Jadier Herrera doesn’t believe he’s anywhere close to his ceiling. The 23-year-old Cuban lightweight climbed off the canvas, gathered himself, and ultimately seized the WBC interim lightweight title with a hard-fought victory Saturday night then made it clear he’s hunting much bigger things at 135 pounds.
“This is not the limit, I want more at 135,” Herrera said through a translator in a post-fight Queensberry interview. “I feel amazing. I come from nothing. This is one dream.”
That dream was tested early and often by rugged veteran Ricardo Núñez (26-8, 22 KOs), who dropped Herrera with a sharp right hand in the opening round. It marked just the second knockdown of Herrera’s career, but it briefly threatened to derail his night.
Instead, it revealed something just as important as power: resolve.
Early Trouble, Strong Response
Herrera (now the WBC interim titleholder at lightweight) brushed off the knockdown quickly, though the moment echoed a lapse he experienced earlier in his career against Mark John Yap in 2022. This time, however, the lesson stuck.
“It was like a surprise, but I didn’t feel dizzy or nothing this is boxing,” Herrera said. “I knew I needed to change in the fourth and fifth rounds. More jabs, feints, and more pressure.”
That adjustment proved decisive. After regrouping, Herrera began asserting himself with sharper footwork, increased punch variety, and steady pressure that wore Núñez down as the fight progressed.
Trainer Sees Growth and More to Come
Herrera’s trainer, Joe McNally, acknowledged the early mistake but praised his fighter’s response.
“We worked a lot on hand positioning in this camp,” McNally said. “Unfortunately, he lost concentration straight away and got caught but he showed his character, got up, regrouped, and took over after the knockdown.”
The bout came together under less-than-ideal circumstances. Herrera and Núñez were originally scheduled to meet on the Joseph Parker–Fabio Wardley undercard in October, but the eventual rescheduling left Herrera with just a four-week training camp. Given those constraints, the performance only reinforced the belief that a fully prepared Herrera could be far more dangerous.
A Rising Name at Lightweight
Since aligning with Queensberry Promotions in May 2024, Herrera has rattled off four stoppage victories, though he boxed only once in 2025 prior to this title opportunity. Despite still being a work in progress defensively, his power, composure under fire, and willingness to engage make him must-watch television.
Those traits place him in an intriguing group of emerging lightweight talents alongside new WBO beltholder Abdullah Mason and highly ranked contender Floyd Schofield all young, talented, and still evolving.
Herrera is not yet the finished product, but he’s knocking loudly on the door of The Ring’s top-10 contenders. With increased activity and a steady rise in competition, his long-term upside is hard to ignore.
McNally certainly isn’t.
“This kid has got the potential 23 years of age, interim world champion,” he said. “With a full camp, he can be untouchable and stay at the top of the sport for a long time. He showed maturity, stayed cool, calm, and calculated. I’m so happy for him because he deserves everything he gets.”
For Jadier Herrera, Saturday night wasn’t the destination just another checkpoint. And judging by his words and his response under fire, the climb at 135 pounds is only just beginning.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
