Jorge Hernandez, Cuba Amateur Star

[williefromrichmond]

Jorge Hernandez Padron

Marianao, Havana, Cuba

Born November 17, 1954. Four-time Cuban national champion (Playa Giron), 1973, 1976-1977, 1979. Cuban national (Playa Giron) finalist, 1972. Three-time Cuban national semifinalist (Playa Giron), 1974-1975, 1980. Olympic champion, 1976. Olympic participant (lost in second round of the competition), 1980. World champion, 1974. World finalist, 1978. Pan American champion, 1975. Pan American quarterfinalist, 1979. Six-time Giraldo Cordova Cardin champion, 1973-1974, 1976- 1979. Giraldo Cordova Cardin finalist, 1980. Giraldo Cordova Cardin semifinalist, 1972. Central American and Caribbean Games champion, 1974. His amateur record (as of May 21, 1978): 142-15.

Began boxing: 1966

1972

Mch. 4 - Julio Rivera (Cuba) L
Playa Giron 48kg finalist; Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
July - Giraldo Cordova Cardin 48kg semifinalist; Havana, Cuba.

1973

Feb. 25 - Rafael Carbinell W
(Cuba). Playa Giron 48kg champion; Havana, Cuba.
July - Renzo Gonzalez (Cuba) W
Giraldo Cordova Cardin 48kg champion; Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

1974

Jan. - Playa Giron 48kg semifinalist; Havana, Cuba.
Mch. 4 - R. Gonzalez (El W pts 5-0
Salvador)
Mch. 6 - V. Palomo (Colombia) W rsc 2
Mch. 9 - F. D. Garcia (Mexico) W rsc 3
Central American and Caribbean 48kg champion; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
June - Costa Remus (Romania) W
Giraldo Cordova Cardin 48kg champion; Camaguey, Cuba.
Aug. 17 - Alberto Sandoval (USA) W pts 4-1
“Hernandez efficiently countered the mobility and speed of Sandoval to win the decision” (Kingston [Jamaica] Daily Gleaner 8-19-74:12).
Aug. 22 - Emmanuel Mlundwa W ko 1
(Tanzania). “Hernandez stopped Mlundwa in less than twenty seconds. He literally rushed on his opponent as the bell went and submerged him in a flurry of rights and lefts. Mlundwa managed to stay on his feet, but he looked half conscious and the referee decided he had had enough” (Kingston [Jamaica] Daily Gleaner 8-23-74:14).
Aug. 25 - Gyorgy Gedo (Hungary) W pts
Aug. 28 - Enrique Cal Rodriguez W pts
(Spain)
Aug. 30 - Stephen Muchoki W pts 5-0
(Kenya). World 48kg champion; Havana, Cuba.

1975

Jan. - Playa Giron 48kg semifinalist; Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
Oct. 16 - Alejandro Diaz W
(Puerto Rico)
Oct. 18 - Denis Miranda (Costa W
Rica)
Oct. 22 - Reynaldo Becerra W
(Colombia)
Oct. 25 - Eleoncio Mercedes W pts 4-1
(Dominican Republic). Panamerican Games 48kg champion; Mexico City, Mexico. “Hernandez won a 4-1 decision, a verdict unfavorably received by the [highly partisan] crowd” (Bucks County [Levittown, Pennsylvania] Courier Times 10-26-75:5-C).

