# Melissa Hernández

Melissa Hernández Pacheco (born February 4, 1980) is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. She held the WBC female featherweight title from 2012 to 2013 and challenged once for the WBC female lightweight title in 2011.

## Amateur career

She took up boxing to lose weight when she tipped the scales at 160 pounds (73 kg, 11 stone 6 lbs). She was invited to a gym by her best friend's brother, a two-time Golden Gloves champion. Melissa trained at the gym for a while, but dropped out. However, two months later she walked into a Webster PAL gym, where she decided to take another shot at boxing training.
By the time the 2003 New York Golden Gloves came around, Melissa had reduced her weight to 145 pounds (66 kg, 10 stone 5 lbs), and she signed up to fight at 138 pounds (63 kg, 9 stone 12 lbs). In her first amateur fight, she faced Golden Glove champion Jill Emery and lost.
She then met former world champion Ada Vélez, who invited Belinda Laracuente to watch Melissa fight at the 2003 Women's U.S. Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Not long after that, Velez and Laracuente moved Melissa from New York City to Florida to train with them. She says of that time:
   "I lived with them for a while and learned how to box and not just fight. It seemed that a little of the 'Brown Sugar' rubbed off on me and I began to have a little of her style in me. I stayed with Belinda as my head trainer for almost a year, fighting any fights I could get. By the time the 2004 Golden Gloves rolled around I had changed my style to a mix between boxer-brawler. My trainer Pablo knew I had a better shot and I had dropped my weight down to 130 lbs. With hard training and dedication I went on to win the 2004 Golden Gloves."
At the 2004 National PAL Boxing Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Melissa won the 132-lb division. She also won the 2005 Golden Gloves. She then went on to win the 2005 Florida PAL Championship over Lena Taylor.

## Professional career

Melissa made her pro boxing debut at the Hilton in New York City on October 26, 2005, notching a four-round majority decision over previously unbeaten Mao Mao Zhang of China, also a former amateur champion. Hernández dictated the pace of the fight with her jab. She executed her game plan well by using excellent footwork, head and body movement, as well as feinting, but she did manage to walk into the line of fire a few times and was hit with a couple of solid left hooks as she tried to get inside. Overall, her boxing skills were too much for Zhang, whose pro record fell to 1-1 with the loss.
On January 21, 2006 at the White Rock Boxing Gym in Columbia, South Carolina, Melissa stopped Jennifer Johnson of Camden, South Carolina at 0:17 in the first round, dropping Johnson to 0-2.
On April 29, 2006 at the Silver Reef Casino in Ferndale, Washington, Melissa scored a four round unanimous (40-36 x 3) decision over 19-year-old pro debuter Merced Nunez of Philomoth, Oregon. The difference in this bout was experience. Hernández, though she only has two professional fights, had sixteen amateur bouts. Nunez had only two amateur bouts. Nonetheless, the fight was action packed. Though Nunez stood taller, she had some trouble making contact with the elusive Hernández.
On June 15, 2006 at the Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino in Canyonville, Oregon, Melissa faced veteran Kelsey Jeffries over 10 rounds for the IFBA featherweight title, fighting her to a split draw (95-93 Jeffries, 96-94 Hernández, 95-95). Jeffries was now 33-9-1 (2 KO's) while Hernández was just 3-0-1 (1 KO) as a pro. This was an impressive step-up in competition for Hernández.
On June 30, 2006 at Club Europe in Atlanta, Georgia, Melissa won a six-round unanimous (60-54 x 3) decision over Leora Jackson of Springdale, Arkansas who fell to 2-8. On August 31, 2006 at Harvey's Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada, Melissa TKO'd pro debuter Stacey Rogers of New London, Ohio at 0:42 in the third round of a scheduled four rounder.
On September 14, 2012 at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Melissa won a ten-round unanimous decision over Jelena Mrdjenovich to win the WBC featherweight title. She would lose the title in a rematch with Jelena in her next fight.
In April 2019 she beat rising contender, Selina Barrios via unanimous decision.
Her final world title shot came against Chantelle Cameron for the WBC light-welterweight title, she would lose via fifth round stoppage.

