Florentino "the Ox" Fernández (March 7, 1936 – January 28, 2013) was a

Cuban Cuban or Cubans may refer to: Related to Cuba * of or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban Americ ...

middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...

who fought from 1956 to 1972. His overall record was 50 wins (43 by KO), 16 losses and two draws. In the Cuban community, he was known both as "3 Toneles" and as "El Barbaro del Knock Out."

Professional career

Fernandez was born in

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

. he was a big left hook artist who racked up a series of victories which led to his title challenge against

Gene Fullmer Lawrence Gene Fullmer (July 21, 1931 – April 27, 2015) was an American professional boxer and World Middleweight champion. He was known as The Utah Cyclone, The Mormon Mauler, and as "Cyclone" Gene Fullmer. Professional career Fullmer began h ...

. The 25-year-old Fernandez lost a split decision to Fullmer for the

title in Ogden,

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

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 ''The Ring'' (often called ''The Ring'' magazine or ''Ring'' magazine) is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into questio ...

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, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean ...

, where he fought on television and on the fight cards promoted by

Chris Dundee Chris Dundee (born Cristofo Mirena; February 23, 1908 – November 16, 1998) was an Italian-American boxing manager and fight promoter for 63 years. He was an older brother of Angelo Dundee. Early life Cristofo (Christopher) Mirena was born on Fe ...

. 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, lasting only a few seconds in 1962. Fernandez came back the following year to knock out undefeated, future world light-heavyweight champion José Torres in five rounds on May 26, 1963.

First Retirement and Comeback

After a 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. by scoring upset knockouts over Florida Middleweight Champion Jimmy Williams and Jerry Evans. 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

Honors

In 2003, Fernandez made the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.

Death

Fernandez died January 28, 2013, in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, after suffering a heart attack.Boxer Florentino Fernandez dies at 76, The Miami Herald
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References

*Ring Magazine, October 1961, pages 5–6-7: FULLMER ASKS FOR DOWNES-PENDER WINNER, by Al Buck.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez, Florentino 1936 births 2013 deaths Middleweight boxers Cuban male boxers Boxers from Santiago de Cuba 20th-century Cuban sportsmen