Hernandez ready for Ross; IBF Champion looking forward to Bamberg
Yoan Pablo Hernandez (26-1, 13 KOs) returns to the ring on September 15. The IBF Cruiserweight Champion will have to deal with Troy Ross (25-2, 16 KOs) from Canada. The excitement of Coach Ulli Wegner´s prodigy is huge. During his last title defense on February 4 at the Fraport Arena in Frankfurt (Main), Germany, the champion broke his left hand. “In round four I knocked down Cunningham on two occasions. That’s when it happened.”
Consequently the 27-year-old had to undergo surgery to repair the damage. Now the injury has healed up and he is finally able to get back into the ring. “It is all good now. I have regained full use of my left hand. I am really eager to get back inside the ring,” said Hernandez at Tuesdays press conference at the Konzert- und Kongresshalle Bamberg.
The defending champion, who was awarded the belt of “The Ring” after the bout in February, and only is the fourth boxer based in Germany to do so after Max Schmeling as well as Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, knows, that Troy Ross will be no pushover. “Ross is a real fighter. His style is very uncomfortable and he is always dangerous.”
Coach Ulli Wegner agrees with this statement. “Most of the times, mandatory defenses are very tricky. Normally, the winner is the one who possesses the better tactics on the night. Yoan Pablo needs to get his mind right. He already has the physique.”
The same applies to Dominik Britsch (26-0-1, 9 KOs). The boxer from Neckarsulm, Germany, will take on Roberto Santos (17-6-2, 9 KOs) from Spain. The last encounter between Britsch and Santos was in Stuttgart, Germany in February which ended in a draw. Now of course, the 24-year-old has vowed to put things right and defeat Santos in Bamberg. “Roberto Santos is a boxer who just never gives up. Nevertheless, I was superior fighter during the bout. Unfortunately, the bout didn’t end as I wanted it to due to circumstances such as my legs cramping up. This time around it will be a different story. I want to beat him leaving no doubts about who the winner is,” said Britsch who is aiming to make the vacant EU Title his own.
He also has fond memories of Bamberg. “I have been here on three previous occasions and won every time. My winning streak in Bamberg will continue on September 15.”
