists, as Veron sought to deliver a higher output of punches to thwart Hernandez. All of the Argentine Olympian’s shots were delivered cleanly. In retaliation, Hernandez found the body and threw some tenderising shots.
After those sessions, the contest flew into more of a pattern, with Veron carefully boxing against Hernandez, who did not retreat. At the final bell, however, they threw down the gauntlet and sought a stoppage that did not come.
The scorecards read 98-92 twice and 99-91 in favour of Francisco Daniel Veron, who made a recovery after a loss in his last exploit against Brandon Adams (25-4).
Erik Badillo Vs. Gerardo Zapata
In contrast to the thriving super-welterweight division, the light-flyweight division is one in a state of major change; in the wake of Kenshiro Teraji (25-1) and Masamichi Yabuki (18-4) heading to 112lbs, there are a host of fighters with the desire to take their place.
Mexico’s Erik Badillo (18-0) is certainly one of them.
All the more so, after comprehensively dominating Gerardo Zapata (15-3-1) to earn a shot at the WBC World Light-Flyweight title.
There was a clear gulf between the two men, despite Zapata entering the ring with contests against two reigning world titleists behind his pedagogy.
Mexico’s Badillo was ruthless in a way that only a man on a collision course with a title opportunity can be; a serpent-like left hand caught Zapata clean in the third, resulting in a knockdown.
Nicaragua’s Zapata, who has fought at both 105 and 108lbs, rose to the occasion and kept on, even as the gap only widened. Whilst the fourth was more of the same, Badillo pushed to the inside from the fifth onwards.
This was a tactic that turned the contest into a complete shut-out, with frenetic combinations landing at will from the pocket. The angles were well-considered and they took more than a minor toll on the Nicaraguan.
In the later rounds, Badillo could box in whatever way he decided; all approaches were successful approaches. The output only increased, although the durable Zapata made it to the last bell.
Whilst a few counter-punches were noted from Zapata, little else caught the eye of the judges, who favoured Badillo widely.
Erik Badillo won the WBC World Light-Flyweight title-eliminator via unanimous decision with margins of 98-91 on two cards and 97-92 on the other.
Tsendbaatar Erdenebat Vs. Humberto Galindo
Mongolia’s super-featherweight Tsendbaatar Erdenebat (13-0) put in a grand performance against Humberto Galindo (14-4-3), who gave enough resistance to give Erdenebat a competition to win.
Erdenebat was the more educated in ring-craft out of the two men and this was evident from their initial exchange; both foot-work and shot-selection were particularly sharp from the Mongolian.
Galdino, with both height and reach on Erdenebat, was a consistent threat, however, owing to the substantial strength in his punches. Certainly, they were enough to keep Erdenebat alert.
After sweeping the three opening rounds, Erdenebat made a concerted effort to hit the body, perhaps in an attempt to weaken Galindo. This invited the potential of a brawl and, by the sixth, that very notion occured. Power-punches became the utensil of choice for both men through rounds seven and eight.
In the last, Erdenebat definitively closed the contest with more flurries to the body that left little space to doubt who had won. The southpaw in Erdenebat was the more effective of the two.
Tsendbataar Erdenebat won via unanimous decision, with scores of 97-93, 98-92 and a wide 99-91.
Katsuma Akitsugi Vs. Jonas Sultas
Once a fixture of Golden Boy Promotions, the popular Japanese-American Katsuma Akitsugi (13-0) won yet another contest in an emphatic fashion, shutting out former title challenger Jonas Sultan (19-8) on the scorecards.
Not a puncher by any means, Akitsugi is a maestro at technical, skilled boxing, which was evident when matched against a previous title challenger at super-flyweight and interim title challenger at bantamweight in Sultan.
Almost as if his shots were that of a katana or other bladed Japanese instrument, Akitsugi was cerebrally sharp and his combinations were keeping Sultan frustrated throughout.
More than that, Akitsugi was graceful and thoughtful with his movements, both through foot-work and lateral shifts.
This was all too much for Sultan, who had been severely inactive prior to the contest. The Filipino could not maintain any semblance of activity against someone fast and deliberate like Akitsugi.
Of course, with Akitsugi not possessing much of a punch, Sultan did hear the final bell without incident.
Katsuma Akitsugi won via unanimous decision with scores of 99-91 twice and another score of 98-92.
Karlos Balderas Vs. Salvador Briceno
2016 Rio Olympic Games fighter Karlos Balderas (16-2) secured victory against Mexican bruiser Salvador Briceno (18-12-1) via stoppage in the eighth and final round.
Balderas used every tool from his amateur trove to halt Briceno; jabs, foot-work, timing and a wealth of punches thrown from different angles.
Briceno absorbed punishment throughout, whilst unable to mount any sort of counter-offensive. In the eighth, a shrewd left hook followed by a right hand floored the Mexican, who did not beat the count.
Undercard
Elsewhere, Jordan Fuentes (5-0) of the bantamweight division beat Steveen Angeles Cruz (6-18-1) via TKO in the opening stanza. The nineteen year old southpaw wasted no-one’s time, firing an overhand that stunned Cruz, before swarming the unprepared journeyman with endless pressure.
Referee Edward Collantes called it to a close fifty-one seconds in.
Welterweight Miguel Gaona (7-0) was another fighter to secure a knockout in the early stages of the contest against Daniel Perales Osorio (13-32-2) of Mexico.
The southpaw became one of thirteen men to end Osorio in the ring, as a barrage at 1:29 caused Referee Edward Collantes to give some relief to the Mexican trial-horse.
In the super-bantamweight division, there was a stoppage in a fight between nineteen year old Kevin Gudino (3-0) and debutant William Dana.
The debutant rushed into the line of fire against the astute counterpuncher, although a check hook from Gudino sent Dana straight to the floor. By the time his face hit the floor, it was over. It was a third stoppage in a row from an exciting prospect.
The super-lightweight division did not buck the trend of early knockouts as Samuel Torres (3-0) sent Clayton Hibbert (2-9) through the ropes only twenty-nine seconds in.
Nikolai Terteryan (1-0), a twenty-four year old 2023 European Games gold medalist, made a succinct debut on the card at middleweight against Issa Ajilat (0-2).
A straight left hand from the southpaw sent Ajilat to the floor with a bloody nose indicating the damage. Intervention came only forty-eight seconds in.