Hersisia Knocks Out Sandivares in 2
03.12 - With palm trees looking down on the ring and a Caribbean ‘winter’ breeze cooling the participants, Den Haag heavyweight Richel Hersisia delivered the best punch of his career to leave dangerous Argentinian opponent Eduardo Sandivares out for several minutes last Saturday (Nov. 30) on the island of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles.
On his first visit on paradise-like Curacao since leaving the place he was born one and a half decades ago, all the pressure was on the 28-year-old Dutch contender. Promoter Ivan Conradus, a well respected fighter in his day himself, billed the clash simply as “Richel Is Coming Home” – and it seemed that the island had waited forever! Hersisia was omnipresent for the whole week of his stay, giving television appearances every day, holding a speech at a school, opening a kindergarten and mostly was accommpanied by the local sports minister.
Still, despite all those distractions and the added pressure of taking part in his first 12-round main event, Hersisia retained his concentration on the fight, which was for the vacant WBA Central American crown. With a few thousand fans jamming the tennis court of the Curacao Sheraton Resort, where the boxing ring was set up, he showed improved boxing skills in the first round, before getting closer to his opponent in the second. When Sandivares, who suffered only his second defeat in his 14th pro outing (his only previous loss came to former world champion Marcelo Dominguez), decided to stay within range himself to throw his big hooks, a combination to the body paved the way for an uppercut – as precise and hard as you will ever see – that crumbled Sandivares in a heap. He was, however, able to leave the ring on his own after some worrying moments of unconsiousness.
“I am just very happy, especially for the people of Curacao and their unique support!”, beamed the new champion, “He was expecting the overhand right which I tried in the first round, so stood inside to duck it. But then I threw the right uppercut and now I am part of Curacao boxing history as their first heavyweight to win any kind of international title.”
The win improved Hersisia’s impressive record to 16-0 (13 KO’s).
