The fans at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany have another great fight to look forward to. Not only will they get to watch the all-German affair between current European Light Heavyweight Champion Eduard Gutknecht and Juergen Braehmer but it has now been confirmed that Yoan Pablo Hernandez (27-1, 13 KOs) will be defending his IBF Cruiserweight Title against the American Eric Fields (21-1, 15 KOs).
Hernandez took the championship of Steve “USS” Cunningham back in October 2011. Since then he also won a rematch against Cunningham in February and also defended the IBF Crown in a close fight with Canada´s Troy Ross on September 15. Now the 28-year-old prodigy of Coach Ulli Wegner has the first title defense of 2013 firmly in his sight.
“I am very excited”, said Hernandez. “Berlin has become my new home. I live and train here. Never before have I stood inside the ring of the Max-Schmeling-Halle as the champion of the world.” Nevertheless, the third title defense of the southpaw will not be a walk in the park. 30-year-old Fields, also known as “Danger”, has won all of his last ten fights.
Due to a loss to the hands of Ola Afolabi back in 2008, Fields had to wait a little longer for an opportunity to challenge for a world title. However, the man fighting out of Ardmore, Oklahoma has fought his way into the top-15 of the IBF and will give it his best shoot in order to take the belt back to the States.
Yoan Pablo Hernandez: “He is a fighter, who is always looking to move forward and is always up for a real punch up. But I have already started with my preparations and will not get too comfortable during the festive season. I will have to be in tip-top shape and be prepared to give it my all until someone falls. That being said, it won’t be me who will fall. The only one going down on February 2 is Eric Fields.”
Tickets for the big fight night in Berlin, Germany can be purchased atwww.eventim.de.
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
