Genaro Hernandez

Genaro Hernandez (born May 10, 1966) is a former boxer from California who currently works as a compubox technician for HBO Boxing and he has also worked on that area for ESPN.

Hernandez, 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.

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 Hernandez to enter the WBA Jr. Lightweight rankings.

Hernandez then won seven more fights, four by knockout, including one over former world title challenger Felipe Orozco, and another one, his first professional fight abroad, a three round knockout over Leon Collins in Tokyo, Japan.

Exactly two years after his win over Rojas, Hernandez got his first world title try, against Daniel Londas, on November 22 of 1991 at Epernay, France. Hernandez did not disappoint those who had predicted him to be a future world champion: He knocked out world champion Londas in nine rounds at Londas' hometown, becoming world Jr. Lightweight champion.

In 1992, he retained the 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.

His next fight proved historic, albeit for the wrong reasons. Defending on April 26, 1993, once again at Inglewood against former world Featherweight champion Raul Perez, Hernandez 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 Hernandez, and Perez bled profusely from an arteric vein on his forehead. The referee summoned the ring doctor, who decided the fight should be stopped, and Perez required immediate surgery.

They had a rematch on June 28, and Hernandez retained the world title by a knockout in round eight. Hernandez closed the year by defeating Harold Warren by decision, once again, retaining the title.

In 1994, Hernandez retained the title twice, including a victory over Jimmy Garcia, who would later die after a fight with Gabriel Ruelas. By the end of 1994, Hernandez was clamoring for a world title fight against crosstown rival, WBO world Lightweight champion Oscar de la Hoya.

After eight successful title defenses, Hernandez vacated his WBA super featherweight title in order to face De La Hoya in the upcoming year. Hernandez began 1995 by beating another Mexican boxing legend, "Jorge Maromero Paez", by a knockout in eight rounds at Inglewood. The Hernandez-Paez fight was overshadowed by another news that rattled the Hispanic world that day: It happened on the day that Selena Quintanilla was killed.

Then, on September 9, the highly anticipated encounter between him and de la Hoya happened, at Las Vegas. Hernandez lost for the first time in his career, knocked out in six rounds by the younger, heavier de la Hoya. Up until the fight's end, the judges had de la Hoya holding a lead on all three scorecards. Hernandez laid off for a while, but his lay off it turned out to be a brief one, and by 1996, he was back inside the ring, winning two bouts that year.

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. Ahead on all scorecards at the end of rond seven, he was hit on his throat by a Nelson punch after the bell. He needed some time to recuperate, 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. But Hernandez said something on the line of "I want to win it like real champions do", and he went back at the beginning of round eight, finally winning the world Jr. Lightweight title for a second time, defeating Nelson by split decision in twelve rounds.

He defended this 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.

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. 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, 17 wins by knockout. He had intended to challenge WBC world Lightweight champion Cesar Bazan before the diagnoses.

After ending his impressive career as a world class prize fighter, Hernandez opted to share his wealth of boxing knowledge with the next generation of fighters.

Hernandez was a staple of the major cable television boxing shows during his days as world champion, fighting mainly on HBO Boxing and Pay Per View fights. He is a generally well liked member of the Hispanic community in the United States, and many boxing fans advocate for him to become a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in a nearby future.

See also

* List of WBC world champions

External links

*