By Mario Ortega Jr. –

Without the support of one of the big-time promoters, fighters aiming to be successful in building their resumes often live by the motto,“I stay ready, so I don’t have to get ready.” Some of the best opportunities free agents receive come from accepting fights on short notice. In recent years, veteran light heavyweight Tony Hernandez has learned the value of staying ready, so when the opportunity came to fight this Saturday in Sacramento, California, “Pretty Boy” did not have to get ready and jumped at the chance. 

Hernandez (6-3-1, 4 KOs) of Live Oak, California is a longtime venue favorite at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, where Saturday night’s event takes place, but he was not originally slated to appear as part of promoter Nasser Niavaroni’s “Showdown in Sactown” card and did not get the call until three weeks out. 

“I was supposed to have one of my fighters make their debut on this card and he ended up getting hurt,” recalls Hernandez, who has owned and operated the Hernandez Boxing Academy in Yuba City for four years. “When that happened, Nasser asked if I could take his spot. So I ended up taking his spot and this is sort of a stay-busy fight for me, because I am looking for bigger fights in August and September.” 

Before Hernandez can shift focus to those potentially more profitable bouts in the coming months, he will first take on Jawan Jackson (0-3) of Sacramento in a four-rounder on Saturday. Jackson sports a novice pro boxing record, but has also competed professionally in MMA and kickboxing. 

“I’ve never heard of him,” admits Hernandez. “He’s almost 40 as well. I don’t know where he trains at. Maybe he is self-taught. He does have a lot of MMA fights though.” 

The one potential hiccup that could even the playing field for the less experienced Jackson would be the fact that Hernandez enters the bout at less than 100 percent. When preparing to fight in late April, Hernandez injured one of his hands in sparring and has been nursing it ever since. 

“I was sparring with Mike Guy and ended up hitting him on the top of the head,” recalls Hernandez. “So I laid off of it before I was offered a fight in Florida and ended up taking it. I was sparring with Joeshon James and hurt it again when I hit him on top of the head and then the elbow.” 

With a late August or September return originally planned, Hernandez has not been sparring since reinjuring himself in order to preserve his hand. 

“After that sparring, my hand was all swollen, and I figured I needed to let it heal,” explains Hernandez. “I couldn’t just keep hurting it, saying yes to fights and keep getting hurt. I wasn’t going to fight until September [until this fight was offered]. I haven’t sparred for this fight to be honest. I’m nursing the hand still. I’m just basically going off of being active and my experience, having been fighting for so long.”

One of the benefits of experience is the opportunity to learn from your past mistakes. Hernandez has gained a better understanding of his body and how to manage his weight between fights. 

“I was walking around at about 190,” explains Hernandez, who had previously begun camps, such as the one before Kenny Lopez Jr., as high as 225-pounds. “I’ll be coming in at 175 [on Saturday]. Right now I am about 183, so I only have about seven pounds to cut. I will just be sitting in a hot bath on Friday morning and drop the rest of the weight. This hasn’t been too bad with such a short notice.”

Without the ability to spar, for the fear of reinjuring his hand, Hernandez has concentrated on other areas of preparation. 

“For a three-week notice, I feel pretty good,” exclaims Hernandez. “I was running the mountains before [I was offered the fight] and staying active. I had hurt my hand so I was taking some time off, but still trying to stay active.”

Should Hernandez come out victorious with two healthy hands he could potentially be back in action before the end of the month on the Amari Jones-Daniel Echevarria undercard in Oakland, California. 

“Nasser might put me on to stay busy,” says Hernandez of the August 31st event, which takes place at the Oakland Marriott City Center.  “I was supposed to fight Amari, but he didn’t want to fight me at a catch-weight of 165. He wanted me to get down to 160. So we’ll see. Nasser was originally going to try and set that up for August, but maybe it is a possibility for September 21st.” 

Hernandez last touched the 160-pound middleweight limit in February of 2020. In the six fights since, including this coming Saturday, Hernandez has competed between 168- and 175-pounds. To get down to 160-pounds, to meet Amari Jones at Thunder Valley Casino, would be quite the undertaking.

“If I could make 160 by September that would be nice, but that’s a tough one,” admits Hernandez of a potential Amari Jones fight. “I’d have to do some serious training for that one.” 

Before he can shift gears and look toward August or September, Hernandez has the task at hand: win on Saturday and leave the ring healthy. 

“I am just hoping for a good show,” says Hernandez, who always draws a boisterous crowd in Sacramento. “I haven’t knocked anybody out since [May 2022,] so I am hoping for a knockout. I am going to push the pace and see how my hand feels. I am expecting this to end and it won’t go the whole four rounds, that is for sure. I’d just be playing with my food at that point.”

