Genaro Hernandez: Cancer Has Returned

Ex-champ battles deadly disease for the second time

After an all too brief remission, Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez is now facing his second battle against cancer.

I had seen him recently in Las Vegas and ironically, I thought he had looked better than ever–and on the road to full recovery. During the Pacquiao-Cotto fight weekend last November, Hernandez appeared the healthiest I’ve seen him look after undergoing rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. His voice was back to normal, his hair had grown back and his weight was on the upswing. I took this snapshot of the fighter with legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, telling Genaro how glad I was that he had beaten cancer. With a big grin, he was full of life with his friendly personality intact.

The former fighter and I have done several interviews together in the past. I had been meaning to check on him with an update on his status. So after the the craziness of the holidays, I finally had some time to contact him.

I was shocked by the bombshell he dropped.

“The cancer is back,” Hernandez said upon his return last week from M.D. Anderson in Houston, Texas. Elaborating about the devastating new diagnosis, he explained that the battery of tests found new cancer cells in his body. Always positive, the fighter and current boxing commentator tried to stay upbeat when delivering the bad news about the doctors’ prognosis.

In October 2008, Hernandez (38-2-1, 17 KOs) was first diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma (a rare disease usually found in kids). After receiving the horrible news, there was even talk of him possibly losing an eye.

After his first battle, I had seen Genaro at various boxing events after the brutal chemo treatments. He had dropped a lot of weight (about 40 pounds off his already slim frame), he had lost some hair, and the treatments had weakened his voice to a raspy whisper.

Digging deep, the pugilist fought back with a vengeance. The former two-time Junior Lightweight World Champion went on to endure months of both chemo and radiation treatments. Then in April of 2009, he was given the best news ever–his cancer was in remission!

Now, sadly, he is facing chemotherapy once again in hopes of destroying the cancer found in two new areas of his body.

While both of his parents have battled cancer successfully, he’s now gearing up for a second go-round against this ravaging illness. This time around, the humble boxer will again face his deadly foe with the dignity, determination and strength, just like he did the first time.

As family, friends and fans worldwide rallied around the champ after his first diagnosis, I expect that we will all be in his corner once again. “Chicanito” is one of the most popular fighters in the L.A. area and is a fan favorite.

With his wife Liliana and their two children Amanda and Steven by his side, Hernandez plans to be triumphant in this latest cancer battle–and beat the odds a second time.

The former boxer says he is very appreciative of all the support he’s received, especially noting a huge amount of assistance from Bob Arum, Top Rank, the Japanese promoter Teiken, among many others.

In this new interview, Genaro and I spoke about the grim diagnosis and his hope for completely conquering the disease. On a cheerful note, you’ll also hear him light up when talking about training young boxers.

Michele Chong: Hi Genaro. How are you? I know you had a recent health scare around New Year’s?

Genaro Hernandez: Hi Michele. Yeah, I woke up on the first day of this year–of all days!–and I felt two lumps on my neck. I was scared, my wife was scared. They were pretty big–one was a quarter sized and the other was two fingers wide across the neck. Then they went away. But I called the doctor and set up appointments anyway. Those turned out to be nothing, but after more tests they said they want to check the right side of my sinus. I thought, “Oh no, not again.”

MC: I pray your tests all came back okay…

GH: Well, they found three new cells of cancer. Two are in my left pelvis hip bone and one is in my fifth vertebrae of my spinal cord. I was hit with cancer again; the doctor said anything I have now is Stage 4.

MC: I’m so sorry to hear this. After your remission, we all hoped and prayed the cancer was gone for good.

GH: It’s not beaten at all. It can lie in the body. We just gotta wait now. I know someone who was in remission for three and a half years and it came back. So you have to be aware.

MC: Obviously, this is hard for your whole family. How is your wife Liliana taking the news?

GH: It broke her heart; it broke my heart that she has to go through this again. I apologized to her. It’s so much harder for her because she can’t do anything.

MC: You went back to Houston for tests?

GH: Yes, I just got back yesterday. Thanks to Top Rank, Bob Arum, Bill Caplan, Rich Sierra, Todd duBoef, Angie Jackson, everyone there–they made everything possible with all the doctors and tests.

MC: I know Mr. Arum was a great supporter last time too.

GH: After I retired, I worked for Top Rank for about a year. I’ve been friendly with them for a while. Bob Arum, Bill Caplan–they’ve been great. I first met Bill through his daughter, Debbie. He’s such a nice man, and both he and Bob Arum have done so much for me.

MC: With this new diagnosis, will you go through the same treatments?

GH: This time it will be a different type of chemo for six to nine weeks. They said it may not be as strong as the last time; I don’t know how it will affect me. But no radiation this time.

MC: Any message for the boxing community who has been rooting for you?

GH: Thanks to everyone for being there! Thank you to all those who supported me–now I’ll need your support once again. People are behind me, helping any way they can. I gotta win it. I’m not gonna give up!

MC: I know you will stay strong. So let’s switch gears and talk about some positive things. You were one of the PPV commentators for last month’s Kelly Pavlik-Miguel Espino fight in Youngstown, Ohio. How did you, a SoCal guy, fare in the snowy city?

GH: I loved the weather! It was 21 to 30 degrees. I loved it! The snow was great; I went walking in it for an hour and a half!

MC: You are also involved in youth boxing. Tell me about working with young fighters.

GH: It’s great! I have a lot of amateurs at the gym. I’m at L.A. Boxing in Lake Forest. I also have one amateur who’s thinking of turning pro this year. So don’t be surprised if you see me in the corner of a junior middleweight soon!

MC: (Laughs) Okay,I’ll look forward to seeing you and your fighter in the ring!

GH: Thanks and see you at a fight soon.

Concluding our conversation, Genaro mentions he has to go back outside to check on the hillside bordering his home in South Orange County. After the recent rainstorms that soaked the Southland, the threat of mudslides was very much a reality.

“When you called, I was outside trying to cover the slope with plastic,” he said, telling me that it may be a hopeless cause. “This time, I know when I’ve been defeated,” Genaro said with just a hint of an ironic laugh. He had been embattled before when the area’s storms damaged his house during a landslide.

“Oh my God, when it rains, it pours,” I replied with empathy of the hand that fate has dealt him.

With his saturated backyard, he may accept defeat but I know “Chicanito” will fight his newest bout against cancer head on. Do not count him out yet. Once a champ, always a champ and if anyone can rage back against cancer, it will be Genaro Hernandez.

As proud as he is as both a WBC and WBA champ, I suspect there’s an even bigger, all-important title he hopes to earn: Cancer Survivor.

Fight the good fight, Genaro. You are a true champion.

Photos by Michele Chong/Photos courtesy of Genaro Hernandez