Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Genaro Hernández, American boxer, died from cancer he was , 45.

 Genaro Hernández was a Mexican-American boxer from South Central Los Angeles. Hernández is the former WBA and WBC Super Featherweight Champion died from cancer he was , 45.. Genaro even worked as a compubox technician for HBO Boxing and a boxing instructor in Southern California. During his days as a world champion Hernández was a staple of the major cable television boxing shows with most of his fights broadcast on HBO Boxing.In the course of his career Genaro held several World Championships.

(May 10, 1966 – June 7, 2011)

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.[10] 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 Jr. Lightweight rankings.[11] 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.[12]

WBA Super Featherweight Championship

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.[13] 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.[14]
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.[15] In the June 28th 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 sadly 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 world Lightweight champion Oscar De La Hoya.[16]
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 Hispanic world that day: The death of famed Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla.[17]

WBO Lightweight Championship

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 as he was knocked out in six rounds by the younger, heavier De La Hoya.[18] 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.[19]

WBC Super Featherweight Championship

In 1997, he fought what almost turned into another controversial fight when he challenged Azumah Nelson for the WBC world Jr. Lightweight title, in Corpus Christi, Texas.[20] 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.[21] 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 finally won the World Jr. Lightweight title for a second time by defeating Nelson with a split decision victory.[22]
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.[23]

Retirement

In what would turn out to be his last fight, on October 3 of 1998 he lost the crown to Floyd Mayweather Jr. by an 8th round retirement.[24] In December of that year, 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 world Lightweight champion César Bazán before the diagnosis.[25]

Professional record

Result
Opponent
Type
Round
Date
Location
Notes
Loss
RTD
8
1998-10-03
Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Lost WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win
UD
12
1998-05-16
Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, United States
Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win
UD
12
1997-11-20
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win
SD
12
1997-06-14
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, United States
Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win
SD
12
1997-03-22
Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Won WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win
Antonio Hernandez
UD
10
1996-09-28
Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Win
Javier Pichardo
TKO
5
1996-05-08
Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, United States

Loss
RTD
6
1995-09-09
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
WBO Lightweight title on the line.
Win
TKO
8
1995-03-31
Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California, United States

Win
Jimmy Garcia
UD
12
1994-11-12
Plaza Mexico, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win
Jorge Ramirez
TKO
8
1994-01-31
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win
UD
12
1993-10-11
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win
KO
8
1993-06-28
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Draw
TD
1
1993-04-26
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
WBA World Super Featherweight title on the line.
Win
Yuji Watanabe
TKO
6
1992-11-20
Metropolitan Gym, Tokyo, Japan
Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win
Masuaki Takeda
UD
12
1992-07-15
International Center, Fukuoka, Japan
Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win
UD
12
1992-02-24
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Retained WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win
TKO
9
1991-11-22
Complex Sport le COMEP, Épernay, Marne, France
Won vacant WBA World Super Featherweight title.
Win
Pedro Arroyo
DQ
10
1991-02-11
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States

Win
Rodolfo Gomez
KO
5
1990-12-06
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States

Win
Ben Lopez
TKO
6
1990-09-22
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States

Win
Richard Abila
KO
3
1990-08-27
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States

Win
Leon Collins
KO
3
1990-05-10
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan

Win
Felipe Orozco
UD
10
1989-07-31
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States

Win
Ed Pollard
UD
10
1989-05-15
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States

Win
Refugio Rojas
KO
6
1988-11-22
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Won USA California State Super Featherweight title.
Win
Jose Mosqueda
UD
10
1988-07-25
Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States

Win
Juan Manuel Vega
TKO
9
1988-04-25
Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States

Win
Kenny Wyatt
UD
10
1987-08-31
Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States

Win
J L Ivey
UD
10
1986-12-12
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Win
Lupe Miranda
UD
10
1986-09-12
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Win
Terry Baldwin
TKO
7
1986-07-21
Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States

Win
Jorge Valdez
TKO
3
1986-04-28
Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States

Win
Larry Villarreal
UD
6
1986-03-31
Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States

Win
Terry Baldwin
KO
2
1986-02-24
Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States

Win
Pablo Montano
TKO
2
1986-02-17
Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Win
Jose Maytorena
KO
1
1985-12-12
Fairgrounds, Bakersfield, California, United States

Win
Randy Archuleta
UD
6
1985-10-29
Stockton, California, United States

Win
Dino Ramirez
UD
6
1985-06-24
Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, United States

Win
Martin Escobar
UD
4
1984-11-17
Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States

Win
Dino Ramirez
UD
4
1984-09-27
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Genaro's professional debut.

Life after boxing

After retiring from boxing Hernández was diagnosed with fourth-stage 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,[26] he was not able to afford his expensive treatments and benefits were held to assist in paying what insurance would not cover. In mid 2009 it was reported that Hernández' cancer was in remission [27] but in early 2010 the cancer had returned and Hernández was undergoing treatment.[28] On June 3rd, 2011, it was announced that Hernández would stop chemotherapy treatment.[29]
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.[30]

Death

Hernández died from cancer on June 7, 2011 at the age of 45.[31]

 

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