Tyner Beats Hernandez To Lift WBU Crown, in Early FOTY Contender

By Gianluca (Rio) Di Caro
Photos: Bob Ryder

Detroit, Michigan – Sunday, 12thJanuary 2014
Detroit born Lanardo Tyner made a victorious homecoming on Friday night, by dramatically stopping Angel Hernandez in the tenth round, to become crowned the new World Boxing Union (WBU) Welterweight World Champion at the Naser Beydoun’s Darkside Productions promoted RUMBLE ON THE RIVER event, which took place at the Masonic Temple in Detroit.

Tyner dominated the opening stanza, working the body of Hernandez throughout, his supremacy vindicated late on when he sent Hernandez to the canvas, albeit briefly as Hernandez was up before the count had even began.

The visit to the deck clearly awakened Hernandez, who more than equaled everything Tyner threw at him from that point on.

From around the midway pointboth men threw away any semblance of a defense they had and just went toe-to-toe, in pure Gatti-Ward style.

Hernandez threw everything he had at Tyner, scoring big with the sensationally powerful combinations he constantly fired in Tyner’s direction.

Tyner on the other hand was taking advantage of the space afforded by Hernandez’s all out attacks, by dispatching pin point accurate powerful shots at every opportunity.

Both men gave their all throughout every single round, but Hernandez had landed far more shots, so much so that going into the tenth round it was him that was ahead on the judges scorecards.

Tyner threw everything but the kitchen sink at Hernandez, in an effort to redress the balance, Hernandez responded in kind and by the second minute both men were almost out on their feet, having both expanded so much effort.

Then with just seconds remaining on the clock, Tyner mustered up enough energy to let rip with a massive right, that sent Hernandez down and out, much to the delight of the big home crowd.

In victory, Tyner added the coveted WBU Welterweight World Championship to his ever growing trophy cabinet.

Following his presenting the WBU Championship Belt,World Boxing Union President Don ‘Moose’ Lewis spoke briefly about the sensational fight.

"From the point of the weigh-in and the 'respectful' trash talking between Tyner and Hernandez-I knew we had the making of a "Fight of the Year" already.

Both boxers have never backed away from an opponent and both are decent people, so the WBU had a fight that was a winner no matter whose had was raised.

In short, this was 'Detroit boxing' and it is alive and well in Motor City.

I asked if they wanted a rematch and both replied 'Yes, but in a year!'

Lol. Now that’s respect."