Luis Nery (boxer)

Luis Esteban Nery Hernández (born December 12, 1994) is a Mexican professional boxer. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the unified WBC and Ring magazine bantamweight titles between 2017 and 2018, and the WBC super bantamweight title from 2020 to May 2021.

Professional career[]

Early career[]

Nery was born and fights out of Tijuana. He only fought 9 amateur bouts, winning all of them. Five of them ended by way of knockout.^[1] Nery made his professional debut in May 2012 at the age of 17.

Nery won his first 18 fights before challenging for the vacant WBC Continental bantamweight title against Martín Casillas. Casillas was knocked down twice during the fight as Nery took a unanimous decision (100-88, 99–89, 98–90). Nery's one defense of that regional title came against former interim super flyweight world champion David Sánchez. After an early head clash that threatened to stop the fight, Nery dominated Sánchez landing a series of power punches that broke Sánchez down. The former interim titlist was knocked down in the 5th round and retired on the stool.^[2] In December 2016, Nery was knocked down for the first time in his pro career in the first round of a bout against Raymond Tabugon. Despite the knockdown, the fight was mostly one-sided as Nery battered Tabugon until the referee stopped it in the fourth round.^[3]

Nery vs. Yamanaka[]

Although Nery spoke of challenging for a super flyweight title,^[1][4] his first shot at a world title would come against WBC and The Ring bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka on August 15, 2017, which he won with a sensational fourth-round stoppage. The bout started with both fighters trading back and forth combinations, but at the start of the fourth round Nery rocked Yamanaka with a left cross. After a brief respite in which Yamanaka seemed to regain control, Nery continued pummeling the defending champion, who was unable to defend himself. Yamanaka's corner eventually rushed into the ring to protect their fighter, giving Nery the win.^[5] The fight was seen by an audience of over 7 million in Japan.^[6]

On August 24, it was reported that Nery tested positive for zilpaterol, a banned substance.^[7] The sample that tested positive was taken on July 27, while three samples that were taken in August tested negative. Nery claimed he had failed the drug test due to food contamination.^[8] After Nery's B-sample confirmed the result, The Ring reinstated Yamanaka as their bantamweight champion. The WBC is expected to make a decision regarding their bantamweight title in the near future.^[9]

With the WBC yet to make a public ruling, it was announced Nery would be facing Arthur Villanueva in a non-title bout in his hometown, Tijuana, at Estadio Gasmart on November.^[10] In front of a crowd of 16,000, Nery defeated Villanueva with a round 6 TKO, despite being knocked down in round 4. Villanueva claimed that the stoppage was "premature".^[11][12]

On October 31, the WBC made its final ruling on Nery's positive test. The sanctioning body concluded that the positive test was due to contaminated food. Consequently, the result of the Yamanaka-Nery title bout wouldn't be overturned but the WBC ordered a rematch, which was eventually scheduled for March.^[13]

Nery vs. Yamanaka II[]

Nery was once again successful in the rematch, claiming victory with a second-round TKO.

From the outset, Yamanaka attempted to box more conservatively from the outside and had some success in this regard. Nery, however, fired back with a series of savage combinations which visibly hurt Yamanaka, before knocking him down with an overhand left.

The following round was more of the same as Nery stalked and attacked continually, knocking Yamanaka down a total of three times before the fight was waved off.

Ultimately, as Nery weighed in three pounds over the bantamweight limit at 121lbs, the WBC bantamweight title was only at stake for Yamanaka and now remains vacant.^[14]

Professional boxing record[]

