Melissa Hernández


Melissa Hernández Pacheco 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. She is a member of the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame.

Amateur career

She took up boxing to lose weight when she tipped the scales at. 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, and she signed up to fight at. 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 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. Jeffries was now 33-9-1 while Hernández was just 3-0-1 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 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.
In October 2025, she was named among the inductees for the 2026 International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame class.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
35Loss23–9–3Carla TorresUD6 2023-07-29John T. Rhodes Sports Center, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S.
34Loss23–8–3Chantelle CameronTKO5 2021-05-29Michelob Ultra Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.For WBC light-welterweight title
33Win23–7–3Selina BarriosUD8 2019-04-27Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
32Loss22–7–3Layla McCarterUD8 2016-07-16Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
31Win22–6–3Gina ChamieTKO1 2015-10-08Radisson Grand Ballroom, Rochester, New York, U.S.
30Win21–6–3Loli MunozUD10 2015-06-12Amazura Concert Hall, Queens, New York, U.S.Won vacant
29Win20–6–3Ashleigh CurryUD8 2015-04-18Main Street Armory, Rochester, New York, U.S.
28Loss19–6–3Layla McCarterUD8 2014-11-21The Orleans, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
27Win19–5–3Nicole WoodsMD8 2014-03-01North Atlanta Trade Center, Norcross, Georgia, U.S.
26Loss18–5–3Marcela AcuñaUD10 2013-07-13Club Defensores de Villa Lujan, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
25Loss18–4–3Jelena MrdjenovichTD6 2013-05-31Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, CanadaLost WBC featherweight champion
24Win18–3–3Jelena MrdjenovichUD10 2012-09-14Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, CanadaWon WBC featherweight champion
23Win17–3–3Nicole WoodsUD10 2012-07-28Columbus Civic Center, Columbus, Georgia, U.S.
22Loss16–3–3Érica FaríasUD10 2011-12-16Arena Maipú, Maipú, Mendoza, ArgentinaFor WBC lightweight title
21Win16–2–3Christina TaiTKO4 2011-09-24Grand Star Receptions, Altona North, Australia
20Win15–2–3Jelena MrdjenovichSD8 2011-06-24Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, Canada
19Win14–2–3David MorrisonTKO4 2011-01-20Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
18Draw13–2–3Lindsay GarbattMD10 2010-10-16Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel, Bernalillo, New Mexico, U.S.Retained WIBA super-featherweight title;
For vacant GBU super-featherweight title
17Win13–2–2Victoria CisnerosUD8 2010-08-14Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel, Bernalillo, New Mexico, U.S.
16Loss12–2–2Lindsay GarbattMD8 2010-06-05National Guard Armory, Evansville, Indiana, U.S.
15Win12–1–2Ela NunezUD6 2010-02-19Tri-State Sport Complex,Aston Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
14Win11–1–2Ambar FajardoTKO5 2009-07-21Atlapa Convention Centre, Panama City, Panama
13Win10–1–2Jeri SitzesUD6 2009-05-09The Joint, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
12Win9–1–2Ela NunezUD10 2008-09-05Buffalo Bill's Star Arena, Primm, Nevada, U.S.Won vacant WIBA super-featherweight title
11Win8–1–2Melissa FiorentinoTKO3 2008-06-07Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut, U.S.
10Draw7–1–2Chevelle HallbackSD10 2008-02-07Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California, U.S.For vacant IFBA lightweight title
9Win7–1–1Layla McCarterMD8 2007-04-27The Orleans, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Won
8Loss6–1–1Layla McCarterRTD8 2007-02-14The Orleans, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.For
7Win6–0–1Lisa BrownUD10 2006-11-04Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, CanadaWon vacant WIBA super-bantamweight title
6Win5–0–1Stacey RogersTKO3 2006-08-31Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, U.S.
5Win4–0–1Leora JacksonUD6 2006-06-30Club Europe, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
4Draw3–0–1Kelsey JeffriesSD10 2006-06-15Seven Feathers Casino Resort, Canyonville, Oregon, U.S.For
3Win3–0Merced NunezUD4 2006-04-29Silver Reef Casino Resort, Ferndale, Washington, U.S.
2Win2–0Jennifer JohnsonTKO1 2006-01-21White Rock Gym, Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
1Win1–0Zhang Mao MaoUD4 2005-10-26Hilton Hotel, New York City, New York, U.S.