LAS VEGAS – Troy Isley accomplished something Thursday at T-Mobile Arena that former 154-pound champion Julian Williams couldn’t do.
The junior middleweight prospect topped rugged Mexican veteran Vladimir Hernandez by unanimous decision in a hard-fought eight-round middleweight match on the Shakur Stevenson-Edwin De Los Santos undercard. The 25-year-old Isley (11-0, 4 KOs), of Alexandria, Virginia, faded in the later rounds, but he beat the best opponent of his 2½-year pro career by the same score, 77-75, on the scorecards of judges Max De Luca, Robert Hoyle and Steve Weisfeld.
Hernandez (14-6, 6 KOs) beat previously undefeated prospect Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson by a majority decision in his previous fight – an eight-rounder August 25 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. Simpson took a 13-0 record into that bout, but Hernandez was the most accomplished opponent he has fought as well.
The 34-year-old Hernandez is most known for upsetting Williams by split decision in their 10-rounder in October 2021 at T-Mobile Arena. He previously upset another 154-pound titleholder, Alfredo Angulo, by unanimous-decision in another 10-rounder in August 2020 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Isley slowed down by the eighth round Thursday, but Hernandez kept pressing the action. He landed a left barely a minute into that final round while Isley was backed against the ropes.
Hernandez drilled Isley with another left with just under 1:15 to go in their bout, but Isley wasn’t affected by that shot. Hernandez caught Isley with another hard left a few seconds before the final bell sounded.
Hernandez landed a left hand that made Isley tie him up with just under 30 seconds on the clock in the seventh round.
Isley used his legs during the sixth round, when Hernandez applied largely ineffective pressure until he caught Isley with straight left while Isley was backed into his own corner with under 10 seconds remaining in it. Isley didn’t throw as many punches during those three minutes, though, as he attempted in prior rounds.
Hernandez landed a left hand with about 20 seconds on the clock in the fifth round, but Isley didn’t flinch.
While backed against the ropes, Isley landed two right hands during a 10-second sequence in the final minute of the fourth round. A cut opened around Hernandez’s right eye during the fourth round as well.
Isley nailed Hernandez with a counter right a few seconds after the halfway point of the third round, but Hernandez took it well and continued to throw punches. Hernandez later snuck in a straight left with about 20 seconds to go in the third round.
Isley came back to land two hard right hands just before the bell sounded to end the third round.
Isley landed the more effective punches, mostly right hands, during the second round. He also landed a left hook to the body and came right back up top with another left hook when there were just under 20 seconds to go in the second round.
Isley boxed well during the first round and tried to stay out of Hernandez’s punching range. He landed a right hand that made Hernandez reset his feet with just over a minute remaining in the opening round and another right that backed up Hernandez with about 10 seconds left in it.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.