I got the text from my cousin on Tuesday night that Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez had passed away after a long battle with cancer.
If your a new boxing fan in the Los Angeles area, you might not know who “Chicanito” was or what he meant to the fight game in this city, so please allow to tell you a bit about a local legend.
Hernandez is arguably the best fighter to come out of South Central Los Angeles. If you can think of someone better, please let me know.
Hernandez, a two-time world super featherweight champion,and fought from Los Angeles to Japan. His professional resume includes fights against future Hall of Famers Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, and current enshrined legend Azumah Nelson. Advertisement
Though losing to both De La Hoya and Mayweather, the story behind his victory over Nelson gives you an insight into Hernandez’s character. Being ahead on all scorecards, Chicanito was hit in the throat area following the sounding the end of round seven.
Needing time to recover from the illegal and late blow, World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman came to Hernadez’s corner and told him that if he could not continue he would be the winner by disqualification.
Having none of Sulaiman’s patented trickery, Hernandez responded, “I want to win it like real champions do…,” and he did just that taking a split decision.”
For the last several years Hernandez battled a rare form of head and neck cancer
