"I'm a big step further"

Created: 03/28/2022, 1:00 p.m

By: Wolfgang Krzizok

Relaxing after the tough fight is the order of the day for Uwel Hernandez.

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Göppingen/Erding – "Now I'm practically European champion, now we'll see what comes next," said Uwel Hernandez happily, sounding very relaxed.

The professional boxer from Erding won the middleweight fight for the IBO Continental Championship against Jackie Mefire on points on Saturday evening in Göppingen.

"I'm so happy that I've now won my favorite title and that I'm a big step further," says the 29-year-old.

It was not an easy task that he had to master.

What made it even harder was the fact that "I can't find anything about Mefire on the internet except for a short training video".

So Erdinger more or less didn't have to deal with "a totally blank slate" what to expect.

"Mefire was born in Africa and also boxed the African style," says Hernandez and explains: "Africans fight in a very unorthodox way.

They move in a strange way and are therefore difficult to hit." What was also important about Mefire: "He's really good physically and also has stamina."

Above all, cleverness was required.

"I tried to box him out and I think I did quite well," Hernandez said.

"So I won almost every lap." However, Erdinger had to be on guard as hell, "because Mefire showed amazing ability to take things and was extremely dangerous right up to the end." At the end of the ten laps there was no doubt about the clear point victory by Uwel "Hector" Hernandez.

What's next at Erdinger?

"The next step after the IBO Continental title would be the Intercontinental title," he knows.

The reigning champion in his weight class, middleweight, is Hungarian Istvan Szili, who defended his title against Felix Sturm in Dortmund on Saturday.

"I was a bit shocked when I heard that the storm didn't really stand a chance," says Hernandez, who also sees other ways of getting a world championship fight with one of the big associations: "For Example if I defend my Continental title twice.”

It is likely that Hernandez will first compete in a boxing evening by Levent Cukur at Circus Krone in Munich in May.

"I hope that I can get two good ranking fights and then position myself so that I can maybe fight for the World Championship next year," says the 29-year-old, who wants to enjoy the Continental title first.

"I'm at home, I'm happy and I'm fine," he says with a laugh.