Layla McCarter Notches Win 40 in Mexico City
By David A. Avila
Ultimate warrior Layla McCarter once again journeyed to Mexico City where she defeated Erika Hernandez by unanimous decision on Friday.
“They really know boxing,” says McCarter.
In a small ballroom and small boxing ring McCarter (40-13-5, 10 Kos) cruised by the smaller but tough chinned Hernandez (9-2-1) at Deportivo Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico City. McCarter kept her 10-year unbeaten streak solidly intact.
For the second time in less than two years McCarter traveled to Mexico City to engage against yet another solid Mexican fighter. The Las Vegas prizefighter only knew that the Mexican had a decent record. Both women weighed under 147 pounds.
Although one web site declared that Hernandez had seven pro fights, her self-proclaimed record walking into the boxing ring was announced as 10 pro fights with only one loss.
Hernandez, 21, fights out of the state of Michoacan a place known for rugged boxers. She proved to be a good representative of that style.
Whenever Mexican women fight you can be certain they will not be shy about exchanging blows. In the opening round both fighters quickly exchanged and McCarter connected with a well-placed left hook that sent Hernandez backward and nearly down if not for the ropes.
From that point on the exchanges were not as freely given.
For two rounds McCarter was ready for the attacks but they did not arrive. Instead, Hernandez was much more cautious about exchanging with the slightly taller American and switched to a counter-attack mode.
Not until the third round did Hernandez return to attack mode and when she did McCarter deftly countered in-between the blows. Although the punches connected Hernandez absorbed them well.
Hernandez tried to work inside and dipped under to slip the counters from McCarter, but when she attempted to fire blows the two fighters collided heads twice. McCarter then connected from long range.
Unable to land any blows of any significance, Hernandez mounted a sincere attack and though she was hit by return fire she continued the attack. A solid blow to the body connected with four more blows aimed to the head. McCarter slipped the last three blows then countered with four of her own and each landed.
McCarter seldom misses when she punches. Her blows are fluid and have a surprising quickness and length.
During the last two rounds of the fight McCarter took the fight to the outside by using her jab and circling slowly to her left. Hernandez looked for counters but could not close the distance. It was difficult to find a round to give to Hernandez but she was never close to getting knocked down after the first round.
“Should’ve got a KO within four rounds with my experience,” said McCarter, 38. “This girl was very tough though. I hit her with a really hard left hook that she felt but shook off pretty quick…so many times in the body too. She was a tough Mexican girl.”
The victory was McCarter’s 40th as a pro and sets her up for a showdown with undisputed welterweight world champion Cecilia Braekhus in 2018. McCarter was declared the number one contender by the IBF organization.
Both McCarter and Braekhus are considered the two top female prizefighters pound for pound by any boxing publication that truly knows female boxing.
It’s a showdown that the female boxing world anxiously awaits.