Nico Hernandez: Winning Bronze in the Olympics, Boxing and His Future…
Exclusive Interview by Joshua “City” Brewer
“I don’t plan on taking too long, I’m trying to move up as fast as I can (in boxing).”—Nico Hernandez
There are some feats in sports that can hardly be topped. At the amateur level, there is no greater prize than an Olympic medal. These games pit the best of each country in a battle for the ultimate bragging rights. There are many sports involved, but only one shaped from the chants and cries of ancient battle arenas. You get this with the sport of boxing as two single combatants fight for glory.
Nico Hernandez, 2-0, 2 KO’s, represented the United States as a boxer in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, bringing home a Bronze Medal. His triumphs date back to well before this moment. He boasts a 2014 National Golden Gloves Championship. He’s a six time consecutive Silver Gloves National Champion, eight time Ringside World Champion, and the list goes on. Hernandez has knocked out his first two opponents since turning pro in March of this year and has shown a brilliant display of skill that has the potential to translate into boxing superstardom.
Hernandez is back in action on Saturday, September 23th, when he takes on Fransico Lapizco, 8-5, 2 KO’s, in a flyweight contest. I had the opportunity to speak with the Wichita, Kansas, native on his past, present, and future in the sport of boxing.
JB: It’s great to have you here with Ringside Report. Have you started training for your next fight? I know you have one coming up on September 23rd?
I started training again. I’ve started doing a little more strength work and then started running again, getting back into it. Getting ready to start this training camp again so I can be ready for this fight.
JB: How’s the boxing scene in Wichita, KS, and what got you into boxing?
The boxing scene in Wichita is…there’s not much of a boxing scene. That’s what I’m doing right now, I’m trying to change that. There are couple of gyms here, maybe like four boxing gyms. But yea, in my city they don’t really look at boxing like it’s a big deal, so it’s not really a lot of support for boxers. Since the Olympics I’ve started seeing more support towards the gyms and stuff and I thinks it’s growing, I think it’s expanding it.
JB: Let’s discuss your trip to the Olympics where you picked up a Bronze Medal for the U.S. A lot of people, a lot of casual fans don’t know the day to day work, the grind that goes into that level of boxing. So, what was that experience like for you?
It was a great experience. Actually, the day I got to Rio, we were on the track at night and I twisted my ankle, so I was off my foot for about 10 days. I started training again, and started walking again probably about three or four days before my fight. It was just taped up and I went to work. Besides that, it was cool you know, being there and knowing you’re one of the top athletes. You’re there with Michael Phelps and NBA stars, but you can’t really get star struck because you’ve got to remember that you’re there for the same reason as them. But it was a good feeling knowing that I was one of the best in the world, too.
JB: How did turning professional in front of your hometown compare to fighting in the Olympics?
Yea, it was way different. In the Olympics, I walked out of the tunnel and everybody was booing, they were booing the United States. When I’m here at home everybody’s cheering for me, everybody’s going for me, so yea it’s pretty different. But as far as fight wise, taking off the headgear and stuff, it’s kind similar to the pros. Now, in the pros we wear smaller gloves so of course you feel it more. I think I’m adapting pretty good.
JB: Speaking of that, you have an elite level skillset, you can pretty much throw every punch. And once you’ve gone through that amateur process that you have, winning multiple world championships and such on the amateur level, you gain an upper hand on regular individuals coming in. We’ve seen a lot of boxers as of late who’ve come from the Olympics and such, they’ve kind of fast tracked it. So, what’s your plan in terms of where you see yourself two years from now and when do you plan on getting yourself ready to be right there competing for a title?
Sometime real soon. I don’t plan on taking too long, I’m trying to move up as fast as I can. So, hopefully sometime maybe at the end of next year. I can maybe go for a title at the end of next year.
JB: I know you have your dad in your corner, Lewis Hernandez, how important is that to you and what has that bond been like?
Unfortunately, we bump heads every now and then but I try to listen to him. I listen to him as much as I can because I know he wouldn’t tell me wrong. I know he’s on my side and my uncle, and I’ve got a lot of people helping me out with this. It’s pretty much all family so I trust everybody and they’re all helping me out. My dad, he’s been my coach since I was little. He knows how to fight, he knows how to get me hyped. Whatever it takes to make me win. I go back to the corner and he always has a good game plan, so I listen to him and we come out victorious.
JB: We look forward to continuing to watch you as you grow in your boxing career. That being said, how can the boxing fans keep in touch with you on social media?
You can follow me on instagram at @NicoMHernandez and it’s also the same thing for twitter.
JB: What parting words do you want to leave for your fans in preparation for your upcoming fight?
I know that this dude hasn’t been stopped yet, so be prepared, I’m going to be the first one to try to do that. I’m ready to put on a show for everybody. Let’s do it!
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