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
32	Loss	31–1	Brandon Figueroa	KO	7 (12), 2:18	May 15, 2021	Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, U.S.	Lost WBC super bantamweight title; For WBA (Regular) super bantamweight title
31	Win	31–0	Aarón Alameda	UD	12	Sep 26, 2020	Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.	Won vacant WBC super bantamweight title
30	Win	30–0	Juan Carlos Payano	KO	9 (12), 1:43	Jul 20, 2019	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.	Retained WBC Silver bantamweight title
29	Win	29−0	McJoe Arroyo	RTD	4 (10), 3:00	Mar 16, 2019	AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S.
28	Win	28−0	Renson Robles	TKO	7 (10), 1:16	Dec 1, 2018	Arena Pavillón del Norte, Saltillo, Mexico
27	Win	27−0	Jason Canoy	KO	3 (12), 2:44	Oct 6, 2018	Gasmart Stadium, Tijuana, México	Won vacant WBC Silver bantamweight title
26	Win	26–0	Shinsuke Yamanaka	TKO	2 (12), 1:03	Mar 1, 2018	Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan
25	Win	25–0	Arthur Villanueva	TKO	6 (10), 1:19	Nov 4, 2017	Estadio Gasmart, Tijuana, Mexico
24	Win	24–0	Shinsuke Yamanaka	TKO	4 (12), 2:29	Aug 15, 2017	Shimadzu Arena, Kyoto, Japan	Won WBC and The Ring bantamweight titles; Yamanaka later reinstated as champion by The Ring after Nery failed a drug test
23	Win	23–0	Jesús Martínez	RTD	4 (12), 3:00	Mar 11, 2017	Arena Ciudad de México, Mexico City, Mexico
22	Win	22–0	Raymond Tabugon	TKO	4 (12), 2:42	Dec 17, 2016	El Foro Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico	Won vacant WBC Silver bantamweight title
21	Win	21–0	Richie Mepranum	TKO	2 (10), 0:41	Oct 22, 2016	Auditorio Municipal, Tijuana, Mexico
20	Win	20–0	David Sánchez	RTD	4 (10), 3:00	Jul 30, 2016	Auditorio Municipal, Tijuana, Mexico	Retained WBC Continental Americas bantamweight title
19	Win	19–0	Martín Casillas	UD	10	Apr 16, 2016	Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera, Mexico City, Mexico	Won vacant WBC Continental Americas bantamweight title
18	Win	18–0	Humberto Morales	TKO	5 (10), 0:17	Jan 30, 2016	Centro de Convenciones, Rosarito, Mexico
17	Win	17–0	John Mark Apolinario	TKO	2 (10), 2:57	Sep 26, 2015	Centro de Convenciones, Puerto Peñasco, Mexico
16	Win	16–0	Jether Oliva	RTD	4 (10), 3:00	Feb 28, 2015	Centro de Convenciones, Rosarito, Mexico
15	Win	15–0	Carlos Fontes	TKO	8 (8), 2:17	Dec 6, 2014	Centro de Usos Múltiples, Hermosillo, Mexico
14	Win	14–0	Víctor Méndez	SD	8	Aug 30, 2014	Centro de Usos Múltiples, Hermosillo, Mexico
13	Win	13–0	José Estrella	RTD	5 (8), 0:10	Jun 27, 2014	Hipódromo Caliente, Tijuana, Mexico
12	Win	12–0	Antonio Rodríguez	KO	3 (8), 2:28	Apr 11, 2014	Hipódromo Caliente, Tijuana, Mexico
11	Win	11–0	Javier Cifuentes	KO	4 (6)	Feb 15, 2014	Feria Mesoamericana, Tapachula, Mexico
10	Win	10–0	Adán Osuna	TKO	1 (8), 1:56	Dec 13, 2013	Hipódromo Caliente, Tijuana, Mexico
9	Win	9–0	Oswaldo Castro	UD	8	Oct 26, 2013	Hipódromo Caliente, Tijuana, Mexico
8	Win	8–0	Saúl Hernández	TKO	5 (6), 1:04	Aug 23, 2013	Forum Tecate, Tijuana, Mexico
7	Win	7–0	Rafael Alvarado	TKO	2 (6), 1:31	Jun 14, 2013	Hipódromo Caliente, Tijuana, Mexico
6	Win	6–0	Marino Canete	TKO	2 (4), 2:09	Apr 10, 2013	Salón Las Pulgas, Tijuana, Mexico
5	Win	5–0	Leonardo Reyes	TKO	1 (4), 2:18	Feb 16, 2013	Auditorio Municipal, Tijuana, Mexico
4	Win	4–0	Joan Sandoval	UD	4	Nov 28, 2012	Salón Las Pulgas, Tijuana, Mexico
3	Win	3–0	Carlos Castañeda	UD	4	Sep 20, 2012	Salón Las Pulgas, Tijuana, Mexico
2	Win	2–0	Javier Miranda	UD	4	Jun 7, 2012	Salón Las Pulgas, Tijuana, Mexico
1	Win	1–0	José Guadalupe Salgado	TKO	1 (4), 1:04	May 5, 2012	Auditorio Municipal, Tijuana, Mexico

See also[]

• List of Mexican boxing world champions

References[]

External links[]

• Boxing record for Luis Nery from BoxRec