Vladimir Hernandez thrills in win – and potential FOY – over Raul Garcia

Vladimir Hernandez did it again.

After authoring a Knockout of the Year candidate in June, Hernandez delivered yet another unforgettable performance and cemented 2024 as his breakout in a potential Fight of the Year on ProBox TV’s “Wednesday Night Fights” in Plant City, Florida.

Hernandez secured a unanimous decision victory over Raul Garcia in Wednesday’s headliner at the ProBox TV Events Center in a bout that was originally scheduled as the co-main event but which took center stage after Lester Martinez fell out of a fight against Joeshon James due to illness.

Hernandez (16-6, 7 KOs), 35, earned the win with scores of 94-93, 95-92 and 96-91, as his relentless pressure overwhelmed Garcia (13-2-1, 11 KOs), 25, who hails from the Dominican Republic.

Garcia got off to a strong start, using his jab and right hand to keep Hernandez at bay in the first round. But Hernandez’s aggressive approach began to pay off in the second when he landed clean uppercuts that slowly wore Garcia down. By the third, Hernandez’s combinations were finding their mark with increasing frequency, while Garcia’s sharpness had faded.

A dramatic moment came late in the third when Garcia landed a big left hook, dropping Hernandez. In the fourth, both fighters exchanged powerful shots, with Garcia landing another big left hook that put Hernandez on the ropes. Although Hernandez went down, it was ruled a slip, as he had collided with Garcia while throwing a wide punch.

In the fifth round, Hernandez dropped Garcia with a left hand, which seemed to be a turning point. Garcia appeared exhausted and his legs wobbled under the pressure, and from that point on, Hernandez pressed his advantage. He relentlessly attacked Garcia in the sixth and seventh rounds, and although Garcia fought back, landing a few hard right hands, Hernandez’s volume and pressure wore him down.

The eighth saw another knockdown, as Hernandez’s left uppercut sent Garcia to the canvas. Though fatigued, Garcia rose and landed a big left hook of his own, thrilling the crowd with his resilience.

Garcia found some success early in the ninth round, landing punches that momentarily stunned Hernandez, who responded by hurting Garcia with an overhand left. The 10th and final round was a slugfest, with both fighters exchanging heavy shots, neither willing to give in.

Despite not being the originally scheduled main event, the bout exceeded expectations and delivered one of the year’s best fights.

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.