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5'3" Melissa
"Huracan" Hernandez from Puerto Rico by way of the Bronx, NY
and Miami, Florida was born on February 4 1980. She took up boxing to
lose weight when she
tipped the scales at 160 lbs. She was invited to a gym by her best
friend's brother, a two-time Golden Gloves champion. Melissa trained at
the gym for a while but dropped out. However, two months later she
walked into a Webster PAL gym where she decided to take another shot at
boxing training.
By the time the 2003 New York
Golden Gloves came around, Melissa had reduced her weight to 145 lbs
and she signed up to fight at 138 lbs. In her first fight she faced
Golden Glove champion Jill Emery
of Gleason's Gym and lost (although some thought she was robbed).
She then met former world
champion Ada Velez, who
told Melissa that she liked her style and energy and invited Belinda "Brown Sugar" Laracuente
to see her fight at the 2003 Women's U.S. Championships in Fort
Lauderdale, FL. Melissa stopped Krista Savage of Eau Claire, Wis.,
RSC-2. in the 138-lb quarter-final on July 9. On July 11th in
the 138-lb sem-ifinal Nasheba Thomas of Toledo, Ohio won when Melissa
was disqualified in the third round (Thomas lost to Melissa's nemesis
Jill Emery in the final by a 17-2 margin). Despite Melissa's semifinal
loss, Velez and Laracuente moved her to Florida to train with them
anyway.
At the
2004 National PAL Boxing Championships in Virginia Beach, VA,
Melissa won the 132-lb division by an
RSC over Raynette Thomas of
Sumter, SC..
Hernandez flew out of the corner throwing from the opening bell and
quickly piled up the necessary points to cause the stoppage.
She also won the 2005 Golden
Gloves, as she puts it on her web site "beating tough
opponents like Dominga Regla (Olivo) from Sunset Park P.A.L. who I beat
even worse four months after the gloves when she decided she wanted to
have a rematch with me." She then went on to win
the 2005 Florida PAL Championship over Lena Taylor.
Melissa
made her pro boxing debut at the Hilton in New Yotk City on October 26
2005, notching a four-round majority (40-36,49-36,38-38) decision over
previously unbeaten Mao Mao Zhang of China, also a former amateur
champion. Hernandez dictated the pace of the fight with her jab. She
executed her game plan well by using excellent footwork, head and body
movement, as well as feinting, but she did manage to walk into the line
of fire a few times and was hit with a couple of solid left hooks as
she tried to get inside. Overall, her boxing skills were too much for
Zhang, whose pro record fell to 1-1 with the loss.
On January 21, 2006 at the
White Rock Boxing Gym in Columbia, South Carolina, Melissa stopped
Jennifer Johnson of Camden, South Carolina at 0:17 in the first round,
dropping Johnson to 0-2.
Melissa (right) versus Merced Nunez in January 2006
© Copyrighted photo taken by Mike Blair
On April 29, 2006 at the
Silver Reef Casino in Ferndale, Washington, Melissa (128 lbs) scored a
four round unanimous (40-36) decision over 19-year-old pro debuter
Merced Nunez (128 lbs) of Philomoth, Oregon. According to WBAN correspondent
Mike Blair, the four round super featherweight bout was easily one
of the favorites of the night. The difference was experience.
Hernandez, though she only has two professional fights, had sixteen
amateur bouts. Nunez had only two amateur bouts. Nonetheless, the
fight was action packed. Though Nunez stood taller, she had some
trouble making contact with the elusive Hernandez. Hernandez was
clever enough to move in close, throw a jab or a shot to the body,
then retreat just out of range. Nunez possesses some good skills,
and once she learns to throw her jab straight instead of looping it,
she will be dangerous. She is certainly a tough young fighter. She
showed no signs of tiring at the end of the four round fight, but it
looked like Hernandez had the stamina to go another four quite
easily.
On June 15, 2006 at the Seven
Feathers Hotel and Casino in Canyonville, Oregon, Melissa (124½ lbs)
faced veteran Kelsey Jeffries
(122 lbs) over 10 rounds for the IFBA Featherweight title, fighting her
to a split draw
(95-93 Jeffries, 96-94 Hernandez, 95-95). Jeffries won the
first two rounds but Hernandez picked up her pace and began to land a
hard right that would be effective throughout the fight.
