Genaro Hernández

Genaro Hernández (May 10, 1966 – June 7, 2011)^[1] was a Mexican-American^[2] boxer from South Central Los Angeles.^[3] Hernández was WBC, WBA, & Lineal super featherweight champion.^[4][5]

Pro career

Hernández, a Mexican-American, enjoyed a distinguished career as a professional boxer. His debut as a paid fighter came on September 27, 1984, when he beat Dino Ramirez by a decision in four rounds at Inglewood.^[6] He racked up a record of 13–0 with 6 knockouts and a solid reputation as a future champion around Southern California, when he met former Julio César Chávez world title challenger Refugio Rojas on November 22, 1988. He beat Rojas, who had lasted seven rounds against Chávez, by a knockout in round six. This enabled Hernández to enter the WBA super featherweight rankings.^[7] Hernandez went on to win seven more fights, four by knockout, including one over former world title challenger Felipe Orozco, and another, in his first professional fight abroad: a three round knockout over Leon Collins in Tokyo, Japan.^[8]

WBA super featherweight title

Exactly two years after his win over Rojas, Hernández got his first world title try, against Daniel Londas, on November 22, 1991 at Épernay, France. Hernández did not disappoint those who had predicted him to be a future world champion as he knocked out world champion Londas in nine rounds in front of Londas' hometown crowd, becoming World Junior Lightweight champion.^[9] In 1992, he defended his crown twice, knocking out Omar Catari in six rounds and, travelling to Japan once more, defeating challengers Masuaki Takeda and Yuji Watanabe, Takeda by decision and Watanabe by knockout in six.^[10]

His next fight proved historic, albeit for the wrong reasons. Defending on April 26, 1993, once again at Inglewood against former world featherweight champion Raúl Pérez, Hernández had to settle for a first round technical draw. This was the first, and so far only, world title fight in which no punches were landed. Right after the initial bell, Perez headbutted Hernández, and Perez bled profusely from an arteric vein on his forehead. The referee summoned the ring doctor, who decided the fight should be stopped as Perez required immediate surgery.^[11] In the June 28 rematch later that year, Hernández retained the world title by a knockout in round eight. Hernandez then closed the year by defeating Harold Warren by decision to once again keep his title. In 1994, Hernandez retained the title twice, including a victory over Jimmy Garcia, (who would die later after a fight with Gabriel Ruelas). By the end of 1994, Hernández was clamoring for a world title fight against crosstown rival and WBO lightweight champion Oscar De La Hoya.^[12]

After eight successful title defenses, Hernández vacated his WBA super featherweight title in order to face De La Hoya in the upcoming year. Hernández began 1995 by beating another Mexican boxing legend, Jorge Maromero Páez, by a knockout in eight rounds at Inglewood. The Hernández-Páez fight was overshadowed by another news that rattled the Latino world that day: The death of famed Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla.^[13]

Lightweight

On September 9, the highly anticipated encounter between Hernández and de la Hoya took place in Las Vegas. Hernández lost for the first time in his career, retiring from the fight at the end of the sixth round, his nose bloody: He returned to his corner, but without sitting down motioned to his team that he did not want to continue the fight. Reportedly, he had come to the fight with a nose previously injured in a sparring session.^[14] Up until the fight's end, the judges had de la Hoya holding a lead on all three scorecards. After the loss Hernández took some brief time off but by 1996 he was back inside the ring, winning two bouts that year.^[15]

WBC & Lineal super featherweight titles

In 1997, he fought what almost turned into another controversial fight when he challenged Azumah Nelson in a title bout for the WBC & Lineal super featherweight titles, in Corpus Christi, Texas.^[4][16] Ahead on all scorecards at the end of round seven, he was hit in his throat by a Nelson punch after the bell. He needed some time to recuperate from the illegal late hit, and WBC President José Sulaiman came to his corner and informed him that if he could not continue he would be declared winner by disqualification.^[17] Hernández told Sulaiman something along the lines of I want to win it like real champions do, and he went back to the fight at the beginning of round eight. The fight ended after twelve rounds and Hernández won the Super featherweight titles by defeating Nelson with a split decision victory.^[18]

Hernández went on to defend his crown against such capable challengers as future super featherweight champion Anatoly Alexandrov, Carlos Gerena and another future world champion Carlos Famoso Hernandez, a gym-mate and personal friend who would later become El Salvador's first world boxing champion in history.^[19]

In what would turn out to be his last fight, on October 3 of 1998 he lost his titles to Floyd Mayweather Jr. by an 8th round retirement.^[20]

Retirement

In December 1998, after he was diagnosed with a blood clot and a torn cartilage muscle, he announced his retirement with a record of 38 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw, with 17 of those wins coming by knockout. He had intended to challenge WBC lightweight champion César Bazán before the diagnosis.^[21]

