Julian Fernandez wouldn't have realized it in the moment, but he was lucky that someone invented boxing rings with ropes around the outside.
Frank Sanchez sent Fernandez through the ropes to earn a seventh-round TKO win Saturday night. A big right hand followed by two more swings sent Fernandez tumbling backward out of the ring. The ropes held Fernandez up for a moment before he crumbled to the canvas.
FRANK SANCHEZ PUT HIM THROUGH THE ROPES 😱 pic.twitter.com/HeOBXVsjND
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 20, 2020
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The strong finish helped Sanchez maintain his perfect record. He's now 17-0 in his career. The loss dropped Fernandez to 13-3. The fight was part of the undercard for Canelo Alvarez vs. Callum Smith at the Alamodome in San Antonio and live on DAZN.
"I want fans to get excited about my fights and enjoy my fights," Sanchez told BoxingScene.com before the fight through a translator. "It’s very important for me shine in this fight. It’s such a big stage, and I just want to give everyone the same kind of performance and have them talking about me after this fight as well. I’m looking forward to putting on a similar performance.”
Sanchez was mostly dominant during the bout as he consistently hit Fernandez. SN's Andreas Hale termed the final blow as putting Fernandez "out of his misery."
It's not uncommon for Sanchez to win a fight in this fashion. He has now won via knockout in 13 of his 17 fights. After being a part of the "co-featured" fight right before Canelo-Smith, it's possible Sanchez will have an even bigger stage his next time in the ring after that big finish.