(NOV 16) Melissa Hernandez, like many
boxers, is about angles. However, Hernandez's penchant for angles
often extends beyond the confines of ring ropes. Watch her moving
around Gleasons Gym in what, at first glance, appears to be
haphazard path, cutting zigzags between the rings, the heavy bags,
the various stools and benches, among the other fighters, male and
female, trading quips with some, offering instructions to others and
then, she arrives exactly where she was headed, all along, in this
case, to sit down next to a guy with a notebook. Angles, likewise,
frequent Melissa Hernandez's conversation. She seems to say
whatever, first comes to her mind, statements that are, at once,
outrageous, sometimes purposely controversial and, more often than
not, quite insightful. But if one listens closely, you soon notice
that her conversation converges, almost symmetrically, exactly where
Melissa Hernandez intended it to go, and that in the end, it
enforces the point she wants to make. And that quality may be a
pretty good definition of what focus really is.
You can get, without much effort, a fair sized sampling of opinion
in the boxing community that will contend that Melissa Hernandez
lacks control. That's a misread. Melissa Hernandez is in complete
control, she knows exactly where she is and, more importantly, she
knows exactly where she wants to go. It's simply that, at times, it
is only Hernandez who clearly understands where she's headed,
another pretty good description of focus. Friedrich Nitzche said it
best, "If you keep your focus, eventually, your focus will keep
you."
When I spoke with her last week, Hernandez's focus was on December 4
and the upcoming WIBA title fight with Holly Holm in Albuquerque,
NM. And while she might not readily admit it to a guy with a
notebook, maybe especially to a guy with a notebook, she's focused
on that fight and fully understands what lies ahead, even as she
approaches the bout, from her own different angles. Asked what
weight she'll come into the ring in Albuquerque, Hernandez replies,
"Whatever shows up on the scale. The catch weight is 140, I was 128
my last bout (a five round TKO over unbeaten Ambar Fajardo in Panama
in July). I wanted a 137 "catch" in New Mexico, but, hey, weight is
not going to win this fight, neither is height."
"Holly's a fighter, I'm a boxer and people wonder if I can get past
her size and power. I tell them 'my whiskers stood up pretty good
with Chevelle' (Hallback), so I'm not really worried about Holly
Holm." At this point Hernandez shifts her analysis angle: "Has
anyone given any thought to the fact that Holly has never fought
anyone my size? Does Holly know to fight to her height? We'll see.
And, believe me, whatever happens during the course of the fight,
I'll adapt, because I've had to do it before. Chevelle hit me as
hard as I've ever been hit in our first round and I changed my
tactics and came at her differently for the rest of the bout and got
a draw. Even in my first bout (Zhang Mao Mao in New York in October
2005) I came out convinced I could end it early and I walked into a
big right hand, changed my plans completely and won a four round
decision by sticking and moving away from that right hand. I'm ready
for whatever fight there is out there in New Mexico and I'll change
my strategy as needed as the fight goes on. Can Holly make those
changes mid-fight? We'll see."
Hernandez admits to watching tapes of Holm's past fight, but also
admits, "You can't really learn a lot (from tapes), certainly not
from the mistakes she's made in the past. Her team is going to watch
those same tapes and correct those mistakes. So, what you learn is
tendencies, something a fighter does every time in every situation
in every fight and Holly does have certain tendencies, every fighter
does. Can I take advantage of those tendencies? That'll be one part
of December 4. I also have Jill Emery, this time, as my chief
sparring partner. Jill has been a great addition, better than I
could have hoped for, a blessing in disguise (not coincidentally,
Emery is 5' 8" and, in the ring, leads with her right hand). "She's
not only Holm's size, she's also a southpaw and she has an uncanny
ability to imitate Holly's style. It's probably her training as an
actor."
Melissa Hernandez has had fourteen fights in her four year
professional career (11-1-2) and has had only one bout in her
current hometown of New York (her debut with Mao Mao). She has
no qualms about traveling to Holm's "home court" and will still
be the
sports betting
favorite. (her debut with Mao Mao). She has no
qualms about traveling to Holm's "home court." "I've been through
that with McCarter (splitting two bouts with Layla McCarter in Las
Vegas in February and April 2007). In fact, Hernandez was encouraged
when she went to Albuquerque for a late October "presser" announcing
the bout: "there's a sizable Latino population in New Mexico and a
lot of those fans were there for the announcement. I got a great
reception, before, during and after the press conference and I
expect the same thing on December 4 at Isleta Casino. From what I
saw, Albuquerque is not totally pro-Holm." As far as that October 20
press conference, Hernandez brought several different angles to what
was billed as the standard fighter introductions. The enduring
photos that came out of Albuquerque were not quite the
run-of-the-mill boxing face off shots. One showed Hernandez sticking
her tongue out at the clearly taller Holm. In another, Hernandez is
standing on a chair in order to get an eye/eye view of her opponent.
"As I was dragging the chair over for that shot, I don't think
anyone in the room had any idea what the hell I was doing." That's
not an unusual reaction around Melissa Hernandez, but in fact, there
was, at least, one person in that room who knew exactly what she was
doing: coming at the status quo from a totally different angle.
But Melissa Hernandez is fully aware that all the angles and all the
focus gets her only to the opening bell. She knows, full well, who
is the overdog in the December 4 bout. "Of course, I want to win,
but most importantly, I want to be part of a great bout. I would
almost rather come away with a good 'L' than a bad 'W' (dramatic
pause)........almost." Melissa Hernandez is not going to get a "bad
W," not in Albuquerque, not against Holly Holm. Can she pull an
upset? I don't know. I'll stay with my first "take:" that this is an
intriguing bout featuring two very good female boxing champions,
each with exceptional skills, who have campaigned, throughout their
careers, at different weight levels. It is Hernandez who brings the
largest measure of intrigue to New Mexico and, taking nothing away
from Holly Holm, on December 4, it will be Melissa Hernandez who
will probably provide the most angles and focus.
Bernie McCoy
