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Not much is known about how he
started boxing, and what kind of
amateur career he had, but he
turned professional as a
22-year-old on February 23 1985
on a small show in Hato Rey,
Puerto Rico, stopping Orlando
Santiago (0-1) in the third
round.
Fernandez went 6-0 in his first
two years as a pro, all bouts
taking place in Puerto Rico,
before making his USA debut in
November 1987 with a ten-round
majority decision over Mexican
Javier Pichardo (16-4) at the
Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.
In February of 1988, with a 7-0
(4) record, he traveled to
Guadalupe for his first major
test against experienced and
accomplished Frenchman Daniel
Londas (42-6-1), who had lost a
close decision to South African
Brian Mitchell for the WBA World
Super Featherweight title only
four months earlier.
Londas, who eventually went on
to win the European and WBO
World Super Featherweight title,
was too cagey for Fernandez and
won on points after eight
rounds, but the fight proved
that the young prospect had what
it takes to compete at a high
level.
Having learned from the
experience, Fernandez won his
next three fights convincingly,
stopping Mario Cordero (5-0),
Atiliano Quinones (7-3-1) and
Luis Rodriguez (5-3), before
going on the road again: In June
of 1989, he performed well but
lost on points to undefeated
Ki-Joon Lee (12-0) in South
Korea.
But “Cholo” Fernandes was only
really getting started on his
big journey! In his very next
fight he made a clear statement
by knocking out former WBA World
Champion Julio Gervacio (20-2-2)
in nine rounds, underlining that
he was indeed a world-class
operator.
At 11-2 (8), and now highly
world-ranked, Fernandez got his
first world title opportunity on
May 12 1990, and made the most
of it when he dominated and
stopped reigning WBO Super
Bantamweight Champion Valerio
Nati (45-4-4) in the tenth round
of their fight in Sassari,
Italy.
Six months later, in what was
supposed to be an easy stay-busy
fight over ten rounds, Fernandez
was thoroughly brought back down
to earth when he lost a decision
to journeyman Miguel Juarez
(6-13-2) in Mexico. While his
title was not on the line, and
he remained world champion, it
was a major disappointment and
set-back.
And the downward spiral
continued when he lost his first
title-defense to Jesse Benavides
(32-1) in May of 1991 at the
Memorial Coliseum in Corpus
Christi, Texas. Benavides won a
clear unanimous decision, and
Fernandez was send back in the
line of contenders.
While Fernandez won his comeback
fight, on points over
trial-horse Nelson Rodriguez
(6-17-3), it looked as if his
time at the top level of the
sport was over when Chilean
Carlos Uribe (27-2) beat him by
decision in June of 1992 in
Santiago.
At 13-5, having lost three of
his previous four fights, it was
easy to imagine that his future
would be as the “opponent” for
future stars looking to put a
good name on their record. Such
was the case when Fernandez was
matched with WBF World Super
Bantamweight Champion Felix
Camacho (15-2) in a non-title
fight on September 4 1992.
Camacho, also from Puerto Rico
and brother of the legendary
Hector “Macho” Camacho, had won
the WBF world title in his
previous bout, impressively
knocking out Mexican Albert
Cepeda. While it was an
interesting match on paper,
Camacho was on the rise and
expected to win, while Fernandez
was considered on the
down-slide.
But Fernandez pulled off the
upset, and resurrected his
career with a unanimous decision
over ten rounds. He build on his
momentum by beating local
Dominican hero Rafael Meran
(12-5-2) in Santo Domingo a
month later, to line up a return
fight with Camacho, this time
with the WBF World championship
at stake.
The eagerly anticipated grudge
rematch was set for December 9
1992 in San Juan, and Camacho
had sworn revenge, and to
destroy Fernandez in quick time
to set the record straight. But
a rejuvenated and motivated
Fernandez won again, this time
even more convincingly by wide
decision (117-112, 117-112,
116-112).
Now a two-time World Super
Bantamweight champion, with two
victories over a member of the
famous Camacho-family, Orlando
Fernandez had developed into a
popular boxer in Puerto Rico,
but the biggest pay-days were
still abroad.
Consequently he accepted to
defend his crown in Sydney on
April 22 1993 against Australian
champion Tony Wehbee (6-1-1),
who despite only eight
professional contests had
already been a part of four
twelve-round championship
fights.
Wehbee put up a good challenge,
and fought the defending
champion tooth and nails all the
way, but at this point in his
career Fernandez was the most
experienced boxer in the ring,
and won a close, but deserved,
split decision in front of the
vocal Australian fans.
Following the victory over
Wehbee, Fernandez decided to
move up to Featherweight in
pursuit of a third world
championship. He beat former IBC
titlist Tomas Valdez (33-16-2)
by seventh round knockout, and
captured a regional title in
Miami when he beat Javier Leon
(41-7-2) on points.
But in his third fight it the
new weight, a main event battle
of former world champions in
Atlantic City, Fernandez was
out-pointed by American Junior
Jones (32-1), who had just lost
his WBA world Bantamweight crown
less than two months earlier.
He rebounded well with three
straight victories, including a
win over future WBA world
champion Antonio Hernandez
(38-16), and then decided to
move back down to Super
Bantamweight where he was
offered a chance to challenge
Mexican superstar Marco Antonio
Barrera (41-0) for his old WBO
World title.
On July 14 1996, at the Mammoth
Gardens in Denver, Colorado,
Barrera proved that he was
something special, as he stopped
Fernandez in seven rounds. A
year later, Fernandez had his
swansong against another massive
name in Kevin Kelley (46-1-2),
who stopped the Puerto Rican in
round ten to effectively end his
career.
Orlando “Cholo” Fernandez
retired from the ring in 1997,
thirty-four years old, a former
two-time world Super
Bantamweight champion with a
final professional record of
22-8 (13).
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