Genaro Hernandez
GENARO’S COURAGE VS. “BIG C” AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL!
San Francisco, CA
– When it comes to people in boxing, few have the class and dignity of Genaro Hernandez. A former two-time world champion, Hernandez has been battling Cancer for about one year now. Never one to pounce on the negative, Genero appeared with host Pedro Fernandez on a recent edition of “Ring Talk Worldwide,” the longest running, 26+ years, fight show in history. Taken from the live broadcast, the conversation was transcribed by our own Edwin “Ace” Ayala.
RingTalk (RT) – G, how are you man?
Genaro Hernandez (GH) – I’m good Pedro, thanks for having me on your show. Like to say hi to everyone in the San Francisco area and anyone listening to your show.
RT– We’re worldwide on the Sports Byeline Broadcast Network, they have us in syndication. More importantly Genaro how are you feeling?
GH– I’m feeling alot better if you had caught me two weeks ago I would have told you I was feeling like an old man who needed a cane.
RT– So what’s the difference in two weeks, what brought about the change?
GH– Well I started on radiation and I have done seven days already. It was so bad that was waking up in the mornings feeling as if my spinal cord was gonna break in half. I couldn’t move or get up without pain. So that led me to a Doctor and she said the cancer was disturbing a nerve or bone in my back. She recommended radiation and after the first treatment the pain was gone.
RT– That’s fantastic man. Looking at your career who was you toughest fighter, toughest fight.
GH– Toughest fight I had was against a fighter called who comes to mind was a guy called J L Ivey, he was trained by Emanuel Steward, who at the time ran the Kronk Gym. He had a record of 21 wins and five losses. It was my second ten round fight at the time and he had the experience and to my understanding his five losses were to some type of champion.
WBA Champ Genaro Hernandez circa 1992
RT– J L Ivey who you fought in December of 1986 that was in Las Vegas. Of course you also fought at the Marriot in Irvine at the Forum across the pond to Tokyo, Japan, you ever fight in Europe, ever make it to Europe.
GH– I did fight in France, I fought on November 22nd when I won my first world title, the WBA junior lightweight (130 lb) belt. I fought a guy by the name of Daniel Londas, who was champion at the time.
RT– That was in 1991, the day that Kennedy was shot of course November 22nd a great day for you to celebrate Genaro but when you look back one of the worst days in U.S. history. Anyway Jorge Linares was tough, ex-champ Raul Perez who you had a draw with, before coming back to drill him in eight. There wae a time there where boxing was happening at the Inglewood Forum every two weeks or so. You were apart of that and take us back to the boxing days at the Forum. People don’t realize that was the hottest spot for boxing in the country for the 1990’s, no question about it.
GHRuben Olivares, Danny Lopez were just two of the great great fighters who came out of there and I always wanted to be one of them or at least be identified in one way or another with the Forum.
RT– You talk about great fighters, Genaro Hernandez is our guest folks, former two time world champion with a record of 38-2 with 17 KOs, how many title defenses did you have there, I counted at least thirteen or fourteen somewhere around there.
GH – Well I had seven or eight WBA title defenses there and that was defending my WBC belt so I would say probably about twelve fights.
RT– You know when I look back at the Forum and of course before you mentioned Olivares, Lopez and Bobby Chacon, the void was never filled, they thought the Staples Center was going to fill the void, maybe for a few big fights. The Olympic Auditorium they tried to remodel that but were never able to get people to buy tickets. Why is that, was it because of the neighborhood?
GH– No it had nothing to with the neighborhood it was the promoters bringing in fighters that weren’t really attracting the people. I remember going to the auditorium in the late ‘70s when they had great fighters fighting eachother. You had Guty Espadas, Danny Lopez, Armando Ortiz, and Oscar Munoz you had many talented fighters fighting there in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Then the fighters didn’t want to fight each other or they wanted too much money when in reality they weren’t paying too much at the time.
RT– I fought at the Olympic lost the state title I think to a kid called Kevin (Keith?) Payne back in the mid 1980’s as an amateur, reminds me Danny Valdevia, the ring announcer at the Olympic, is he still around Genaro?
GH– No passed away about just recently about six months ago.
RT– I didn’t know that. God bless his soul he was a good guy always treated me with class every time I saw him either in Los Angeles or Vegas and he was the voice of L.A. boxing no question about it.
GH– He was a very classy gentleman. I have all the respect for him; you know he announced my first fight at the Marriott Hotel.
RT– That’s what I mean about him he’s part of a lot of lives, and yet people don’t know much about him. They know about Michael Buffer and Jimmy Lennon, but Danny was an important part of California boxing especially around the City of Angels. Shifting gears with Genaro Hernandez, Manny Pacquiao moving up in weight, you know I tried to move up in weight from 139 in the amateurs to 147 to fight Ernie Chavez in Las Vegas in the nationals. He made 147 but by fight time he weighed a lot more and he hit me so hard. I’ve never ever ever ever been hit so hard in my life. Now Manny Pacquiao moves up from 107 to take punishment from guys that are 130, 135, 147 and now 150 lbs. Is this possible, is it logical, normal, legitimate?
GH– It is and I’ll tell you why as your body gets heavier it gets stronger as well and it all depends on the fighter some fighters can take punches and some can’t resist. It’s all about resistance and with Manny’s training and sparring partners who are heavier he’s able to build resistance and punishment. When I was fighting at 130 lbs I was sparring against junior middleweights and middleweights because I wanted to get in the ring in the best shape I could and be able to take the punch of much heavier guy. Then when I face a fighter at 130 I won’t feel it.
RH – Genaro Hernandez our guest folks former two time champion, Genaro does Manny Pacquaio beat Floyd Mayweather if and ever they meet or what?
GH– You know that’s a fight everyone wants to see but I honestly don’t believe it will be an exciting fight because styles make fights and Mayweather’s style isn’t pleasant for a fighter like Manny. Manny is an aggressive fighter and Mayweather with all do respect is the one of the greatest fighters of all. He only fights a certain way and when he wants to. I believe the fight for Manny should be Sergio Martinez.
RT– Speaking of Sergio Martinez, have you ever seen anybody knocked out the way Paul Williams did I mean POW!! Lights out.
GH– I mean that was a devastating overhand left that landed right on the chin that Paul Williams didn’t see coming. And besides that, his head hit the canvas face first, when that happens you don’t get up. I believe it should be knockout of the year.
RT– The great Genaro Hernandez, I hope you come back to see us real soon man.
GH– It’s always a pleasure to a guest on your show and I can only hope the answers and insights I give live up to the expectations to those tuning in.
Radio interview transcribed by Edwin “Ace” Ayala