After Saturday, Hernandez’s meals could potentially get much bigger in the ring, while also getting smaller out of the ring. 

Tickets for Saturday night’s event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions, are available online at uppercutpro.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

By Mario Ortega Jr. (ringside)

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – Light heavyweight Tony Hernandez sent his local following home happy as he scored a workmanlike six-round unanimous decision over veteran Ramon Ayala to cap an eight-bout card at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Sacramento on Saturday night. 

Hernandez (6-3-1, 4 KOs) of Yuba City, California controlled the ring and outworked the more experienced Ayala (25-10-1, 13 KOs) of San Francisco Acuautla, Estado de Mexico, Mexico over the six rounds. 

The only real hiccup Hernandez, 172.3, encountered in the bout was when he was warned by referee Edward Collantes for a low blow early in the third. The stray punch sent Ayala, 172, down in pain and prompted a brief time-out. 

When action resumed, Hernandez continued to make the fight. Ayala, who turned professional nearly 18-years-ago, was more apt to showboat at times than to press the action in an attempt to win the rounds.

In the end, Hernandez claimed a shutout on the scorecards of ringside judges David Hartman and Mike Rinaldi, 60-54, while Michael Margado scored the bout 59-55. 

Former amateur star Steve Johnson Jr. (1-0, 1 KO) of San Francisco, California was just too much of everything for Phillip Ramirez (0-3) of Sacramento, scoring a first-round knockout in his professional debut. 

The beginning of the end came when Johnson, 124.1, landed with a clean left uppercut that sent Ramirez, 125, backing away. Soon thereafter Johnson landed a two-punch combination that concluded with a crisp left hook that sent Ramirez to a knee. Referee David Hartman waved it off at 1:50 of round one. Johnson announced to the crowd that he will be back in the ring on April 26th. 

In a battle of attrition, Islam Abdusamadov (2-0, 1 KO) of Santa Clara, California by way of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia hung on to score a four-round unanimous decision over Juan Meza Moreno (4-5, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles, California.

Abdusamadov, 154.5, was the puncher in the fight, but as can sometimes happen when the puncher goes for a knockout that does not come, he punched himself out late and opened the door for a possible upset. 

Abdusamadov landed the harder punches from the outset, eventually dropping Moreno, 154.5, to the seat of his pants with a sweeping right hand just after the ten second warning at the end of the second round.

Moreno, without the power of his opponent, relied on his boxing skills and started to come on midway through the third stanza. After going for the kayo early, Abdusamadov looked drained by end of the third round. Moreno boxed well again in the fourth, occasionally absorbing something stiff from Abdusamadov in return. 

In the end, the knockdown Abdusamadov scored in the second was the difference in the scoring. All three judges; Mike Rinaldi, David Hartman and Edward Collantes scored the bout 38-37 for Abdusamadov. 

Undefeated lightweight prospect Kevin Montano (5-0, 3 KOs) of Concord, California stopped short-notice opponent David Minter (3-3, 3 KOs) of Lincoln, California in the second round of a bout contested just under the welterweight limit. 

Montano, 146, came out aggressively to start the second round. Ultimately, a flurry along the ropes punctuated by a short right dropped Minter, 146, to a knee. As referee Edward Collantes began his count, Minter signaled that he had taken enough, prompting the stoppage at 1:06 of round two. 

Victor Guerrero (7-0, 5 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Morgan Hill, California took a hard-fought four-round unanimous decision over Matthew Monroe (1-2) of Sacramento. 

Guerrero, 161, made his right hand the difference in the bout. Both fighters landed clean to close out the first round, but when Guerrero, 161, would land clean with his right, it just sounded different. Monroe, 158.1, had his moments in the fight, but never enough to sway the judges to tally one in his column. Guerrero swept the cards of Edward Collantes, David Hartman and Mike Rinaldi, 40-36. 

Julian Bridges (4-0, 2 KOs) of Antioch, California scored a four-round shutout decision over a game Miguel Soto-Garcia (0-2) of Fresno, California by way of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico.

Soto-Garcia, 147, proved to be a durable and willing foe, but Bridges, 147, carried the rounds with his higher output and effective aggression. All three judges; Michael Margado, David Hartman and Mike Rinaldi, scored all four acts for Bridges, 40-36. 

In the curtain raiser, David Reyes (2-1, 1 KO) of Fresno scored a third-round stoppage of Cmaje Ramseur (2-3-1, 1 KO) of Elk Grove, California.