Professional record

Result	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	Floyd Mayweather Jr.	RTD	8	October 3, 1998	Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost WBC & Lineal super featherweight titles.
Win	Carlos Gerena	UD	12	May 16, 1998	Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California	Retained WBC & Lineal super featherweight titles.
Win	Carlos Hernandez	UD	12	November 20, 1997	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California	Retained WBC & Lineal super featherweight titles.
Win	Anatoly Alexandrov	SD	12	June 14, 1997	Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas	Retained WBC & Lineal super featherweight titles.
Win	Azumah Nelson	SD	12	March 22, 1997	Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, Texas	Won WBC & Lineal super featherweight titles.
Win	Antonio Hernandez	UD	10	September 28, 1996	Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Win	Javier Pichardo	TKO	5	May 8, 1996	Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California
Loss	Oscar De La Hoya	RTD	6	September 9, 1995	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	For WBO lightweight title.
Win	Jorge Paez	TKO	8	March 31, 1995	Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California
Win	Jimmy Garcia	UD	12	November 12, 1994	Plaza Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico	Retained WBA super featherweight title.
Win	Jorge Ramirez	TKO	8	January 31, 1994	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California	Retained WBA super featherweight title.
Win	Harold Warren	UD	12	October 11, 1993	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California	Retained WBA super featherweight title.
Win	Raul Perez	KO	8	June 28, 1993	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California	Retained WBA super featherweight title.
Draw	Raul Perez	TD	1	April 26, 1993	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California	Retained WBA super featherweight title.
Win	Yuji Watanabe	TKO	6	November 20, 1992	Metropolitan Gym, Tokyo, Japan	Retained WBA super featherweight title.
Win	Masuaki Takeda	UD	12	July 15, 1992	International Center, Fukuoka, Japan	Retained WBA super featherweight title.
Win	Omar Catari	UD	12	February 24, 1992	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California	Retained WBA super featherweight title.
Win	Daniel Londas	TKO	9	November 22, 1991	Complex Sport le COMEP, Épernay, Marne, France	Won vacant WBA super featherweight title.
Win	Pedro Arroyo	DQ	10	February 11, 1991	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
Win	Rodolfo Gomez	KO	5	December 6, 1990	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
Win	Ben Lopez	TKO	6	September 22, 1990	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
Win	Richard Abila	KO	3	August 27, 1990	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
Win	Leon Collins	KO	3	May 10, 1990	Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Win	Felipe Orozco	UD	10	July 31, 1989	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
Win	Ed Pollard	UD	10	May 15, 1989	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
Win	Refugio Rojas	KO	6	November 22, 1988	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California	Won USA California State super featherweight title.
Win	Jose Mosqueda	UD	10	July 25, 1988	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California
Win	Juan Manuel Vega	TKO	9	April 25, 1988	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California
Win	Kenny Wyatt	UD	10	August 31, 1987	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California
Win	J L Ivey	UD	10	December 12, 1986	Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	Lupe Miranda	UD	10	September 12, 1986	Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	Terry Baldwin	TKO	7	July 21, 1986	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California
Win	Jorge Valdez	TKO	3	April 28, 1986	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California
Win	Larry Villarreal	UD	6	March 31, 1986	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California
Win	Terry Baldwin	KO	2	February 24, 1986	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California
Win	Pablo Montano	TKO	2	February 17, 1986	Phoenix, Arizona
Win	Jose Maytorena	KO	1	December 12, 1985	Fairgrounds, Bakersfield, California
Win	Randy Archuleta	UD	6	October 29, 1985	Stockton, California
Win	Dino Ramirez	UD	6	June 24, 1985	Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California
Win	Martin Escobar	UD	4	November 17, 1984	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Win	Dino Ramirez	UD	4	September 27, 1984	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California	Genaro's professional debut.

Life after boxing

After retiring from boxing Hernández was diagnosed with stage four cancer of the head and neck, a very rare form of cancer, and one which Hernández' insurance would not cover for treatment. Although Hernández has collected several large purses in his career, including $600,000 for his final fight against Mayweather,^[22] he was not able to afford his expensive treatments and benefits were held to assist in paying what insurance would not cover. Robert Arum, of Top Rank Promotions, who promoted Hernandez, footed Hernandez' bills for chemotherapy for a number of years, until he died, also having him brought to and from the chemotherapy sessions. In mid 2009 it was reported that Hernández' cancer was in remission^[23] but in early 2010 the cancer had returned and Hernández was undergoing treatment.^[24] On June 3, 2011, it was announced that Hernández would stop chemotherapy treatment.^[25]

Hernández worked as a boxing instructor at the LA Boxing Gym in Lake Forest, California until early 2011. He helped out in a broadcast of a boxing match in Maywood after that.^[26]

Death

Hernández died from cancer on June 7, 2011, at the age of 45 .^[27]

See also

• List of Mexican boxing world champions
• List of super featherweight boxing champions
• List of WBC world champions
• List of WBA world champions

References

External links

• Professional boxing record for Genaro Hernández from BoxRec