1976

Jan. 21 - Hector Ramirez W
(Cuba). Playa Giron 48kg champion; Camaguey, Cuba.
May - Jesus Ramos (Cuba) W
Giraldo Cordova Cardin 48kg champion; Pinar del Rio, Cuba.
July 19 - Beyhan Fuchedzhiev W rsc 3
(Bulgaria). “Hernandez underscored the strength of the Cuban boxing team with a brilliant performance. He was the star of the evening’s action, knocking Fuchedzhiev down with a left hook in the first round. Then, in the second round, he recorded a standing knockdown with a right counter, and, in the third, got a standing knockdown with a right lead before the referee stopped the fight 59 seconds into the round” (Idaho Falls [Idaho] Post-Register July 20, 1976:3-B). One boxing ringsider covering this bout for a national news syndicate reported that Hernandez “hit like a middleweight” in defeating Fuchedzhiev.
July 23 - Zoffa Zarawi (Papua W ko 3
New Guinea)
July 28 - Chan-Hee Park (South W pts 3-2
Korea)
July 29 - Orlando Maldonado W pts 5-0
(Puerto Rico)
July 30 - Li Byong-Uk (North W pts 4-1
Korea). Olympic 48kg champion; Montreal, Canada. Associated Press pre-fight analysis of this bout: “Jorge Hernandez, a world champion, has good foot speed and is always in position to punch, particularly a good jab and a quick right hand. Li. A left-hander. He’s short for a light- flyweight, but aggressive with a good straight left. AP’s pick: Hernandez” (Syracuse Post-Standard 7-31-76:21-B). The AP was correct in its prediction: “Hernandez speared Li with jabs and crisp right hands to win a decision” (Salisbury [Maryland] Daily Times 7-31- 76:D-2).

1977

Jan. 30 - Hector Ramirez W
(Cuba). Playa Giron 51kg champion; Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
June 4 - Arcadio Ramos W pts
(Venezuela). Batalla de Carabobo 48kg champion; Caracas, Venezuela.
July - Hipolito Ramos (Cuba) W
Giraldo Cordova Cardin 48kg champion; Matanzas, Cuba.
Nov. 12 - Richard Sandoval W pts 2-1
Cuba vs. USA; Houston, Texas, USA.

1978

Feb. 12 - Felix Castillo W pts 3-0
Cuba vs. USA; Havana, Cuba. “Hernandez posted a unanimous decision over Castillo, dominating throughout” (Modesto [California] Bee 2-13- 78:B-4).
Apr. - Hector Ramirez (Cuba) W
Giraldo Cordova Cardin 48kg champion; Cienfuegos, Cuba.
May 12 - Ahmed Said (Algeria) W pts 4-1
“Hernandez outpointed Said, clearly outclassing his opponent as he danced around Said, jabbing at will” (Victoria [Texas] Advocate 5-13- 78:13).
May 16 - Alberto Mercado (Puerto W pts 5-0
Rico)
May 18 - Richard Sandoval (USA) W pts 4-1
Hernandez outpointed Sandoval, a game 17-year-old. Sandoval started off cautiously against Hernandez, a veteran of 155 fights, who took no chances as Sandoval carried the fight. However, Sandoval’s inexperience showed as Hernandez tied him up in the clinches and punched away with good uppercuts” (Victoria [Texas] Advocate 5-19- 78:13).
May 20 - Stephen Muchoki (Kenya) L pts 1-4
World 48kg finalist; Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia).
Oct. 7 - Jerome Coffee L pts 1-2
Cuba vs. USA; New York City, New York, USA.

1979

Jan. 16 - Juan Bautista W pts
Hernandez (Cuba). Playa Giron 51kg champion; Guantanamo, Cuba.
Feb. 11 - Jerome Coffee W pts
Cuba vs. USA; Havana, Cuba.
May - Omar Santiesteban W
(Cuba). Giraldo Cordove Cardin 51kg champion; Havana, Cuba.
July 4 - Manuel Mariona (El W pts 5-0
Salvador)
July 7 - Jerome Coffee (USA) L pts 1-4
Pan American 51kg finalist; San Juan, Puerto Rico.

1980

Jan. - Playa Giron 51kg semifinalist; Pinar del Rio, Cuba.
May - Omar Santiesteban L
(Cuba). Giraldo Cordova Cardin 51kg finalist; Holguin, Cuba.
July 30 - Viktor Miroshnichenko L pts 1-4
(Soviet Union). Olympic 48kg participant (lost in second round of the competition); Moscow, Soviet Union. “In his first bout, Hernandez came up against Miroshnichenko, who won a close, hard-fought bout” (Kingston [Jamaica] Daily Gleaner 8-24-80:15).