Jeffries appeared to struggle against the speed of Hernandez in the
middle rounds, but she turned the fight back her way with busy
combinations in the seventh. The eighth was more evenly
fought but Hernandez went to the canvas in the final moments from what
appeared to be a slip but was scored as a knockdown for Jeffries.
Hernandez picked up her pace again to land well in the ninth, a round
that ended with a fierce exchange as both went all out. The
tenth looked even until Hernandez caught Jeffries with a left hook that
put the champion on the canvas. The fight ended with another
all-our slugfest by both. Jeffries was now 33-9-1 (2 KO's) while
Hernandez was just 3-0-1 (1 KO) as a pro!.
On June 30, 2006 at Club
Europe in Atlanta, Georgia, Melissa (134 lbs) won a six-round unanimous
(60-54,60-54,60-54) decision over Leora Jackson (135 lbs) of
Springdale, Arkansas who fell to 2-8-0.
Melissa vs. Stacey Rogers
© Copyrighted photo taken by Alan Messick
On August 31, 2006 at
Harvey's Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada, Melissa (130 lbs) TKO'd pro
debuter Stacey Rogers (124½ lbs) of New London, Ohio at 0:42 in the third round
of a scheduled four-rounder. Melissa wowed the crowd as she
thoroughly dominated the debuting Rogers.
Lisa Brown battles Melissa in November 2006
© Copyrighted photo taken by Mary Ann Owen
On November 4, 2006 at the
Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Melissa (119 lbs)
won a ten-round unanimous (96-94,96-94,98-92) decision
over Lisa
Brown (121 lbs) of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada for the WIBA
Junior Featherweight title. Lisa fell to 12-3-3 (4 KOs) with
the loss, while Hernandez improved to 6-0-1 (2 KO's).
Melissa battles Layla McCarter in Las Vegas
© Copyrighted photo taken by Mary Ann Owen
On February 14,
2007 at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in
Las Vegas, Nevada, Layla McCarter
(132 lbs) of Las Vegas won by an eighth round TKO over
Melissa (133½ lbs). The fight was scheduled for twelve three-minute
rounds, with McCarter defending her GBU lightweight title.
n.
McCarter improved her record to 23-12-5 (5 KOs), while dropping
Hernandez to 6-1-1 (2 KOs).
Layla McCarter vs Melissa Hernandez rematch, April 2007
© Copyrighted photo taken by Mary Ann Owen
On April 27,
2007, Melissa (130 lbs) returned to the
Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for a rematch with
Layla McCarter (133½ lbs) this time taking the GBU
Lightweight title away from the home-town favorite by an eight-round
majority decision. Hernandez's win dropped
McCarter to 23-13-5 (5 KOs).
On
February
7, 2008 at the
Pechanga Resort and
Casino in Temecula, California, Melissa took on veteran
Chevelle Hallback of Plant City, Florida in a ten-round
barn-burner for the vacant IFBA Lightweight title.
Dr. James Jen Kin
favored Hallback by 97-94 and
judge Vince Delgado scored the fight for Hernandez by 97-93 while Judge
Gwen Adair saw it as a 95-95 draw, for an overall split draw
decision. Hallback
moved to
(26-5-2, 11 KOs) while Hernandez's record went to 7-1-2 (2 KOs).
This was clearly the fight of the night on an star-studded all-female
card that was later seen on
Fox Sports Net TV.
On June 7, 2008 at the Mohegan
Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, Melissa (131
lbs) defeated Melissa
Fiorentino (132 lbs) of Cranston, Rhode Island by a third
round TKO in a scheduled eight rounder. The fight was non-stop
with Hernandez leading when Fiorentino received a cut and the
fight was stopped. Melissa Fiorentino fell to 17-2 (6
KO's) while Hernandez improved to
8-1-2 (3
KOs).
