By Alexey Sukachev

Mulheim, Germany - We've got a new WBA interim champion crowned in Germany. He is a cruiserweight. He is from Cuba. His name is Yoan Pablo Hernandez (24-1, 13 KOs) and tonight he erased his last bad memories from a loss to Wayne Braithwaite almost three years ago. To do so WBA #1, WBO #6 and IBF #11 Germany-based Cuban southpaw had to break down the reigning interim champion Steve Herelius (21-2-1, 12 KOs) of Noisy-Le-Grand, France, which he perfectly did at 1:19 of the seventh round.

It wasn't Herelius' night from the first minute of the very first stanza. The Cuban stylist, as tactically prepared and as physically gifted as ever, was in Frenchman's face from round one. He boxed cautiously but effectively giving little chance for Herelius to deliver any punches of note. The French champion fidgeted and made a handful of extra unnecessary moves in the ring looking nervous and unprepared for a fight of such magnitude. Hernandez was more active despite being a devensive fighter and easily took rounds one to four.

After the fourth round, some mess had broken out. Herelius' corner seriously exceeded the time limit between rounds four and five claiming an accidental injury of their fighter's left leg, which was tightened in the fourth round. Referee Steve Smoger first mentioned a "No Contest" as a possible outcome of the bout, then asked for judges' scorecards to be taken into account but finally let the fight go. That didn't help Herelius a bit as he was slowly punished in both the fifth and the sixth rounds.

In the seventh stanza, Hernandez invited the champion in and landed a perfect left counter to rock Herelius badly and then put him down with yet another left hand. The Frenchman barely stood up but was immediately finished with another spree of Cuban's punches.