21.08.04 – Illinois State Middleweight Champion, “Macho” Miguel Hernandez, 12-1 (7KO’s) returns to the ring on Friday, Sept. 10th as 8 Count Productions and Bob Arum’s Top Rank Incorporated along with Miller Lite presents a terrific evening of action packed professional boxing as part of the Solo Boxeo/Telefutura nationally televised weekly series.
Hawthorne Race Course is located at 35th and Laramie on the Chicago/Cicero border just minutes from the Stevenson and Eisenhower expressways. Tickets, starting at $25, are available by calling 312-226-5800.
Headlining the huge card is Chicagoland’s finest main event in many years as Miguel “Mickey” Rodriguez, 25-1 (20KO’s) of Nauhapan, Mexico takes on Argentinean Carlos “Tato” Baldomir, 40-9-6 (12KO’s), currently fighting out of Los Angeles, CA. The twelve round main event will be a World Boxing Council Welterweight Eliminator with the winner becoming the mandatory # 1 contender for World Champion Cory Spinks.
Fan favorite Hernandez is fast becoming Chicagoland’s most popular fighter and says about local crowds “they’re very educated fight fans, they want to see tough guys but they also enjoy seeing the technical aspects of the sport. Its a pleasure fighting in Chicago in front of the loyal fans, seems like the 8 Count shows keep getting bigger and better and the crowds seem to enjoy the high quality of fights.”
Speaking specifically of his most recent fight, a unanimous decision victory, on 8 Count Productions’ Hawthorne Heat last Friday against Mexican veteran Rudy Lovato, Miguel said “he was a very crafty veteran with over 50 fights against a very high caliber of opposition and didn’t come to survive. He was moving and peppering me right from the start, it took me a couple of rounds to cut off the ring and break him down. Me and Sam worked on a lot of new things for the fight and each fight continues to be a growing experience” continued Hernandez praising his trusted trainer Sam Colonna.
Asked about future fights, the modest Hernandez said “I don’t want to call out anyone, I’m in no position to do it. I want every fight to be tougher than the last and that’s the way its been since I joined 8 Count, every fight has been a learning experience and each has been tough for different reasons.”
Talking about the quick turnaround to this bout, Miguel said “I had my time off with more than two months between my last two fights, its time to get back at it, I didn’t get hurt against Lovato and I’m getting back in the gym this Monday.
This will be my last eight rounder than its on to ten rounders. I feel comfortable either at 154 or 160 so whichever weight makes sense for my upcoming fights is fine with me.” Asked about his current weight, the always in shape Hernandez said, “Right now its 165 after dinner.”
Speaking about his fighter, Dominic Pesoli, President of 8 Count Productions said, “When Miguel and I got together earlier this year, we developed a game plan and were sticking to it. Each fight is tougher than the last and each fight is a learning experience. He’s terrific to work with and he’s getting better with each fight.”
Also appearing on this terrific night of professional boxing is welterweight prospect Al “Speedy” Gonzales, 14-1-1 (7KO’s) in the ten round co-main event.
Other fighter appearing on the card include middleweight Rudy Cisneros, 1-1 (1KO), super middleweight Don “Da Bomb” Donovan making his pro debut and middleweight Carlos Molina, 2-0 in separate bouts.