Melissa Hernandez vs Ela Nunez in
September 2008
© Copyrighted
photo taken by Mary Ann Owen
On September 5, 2008 at Buffalo
Bill’s Star Arena in Primm, Nevada, (125 lbs) won a 10-round unanimous
(97-93,97-93,97-93) decision over Ela "Bam Bam" Nunez (125 lbs) of
Jamestown, New York for the vacant WIBA Super Featherweight
title. Photographer Mary Ann Owen who was at ringside for the
event said, "Nunez made a great showing, she was very busy in
every round. The fight was a real crowd pleaser, lots of action and
very entertaining. Both fighters' boxing techniques were outstanding,
they fought hard and furious every round. Nunez was there to fight and
stood strong against Hernandez exchanging blows. Hernandez kept the
pressure on Nunez all ten rounds, it was like the war of the
wills."
Nunez fell to 8-4 (2 KO's) with the loss while Hernandez improved to
9-1-2 (3 KO's).
On July 21,
2009 at Centro de Convenciones Atlapa
in Panama City, Panama, Melissa (128 lbs) won by a fifth round TKO over
undefeated Ambar Fajardo (129 lbs) of Caracas, Venezuela in a scheduled
eight-rounder for the WBA intercontinental title. Fajardo fell to
6-1.
On December 4, 2009 at the
Isleta Casino near Albuquerque, New Mexico, Hernandez became the center
of controversy when she walked out of the arena shortly before she was
due to fight local favorite and multiple world champion Holly Holm in a
catch-weight bout. Hernandez spent much of the promotional
lead-up to the bout lampooning Holm's defensive boxing style by saying
she (Hernandez) would "hunt the rabbit", so it was a shocker when she
refused to fight following a dispute over the witnessing of Holm's hand
wrap. The Isleta Boxing Commission initially threw a
suspension at Hernandez for her refusal to fight but it later reviewed
the circumstances leading up to the wrap dispute and withdrew the
suspension. (It is normal for an opponent's hand wrap to be
witnessed by a boxer's own representative on request, but it was
unclear how rules were being applied at Isleta. The IBC is an
independent commission which itself came under investigation by the
Association of Boxing Commissions for its overall handling of this
card.)
On
February 19, 2010 at the Tri-State Sport Complex in Aston,
Pennsylvania, Melissa Hernandez won a six-round unanimous
(60-54,59-55,59-55) decision in a rematch with Ela Nunez of Jamestown,
New York. On the day before
the fight Hernandez had weighed in at 126 lbs and Nunez at 134
lbs for a contest contracted for 128 lbs. Nunez was fined for being
over the contract weight and the fight went on at the agreement of
both. Hernandez improved her record to 12-1-2 (4 KO's) as Nunez fell to
9-6-1 (2 KO's).
On June 5, 2010 at the
National Guard Armory in Evansville, Indiana,
Lindsay
Garbatt (131 lbs) of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, won an
eight-round
majority (76-76,78-74,78-74) decision over Melissa Hernandez (131 lbs).
Garbatt improved her record to 5-3-1 (3 KO's).
On August 14, 2010 at the Santa
Ana Star Casino in Bernalillo, New Mexico, Melissa Hernandez (132 lbs)
won an eight-round unanimous (79-73,80-72,80-72) decision over Victoria
Cisneros (133 lbs) of Albuquerque, NM for the interim WIBA Lightweight
title. Cisneros fell to 5-10-2 (1 KO) with the loss.
On
October 16, 2010 at the Santa Ana Star Casino in Bernalillo,
New Mexico, in the main event, Lindsay
Garbatt and Melissa
Hernandez fought to a 10-round majority draw in a rematch of their June
2010 bout, this time for the vacant GBU, WIBA, and WBAN Junior
Lightweight belts. The judges' scores were 95-95, 95-95, and 98-92
for Hernandez. " Hernandez
moved her pro record to 14-2-3 (5 KO's) while Garbatt progressed to
5-3-1 (3 KO's).
On
January 20, 2011 at the Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina
Melissa Hernandez (125 lbs) TKO'd DJ Morrison (129 lbs) at 1:50 in the
fourth round of a scheduled six-rounder. Morrison fell to 2-8
(2 KO's) with the loss.