## Professional boxing record

| 35 fights | 23 wins | 9 losses |
| By knockout | 7 | 2 |
| By decision | 16 | 7 |
| Draws | 3 | 3 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 35 | Loss | 23–9–3 | Carla Torres | UD | 6 (6) | 2023-07-29 | John T. Rhodes Sports Center, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S. | |
| 34 | Loss | 23–8–3 | Chantelle Cameron | TKO | 5 (10) | 2021-05-29 | Michelob Ultra Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | For WBC light-welterweight title |
| 33 | Win | 23–7–3 | Selina Barrios | UD | 8 (8) | 2019-04-27 | Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 32 | Loss | 22–7–3 | Layla McCarter | UD | 8 (8) | 2016-07-16 | Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | |
| 31 | Win | 22–6–3 | Gina Chamie | TKO | 1 (8) | 2015-10-08 | Radisson Grand Ballroom, Rochester, New York, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 21–6–3 | Loli Munoz | UD | 10 (10) | 2015-06-12 | Amazura Concert Hall, Queens, New York, U.S. | Won vacant UBF light-welterweight title |
| 29 | Win | 20–6–3 | Ashleigh Curry | UD | 8 (8) | 2015-04-18 | Main Street Armory, Rochester, New York, U.S. | |
| 28 | Loss | 19–6–3 | Layla McCarter | UD | 8 (8) | 2014-11-21 | The Orleans, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 27 | Win | 19–5–3 | Nicole Woods | MD | 8 (8) | 2014-03-01 | North Atlanta Trade Center, Norcross, Georgia, U.S. | |
| 26 | Loss | 18–5–3 | Marcela Acuña | UD | 10 (10) | 2013-07-13 | Club Defensores de Villa Lujan, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina | |
| 25 | Loss | 18–4–3 | Jelena Mrdjenovich | TD | 6 (10) | 2013-05-31 | Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, Canada | Lost WBC featherweight champion |
| 24 | Win | 18–3–3 | Jelena Mrdjenovich | UD | 10 (10) | 2012-09-14 | Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, Canada | Won WBC featherweight champion |
| 23 | Win | 17–3–3 | Nicole Woods | UD | 10 (10) | 2012-07-28 | Columbus Civic Center, Columbus, Georgia, U.S. | |
| 22 | Loss | 16–3–3 | Érica Farías | UD | 10 (10) | 2011-12-16 | Arena Maipú, Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina | For WBC lightweight title |
| 21 | Win | 16–2–3 | Christina Tai | TKO | 4 (6) | 2011-09-24 | Grand Star Receptions, Altona North, Australia | |
| 20 | Win | 15–2–3 | Jelena Mrdjenovich | SD | 8 (8) | 2011-06-24 | Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, Canada | |
| 19 | Win | 14–2–3 | David Morrison | TKO | 4 (6) | 2011-01-20 | Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| 18 | Draw | 13–2–3 | Lindsay Garbatt | MD | 10 (10) | 2010-10-16 | Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel, Bernalillo, New Mexico, U.S. | Retained WIBA super-featherweight title; For vacant GBU super-featherweight title |
| 17 | Win | 13–2–2 | Victoria Cisneros | UD | 8 (8) | 2010-08-14 | Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel, Bernalillo, New Mexico, U.S. | |
| 16 | Loss | 12–2–2 | Lindsay Garbatt | MD | 8 (8) | 2010-06-05 | National Guard Armory, Evansville, Indiana, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 12–1–2 | Ela Nunez | UD | 6 (6) | 2010-02-19 | Tri-State Sport Complex,Aston Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 11–1–2 | Ambar Fajardo | TKO | 5 (8) | 2009-07-21 | Atlapa Convention Centre, Panama City, Panama | |
| 13 | Win | 10–1–2 | Jeri Sitzes | UD | 6 (6) | 2009-05-09 | The Joint, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 9–1–2 | Ela Nunez | UD | 10 (10) | 2008-09-05 | Buffalo Bill's Star Arena, Primm, Nevada, U.S. | Won vacant WIBA super-featherweight title |
| 11 | Win | 8–1–2 | Melissa Fiorentino | TKO | 3 (8) | 2008-06-07 | Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut, U.S. | |
| 10 | Draw | 7–1–2 | Chevelle Hallback | SD | 10 (10) | 2008-02-07 | Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S. | For vacant IFBA lightweight title |
| 9 | Win | 7–1–1 | Layla McCarter | MD | 8 (8) | 2007-04-27 | The Orleans, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Won GBU lightweight title |
| 8 | Loss | 6–1–1 | Layla McCarter | RTD | 8 (12) | 2007-02-14 | The Orleans, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | For GBU lightweight title |
| 7 | Win | 6–0–1 | Lisa Brown | UD | 10 (10) | 2006-11-04 | Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, Canada | Won vacant WIBA super-bantamweight title |
| 6 | Win | 5–0–1 | Stacey Rogers | TKO | 3 (4) | 2006-08-31 | Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 4–0–1 | Leora Jackson | UD | 6 (6) | 2006-06-30 | Club Europe, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
| 4 | Draw | 3–0–1 | Kelsey Jeffries | SD | 10 (10) | 2006-06-15 | Seven Feathers Casino Resort, Canyonville, Oregon, U.S. | For IFBA featherweight title |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Merced Nunez | UD | 4 (4) | 2006-04-29 | Silver Reef Casino Resort, Ferndale, Washington, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Jennifer Johnson | TKO | 1 (4) | 2006-01-21 | White Rock Gym, Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Zhang Mao Mao | UD | 4 (4) | 2005-10-26 | Hilton Hotel, New York City, New York, U.S. | |