Florentino "the Ox" Fernández (born March 6, 1936 in
Santiago de CubaSantiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island nation of Cuba, some east south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
) was a hard punching
CubanCubans are people inhabiting or originating from Cuba. Most Cubans live in Cuba, although there is also a large Cuban diaspora, especially in the United States.-Demographics:...
middleweightMiddleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1867...
who fought from 1956-1972. He engaged in many memorable ring wars during his career. His overall record was 50 wins (43 by KO), 16 losses and two draws.
Fernandez was a big left hook artist who racked up a series of victories which led to his title challenge against
Gene FullmerGene Fullmer is a former American middleweight boxer.Fullmer was born in West Jordan, Utah and raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. The 25 year old Fernandez lost a split decision to Fullmer for the
middleweightMiddleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1867...
title in
OgdenOgden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was 81,605 according to 2005 Census Bureau estimates. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a convenient...
,
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
on August 5, 1961.
Florentino "the Ox" Fernández (born March 6, 1936 in
Santiago de CubaSantiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island nation of Cuba, some east south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....
) was a hard punching
CubanCubans are people inhabiting or originating from Cuba. Most Cubans live in Cuba, although there is also a large Cuban diaspora, especially in the United States.-Demographics:...
middleweightMiddleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1867...
who fought from 1956-1972. He engaged in many memorable ring wars during his career. His overall record was 50 wins (43 by KO), 16 losses and two draws.
Professional career
Fernandez was a big left hook artist who racked up a series of victories which led to his title challenge against
Gene FullmerGene Fullmer is a former American middleweight boxer.Fullmer was born in West Jordan, Utah and raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. The 25 year old Fernandez lost a split decision to Fullmer for the
middleweightMiddleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1867...
title in
OgdenOgden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was 81,605 according to 2005 Census Bureau estimates. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a convenient...
,
UtahUtah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making...
on August 5, 1961. Referee Ken Shulsen scored the fight 145-142 Fullmer, judge Del Markham favored Fernandez 145-143, and judge Norman Jorgensen scored it 148-140.
Fernandez insisted on a rematch, but Ring Magazine writer Al Buck pointed to Fernandez's two fights with Rocky Kalingo as a reason why Fullmer would be foolish to fight Fernandez in Communist Cuba; " Fighting Fernandez in Cuba hardly would be an enjoyable experience except for another Cuban, a Russian, or a Red Chinese. A Fernandez-Yankee battle in Havana would be put in a military atmosphere and amid turmoil. It was recalled that one Rocky Kalingo knocked out Fernandez in one round in Caracas and then let the Cuban have a return fight in Havana. Kalingo knocked Fernandez down in the first and appeared to be headed for another victory. The mob wouldn't have it. Kalingo was threatened to the point at which he was scared into near-paralysis. He was stopped."
Fernandez never received his rematch, but did receive 20 percent of the $100,000.00 gate and $10,000.00 from the paid-t.v. money.
When Cuba outlawed professional boxing, Fernandez lived in exile from the communist government of Cuba, in
Miami Beach, FloridaMiami Beach is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated on 26 March, 1915. It is located on a barrier island between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean; the Bay separates Miami Beach from the city of Miami, Florida. The city is often referred to under the...
, where he became a fan favorite on television, and on the fight cards promoted by Chris Dundee. In most cases Fernandez either knocked out his opponents, or was in turn KO'd himself.
Loss to Carter
Fernandez might be best remembered for his one-round knockout loss to Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, being bombed out in mere seconds in 1962.
Fernandez came back the following year to knock out undefeated, future world light-heavyweight champion
José TorresJosé Torres , known as "Chegui", was a Puerto Rican professional boxer. As an amateur boxer, Torres won a silver medal in the junior middleweight at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. In 1965, he defeated Willie Pastrano to win the WBC and WBA light heavyweight championships...
in five rounds on May 26, 1963.
First Retirement and Comeback
After a stunning knockout defeat to club-fighter Willie Tiger in 1967, Fernandez announced his retirement. He blamed his numerous knockout defeats on personal problems associated with the political situation in his native country of Cuba.
He was working as a dishwasher and busboy when he decided to launch a comeback as a light heavyweight. Fernandez shocked the boxing world by scoring upset knockouts over Florida Middleweight Champion Jimmy Williams and highly regarded Jerry Evans.
However, just when it seemed that Fernandez was on the verge of a title shot against light heavyweight king Bob Foster, Fernandez was stopped in the 10th round of a toe-to-toe slugfest with upstart Vernon McIntosh in 1972.
Retirement
In the early 1980s, Fernandez briefly coached amateur boxers at the Elizabeth Virrick Gym in Coconut Grove, Florida