Picture Credit score: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.
Eduardo ‘Rocky’ Hernandez is armed with a renewed promotional pact and a battle date.
The previous 130-pound title challenger continues the climb again in direction of one other shot at a significant belt. He’ll subsequent face veteran spoiler Thomas Mattice atop an Sept. 13 DAZN present from Hermosillo, Mexico.
Information of the bout comes days after Matchroom Boxing introduced a contract extension with Mexico Metropolis’s Hernandez (35-2, 32 knockouts).
“We had been delighted to signal Rocky to a multi-fight deal, and that is going to be a cracking battle,” insisted Eddie Hearn, Matchroom chairman. “You already know what you’re going to get from Rocky – pure motion.
“And Thomas has proved that he’s acquired the ability to match the talent, and positively has the guts to come back to Mexico and pull off the win. This will probably be one other must-watch Rocky Hernandez battle.”
Hernandez was much less 30 seconds from his first main title haul when he was stopped by O’Shaquie Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) final Oct. 28 in Cancun. The 26-year-old contender was forward on two of the three scorecards earlier than Foster rallied to twice drop Hernandez and power the dramatic stoppage.
The setback snapped a six-fight win streak, all inside the gap. Hernandez beforehand hadn’t fought previous the sixth spherical. That second got here in his sixth professional battle, which was additionally the final time he’s gone the gap.
He rebounded together with his deepest knockout so far. Hernandez stopped Daniel Lugo within the seventh spherical on Might 11 in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The expectation as soon as once more is to go not less than just a few rounds towards the artful, heavy-handed Mattice.
“Mattice is a good fighter and he’s been ignored,” mentioned Hernandez. “He’s very proficient, and he has the same model to Foster, so I wish to show to the world that I’m greater than prepared for him, and anybody else I have to battle to turn into a World champion.”
Mattice (22-3-1 17 KOs) has received 5 in a row, together with back-to-back upsets over beforehand unbeaten opposition.
The 33-year-old Cleveland native dropped Christian Tapia (15-0 on the time) twice en path to a Nov. 2022 factors win. He then rallied from a scorecard deficit in a stunning, although controversial, 10th spherical stoppage of Ramiro Cesena, who was 16-0-1 on the time of their April 2023 assembly in San Antonio.
Mattice added an eighth-round technical knockout of former secondary titlist Cesar Juarez final Nov. in Toledo.
“I’m excited and able to battle come September 13,” mentioned Mattice. “This battle offers me the prospect to make myself an even bigger participant within the junior light-weight division and set up my presence within the division.
“It’s gone be each little bit of thrilling as all my fights are. I’m able to problem myself with the highest guys and it begin with this battle in Hermosillo.”
Hernandez-Mattice was introduced as a part of a trio of occasions to launch DAZN and Matchroom’s late summer time/early fall schedule. Additionally confirmed by Matchroom:
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