Reyes, 134, outworked and outlanded Ramseur, 134.2, from the early stages of the bout. After banking the first two rounds on the cards, Reyes forced Ramseur to the ropes with a flurry early in the third. Ramseur’s corner did not like what they were seeing and threw in the towel. Referee David Hartman acquiesced and stopped the contest 58 seconds into the third.

In an amateur bout, Madeline Day of Roseville, California bested Shanne Ruelas of Fresno over three entertaining rounds en route to a three-round unanimous decision. 

Day, 154, was more technically sound and her conditioning held up better down the stretch. Ruelas, 154, was game and willing over the six minutes. All three judges Michael Margado, Edward Collantes and Mike Rinaldi scored the shutout for Day, 30-27. 

Upper Cut Promotions, promoter of Saturday’s event, will return to the Gold Country Casino Resort in Oroville, California on April 26th. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected] 

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – Light heavyweight action fighter Tony Hernandez headlines a prospect-laden card as he takes on veteran Ramon Ayala in the main event at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Sacramento on Saturday night. Fighters for the seven-bout card weighed-in early Friday afternoon at the host venue. 

Hernandez (5-3-1, 4 KOs) of Live Oak, California returns to the DoubleTree as he takes on an experienced gatekeeper Ayala (25-9-1, 13 KOs) of San Francisco Acuautla, Estado de Mexico, Mexico in a six-round light heavyweight clash. 

Hernandez, who weighed-in at 172.3-pounds on Friday, last fought in November in a majority draw against rugged Marco Delgado in Oroville, California. Ayala, who long ago was a super featherweight, scaled 172-pounds even. 

Undefeated prospect Kevin Montano (4-0, 2 KOs) of Concord, California will end a fifteen-month layoff when he meets local tough guy David Minter (3-2, 3 KOs) of Lincoln, California in a four-round welterweight bout. 

Montano may have been happier than most to see the calendar turn to 2024 as he saw his career stall last year due to fallouts and the cancellation of two entire events the week of his scheduled bouts. Montano, a Sacramento State graduate who now trains full-time out of the Capital City, had been slated to make his six-round debut before his original opponent was a late scratch. 

Minter is no stranger to the DoubleTree ring as he has fought his entire professional career at the hotel. The word “no” may not be in Minter’s vocabulary as he steps in on short notice to meet one of the top young fighters in the region for the second straight outing. Montano, who normally campaigns at lightweight, and Minter both scaled 146-pounds.

Victor Guerrero (6-0, 5 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Morgan Hill, California will take on Matthew Monroe (1-1) of Sacramento in a four-round middleweight bout. Guerrero, of the famed fighting family that put Gilroy, California on the boxing map, makes his United States debut on Saturday. Monroe, who scored his first professional victory with a hard-fought split decision over Marco Ortiz in November at light heavyweight, weighed-in at 158.1-pounds, while Guerrero came in at 161.

Islam Abdusamadov (1-0, 1 KO) of Santa Clara, California by way of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia will meet Juan Meza Moreno (4-4, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles, California in a four-round light middleweight fight. Abdusamadov, a well-regarded amateur in his native Russia prior to turning pro, scaled 154.5-pounds. Moreno, who will be meeting his fifth consecutive opponent with no more than a single pro defeat, also weighed-in at at 154.5.

Julian Bridges (3-0, 2 KOs) of Antioch, California will take on Miguel Soto-Garcia (0-1) of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico in a four-round welterweight bout. Bridges, returning to the DoubleTree ring where he scored his third pro victory, weighed-in at 147, as did Soto-Garcia. 

Former amateur standout Steve Johnson Jr. of San Francisco, California will make his highly anticipated professional debut in a four-round featherweight bout against Phillip Ramirez (0-2) of Sacramento. Johnson, who is now being trained by former world champion James Page, scaled 124.1-pounds. Ramirez, who has been matched tough his entire brief career, came in at 125.

Cmaje Ramseur (2-2-1, 1 KO) of Elk Grove, California will meet David Reyes (1-1) of Fresno, California in an evenly matched lightweight bout. Ramseur weighed-in at 134.2-pounds, while Reyes made 134 even.  

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Light heavyweights, 6 Rounds

Hernandez 172.3 

Ayala 172

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Montano 146

Minter 146

Middleweights, 4 Rounds

Guerrero 161

Monroe 158.1

Light middleweights, 4 Rounds

Abdusamadov 154.5

Moreno 154.5

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Bridges 147

Soto-Garcia 147

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Johnson 124.1

Ramirez 125

Lightweights, 4 Rounds

Ramseur 134.2

Reyes 134

Tickets for the event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions, are available online at uppercutpro.com or at the door. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at [email protected]