Troy Isley looks the part. He has muscles protruding from every part of his body, has the amateur background, and the swagger needed to take his career to the next level. Oh, and he really knows how to fight.
Looking the part and being able to get the job done, however, are two vastly different things. Ultimately, Top Rank, the promotional banner he fights under, wants to see what they have in the talented 25-year-old. On November 16th, on a rare Thursday show, Isley will be asked to take on the most dangerous opponent of his career.
On the night, the D.C. native will face off against Vladimir Hernandez. On paper, the five losses saddled to his record might look deceiving. Yet, when you take a closer look at who he’s shared the ring with, you’ll notice that Hernandez was forced to fight a murderous row of opponents. He hasn’t always come out on top, but he didn’t always come out on the losing end either.
Considering who he faced and the hell he gave them, Isley (10-0, 4 KOs) is spending more time than usual in the gym as he puts the finishing touches on his training camp.
“I’m always focused,” Isley told ThaBoxingVoice. “I don’t ever take any opponent lightly but Vladimir is a tough veteran. He’s been in there with good guys, some world champions. He’s been in there with (Jesus) Ramos, he’s been in there with (Julian Williams) Jrock. He’s been in there with some people.”
It wasn’t Hernandez’s night when he fought Ramos, losing via sixth-round stoppage, but he looked incredibly sharp against Jrock, beating the former junior middleweight champ in 2021. Jrock wasn’t the only time that Hernandez gave the proverbial middle finger to oddsmakers.
Actually, just a few short months ago, Hernandez added another young prospect to his graveyard of wins as he beat the previously undefeated Lorenzo Simpson by majority decision.
At times, Isley tends to sit in the pocket, plant his feet, and exchange with his opponents. This time around, he’ll be more docile to his coaches. With the biggest test of his young career just a few weeks away, Isley knows good and well that if he makes the wrong move, he could kiss his perfect record goodbye.
“I gotta come with my A game.”