On September 9, 1995, the world of boxing stopped as it put its collective eyes over a ring erected at the legendary Caesar?s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. That night, the highly awaited fight between fellow Los Angelino boxing stars and Champions, Oscar De La Hoya and Genaro Hernandez, was taking place. De La Hoya was defending his WBO Lightweight Title against former WBA and future WBC Junior Lightweight Champion, Hernandez, and he retained the belt by a sixth round knockout when Hernandez had to quit due to a broken nose. Many magazines called you, Genaro, a quitter, which was an unfair label because a severely broken nose can be dangerous.
You, Oscar, on the other hand, went on to become a boxing legend that will without any shadow of a doubt join Genaro in the International Boxing Hall of Fame someday. You faced tough opponents, both inside and outside the ring. You faced the stigma of whether you were a real Mexican or not; trying to prove it, you faced a faded but still glorified version of Julio Cesar Chavez, SR. Instead of winning over Chavez, SR?s and Mexico-born fans, you earned their criticism but you carried on. You were down in round six to Ike Quartey in a classic, but you got up and dropped him in that same round and in round twelve to secure a split decision win. You faced Fernando Vargas? and Ricardo Mayorga?s trashing outside the ring, then made them eat their words inside. What else do you have to prove in boxing?
It is known by everyone now that you were favored to beat Manny Pacquiao last December 6th but took a beating instead, the kind of beatings that should signal the end of the tunnel as far as boxing careers go. Like Genaro when he had to quit against you, they are already calling you a quitter. Don?t listen to them, they don?t know what was going on with your body, only you did. And if you did not feel fit to go on, you made the right decision. When Wilfred Benitez took a shellacking in 1983 at the hands of Mustafa Hamsho, he should have retired, he should have listened to his body but he chose to soldier on, believing a superfight with Marvelous Marvin Hagler was still within reach.
Now you live in Puerto Rico, where Puerto Ricans have come to accept you as one of our own, as you well know judging by the photos that have been published of you being received at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport by fans and well wishers. I will ask you something with great concern for you the human being, the respect as a world Champion that I feel for you notwithstanding. You live in Guaynabo. You are talking about fighting until you are 40. Take a 20 minute drive up the Luis Antonio Ferre freeway to Carolina and visit Benitez now. I want you to see him how he is right now, and ask yourself: is it worth it? You have a wife and kids who love you, you have your father, and even through there has been discrepancies in the past, I?m sure he loves you too. You have your brothers and sisters. Sure, fans will tell you that you are awesome, which you were and still are in the ring. But the ones who really care about you and love you, your family, those are the ones you need to be thinking about right now. More than all the millions, the houses, the swimming pools and high technique items you can provide them, they need you. And I?m sure they would hate to have you end up the way my great friend who I consider part of my family Wilfred Benitez ended.
As far as you, Genaro, I?ve heard that, like Lou Gehrig would say, you had a ?bad break,? when you were diagnosed with Cancer. That is an entirely different battle than the mental one Oscar faces now. You are a great human being, a warrior, and someone who has so much to give the world and your family. Your family loves you too and they need you.
As far as this fight, everyone has your back, Genaro, we are all in it with you, cheering you, like your fans used to scream ?Chicanito? during your fights. You beat Jorge Paez, you beat Daniel Londas, you beat both Carlos Gerena and Carlos Hernandez. In your greatest hour inside the ring, you beat Azumah Nelson. I will never forget that fight. I paid 25 bucks to have it on Pay Per View and you made me happy that night.
After being illegally dropped by a Nelson blow after the bell for round seven, the WBC representative there told you that you would win by disqualification shall you decide not to continue. What did you do? Despite your handicap, you chose to go on and you showed the world what a human who is inspired is capable of doing, dominating the Hall of Famer on your way to a 12 round decision to capture the WBC Junior Lightweight Championship, inspiring me, showing me that no matter the handicap, when you feel you can overcome something, you do overcome it. You are an inspiration to this Puerto Rican kid who took off his hat then and does it again right now, for you.
What I want to ask you, Genaro, is please not to quit fighting. Because in my heart, and with God?s blessing, I know you will once again win. For the record, you were never a quitter. And I know you will knock Cancer out. It?s in your spirit, it?s in your heart and in your desire to win at all costs. No matter what they tell you, Genaro, in this fight, the fight is not over, no matter what. If Chavez, SR., taught us all something in his first fight with Meldrick Taylor, is that at the very last second, everything can change. I believe in that. When they take a terminal patient to a hospital for the last days of his or her life, doctors keep that patient alive as long as possible on the hope that, maybe on the very day of the patient?s appointment with the Maker, a cure can be found and the patient saved. So, even when we are down to our last strike, our last breath, our last hope, there is hope. And when there is hope, there is a fight to be given.
I know you, Genaro, I believe in you, and I know that this fight is one you will win for your family and for yourself. Humans like you don?t come very often, and you are one of the greatest warriors boxing ever had. You will win!
Two Latin warriors who fought each other, fighting different types of battles. Only in boxing, where each fight has a winner. In the end, I have a feeling both of you will win.
