Jorge Hernández Padrón

Cuban boxer in the 48 kg division. National champion, world champion and Olympic champion.

Jorge Hernández Padrón (1954). A former Cuban boxer in the 48 kilogram division, he achieved the Olympic title in Montreal 1976 and the world crown in Havana 1974. One of the best Cuban minimumweights of all time.

He was born in the Párraga neighborhood, in the city of Havana, on November 17, 1954. From the earliest years of his life he always enjoyed swimming, but at that time there were mistaken popular beliefs that opposed children with asthmatic conditions from practicing this sport. At age 14, encouraged by some of his best friends, he began to visit the Roberto Poland gym, located in the Pogolotti neighborhood, in the Marianao municipality of the capital. Under the teaching of his first trainer Julio Yú, he began to learn this difficult art of "giving and not receiving." And thus he fell in love with this sport, to which he devoted himself completely.

Jorgito was a right-handed boxer, barely 1.60 meters tall and weighing less than 48 kilograms, which is why he was almost always at a disadvantage when stepping into the ring in those early times. His first fight was in a school tournament in San Miguel del Padrón and there he lost by judges' decision against José Dorado.

Through dedication in the gyms, much physical preparation and the desire to become an Olympic and world champion, in 1968 he participated in the national championship, school category, and obtained the gold medal. That was, perhaps, the main incentive in Jorge Hernández's boxing career.

His first Playa Girón tournament, the national championship in Cuba, was in 1972, before turning 18 years old. In the final fight, he lost in a very close 2-3 decision to the already experienced Julio Rivera. However, the technical commission, with the experienced Alcides Sagarra at the helm, decided to include him in the Cuban pre-selection of the 48 kilograms for being a great prospect. In the international Giraldo Córdova Cardín, Jorge Hernández finished with a bronze medal, after losing in the semifinals to veteran Rafael Carbonel, the main figure in that weight in Cuba and the one assigned to attend the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, where he failed to win medals, after falling in the quarterfinals against Spanish Enrique Cal Rodríguez.

In 1973, beginning the new Olympic cycle that would culminate in Montreal 1976, Jorgito achieved his first national title in the Playa Girón, held on the Isle of Youth. In the final fight he defeated Rafael Carbonel with refined boxing and excellent technique. But he confirmed that he was already ready for greater endeavors, also winning the Córdova Cardín, in Santiago de Cuba, against Remzo González. This reaffirmed him once more in 1974, when he achieved the title in the Córdova Cardín, held in Camagüey, against Romanian Remus Cosma. This tournament opened the doors to the capital minimumweight as Cuban representative to the First World Boxing Championship, to be held in Havana.

The ecumenical event in the Cuban capital was attended by the best fighters of the moment, including several champions and medalists in the last Olympic edition. Jorgito had only one thing in mind: to prevail at all costs. And so it was. Under his fists fell in the first fights Albert Sandoval (USA) by points and Enmanuel Mlundiva (TAN), to whom he dealt a spectacular knockout. In the quarterfinals, he displayed his best boxing and the extra of champions, to prevail over none other than the Olympic champion of Munich 1972, Georgy Gedo (HUN), undoubtedly the most difficult fight for him. Then came an anxious rematch for the final passage against summer bronze Enrique Cal Rodríguez (ESP), the same one who defeated him in the German competition. And in the final bout, held at the Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva, he faced the surprising Steve Mushoki (KEN), whom he defeated with relative ease, to obtain the coveted world title.

Other important victories came later in Jorge Hernández's career. In 1975 he achieved the gold medal in the Pan American Games, in Mexico City, after defeating in the final the fiery Dominican Miguel Mercedes. The following year, he once again proved that he was number one in his country by winning the Playa Girón in Camagüey, against left-hander Héctor Ramírez, and months later in the Giraldo Córdova Cardín, in Pinar del Río, against Jesús Ramos.

Thus he had his second Olympic opportunity, as they chose him to be part of the Cuba team for the summer competition in Montreal, Canada. He was now much more technical, possessed great lateral leg mobility with good reaction power, mastery of all three distances and an impressive straight right.

All these qualities were displayed in the Canadian competition. In his debut, he had no difficulty defeating by RSC (Referee Stopped Contest) in the third round against Vladislav Foudejejiev (BUL). The next fight was against Soffa Yarawi (NIG), to whom he dealt a knockout in the second round. Already in the semifinals, he won by unanimous judges' decision against Orlando Maldonado (PUR). Finally, for the precious award he faced North Korean Byong Uk Li and left the ring with the verdict in his favor 4-1. He now had every athlete's dream, as to the titles in Central American, Pan American and World competitions, he now added that of the Olympic Games.

In 1977 the competitions between Cuban and American boxers began, which came to have great rivalry. Jorgito participated in four of them with a record of three victories and one defeat. He defeated Richard Sandoval, in Houston 1977, Félix Castillo, in Havana 1978, and Jerome Coffee, also in the Cuban capital, in 1979. The setback was precisely against Coffee in New York 1978.

In the Pan American Games of 1979, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jorge Hernández moved up to the next weight division, 51 kilograms, as it was very difficult for him to maintain 105 pounds. In Puerto Rican territory, after defeating Manuel Mariona (ESA), he lost all possibility of medals, after falling in the quarterfinals against Jerome Coffee (USA), who would finish in third place. Alberto Mercado (PUR) won the division.

In the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games he could not retain the Montreal crown from four years before. He made the team, despite the narrow 2-3 loss he suffered in the final of the Córdova Cardín, in Holguín, at the hands of Omar Santiesteban. On the tour of Europe, the head of the technical staff Alcides Sagarra decided, by strategy, to drop him back to 48. This greatly disturbed Jorgito, who had to lose weight first and then go back up to 51 for the summer competition. Already in Moscow, the elegant capital stylist lost his first fight against host Vladimir Miroshmichenko, who would win the silver medal.

Jorge Hernández decided to retire in 1981. He finished his university studies and graduated with a degree in Physical Education and Sports. He first worked as a trainer in his municipality of origin and due to the results achieved in all categories, he concluded as one of the main trainers of the national senior selection, a job he continues to perform today.

Hernández was a trainer of the Cuban National Selection under the direction of Alcides Sagarra between 1991 and 2013.

In 2008 he completed a diploma in sports journalism and has the distinction of being included among the 100 best athletes of Cuba in the 20th century.