On
June 24, 2011 at the Shaw Conference Center in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada, Melissa (129¾ lbs) won an eight-round split
(77-75,77-75,75-77) decision over Jelena
Mrdjenovich (132¼ lbs) of
Edmonton in a non-title bout. Mrdjenovich dropped her third
straight, falling to 24-8-1 (12
KO's).
On
September 24, 2011 at Grand Star Receptions in Altona North, Victoria,
Australia, Melissa (132 lbs) TKO'd Christina Tai (134 lbs) of
Auckland, New Zealand at 0:54 in the fourth round of a scheduled
six-rounder. Hernandez was much too fast and sharp
for Tai,
who fell to 4-11-0 (1 KO).
On December 16, 2011 at the
Arena Maipú Casino Resort in Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina, Erica Farias
(132¼ lbs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina won a hard fought ten-round
unanimous (96-94,97-93, 97-93) decision over Melissa (132½ lbs)
defending the WBC Lightweight title. Farias
initially had trouble finding the range to land clean
shots
on Hernandez, who moved well and landed many good shots of her own.
As the fight progressed Farias used her jab
more effectively to set up accurate shots with her right but Hernandez
kept it close and worked well at close quarters. Farias eventually
had the better of the action which was entertaining
outside
the clinches and appeared to WBAN to be closer than the final
scorecards. Farias improved to 12-0 (6 KO's) with the win.
On July 28, 2012 at
Columbus Civic Center in Columbus, Georgia, USA, Melissa Hernandez
(134½ lbs) won a 10-round unanimous (100-90,
98-92, and 98-92) decision over Nicole Woods
(136¼ lbs) of Stone Mountain, Georgia. Woods fell to 11-10-2 (3
KO's) with the
loss.
On September 14, 2012
at the Shaw
Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Melissa Hernandez won
the WBC and WIBA Featherweight titles with a ten-round unanimous (98-92,98-92,97-93)
decision over reigning champ Jelena Mrdjenovich
of Edmonton. Hernandez used her lateral ring movement and a quick hard
right hand to counter the recently demonstrated punching power of
Mrdjenovich. Following the WBC's rules, open scoring was
used so it was clear to both boxers that Hernandez took a
strong early lead which she would not relinquish. Hernandez improved her record to
18-3-3 (6 KO's) while Mrdjenovich slipped to 27-9-1 (13 KO's).
On May
31, 2013 at the Shaw Conference
Centre in Edmonton,
Jelena Mrdjenovich (126½
lbs) of Edmonton won by
a sixth-round technical decision in a rematch with Melissa Hernandez
(123 lbs) to retake the WBC Featherweight Title. The
fight went to the scorecards because of a bad cut to the forehead
that Mrdjenovich had sustained in the second round in a collision of heads. Mrdjenovich improved her
record to
29-9-1 (14 KO's) while Hernandez dropped to 18-4-3 (6 KO's).
On July 13 2013 at Club Defensores de Villa
Lujan in San Miguel, Tucuman, Argentina, veteran featherweight champion
Marcela Acuna (125½ lbs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina won a ten-round
unanimous (99-91,100-90,98092) decision over Melissa Hernandez (124¼
lbs) in a non-title fight. Acuna moved her record to 39-6-1
(17 KO's) with the win.
On March 1 2014 at the North Atlanta Trade
Center in Norcross, Georgia, USA, Melissa Hernandez (138 lbs) won an
eight-round majority (79-73,78-78,80-73) decision over Nicole Woods
(139 lbs) of Stone Mountain, Georgia in a non-title fight. Woods fell
to 11-13-3 (3 KO's) with the loss while Hernandez moved to 19-5-3 (6
KO's).
Melissa
told WBAN writer Bernie McCoy "When I was still in the
amateurs and thinking of turning professional, I had a list of four
fighters that I held in a great deal of respect and esteem. Kelsey Jeffries was second on
that list. Belinda Laracuente
was at the top ... Chevelle
Hallback and Melissa
Del Valle were the other two." Asked to
describe her style as "boxer," "puncher," or "brawler," Hernandez
thinks for a moment and replies, "All three, probably,
depending on what's needed in a particular fight."
Page
last updated: Sunday, April 13, 2014
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