by Compubox

It has been written many times that death is a part of life. No matter how true that statement is, it does nothing to lessen the profound pain and sadness that accompanies the news that a cherished friend is no longer with us.

Those who knew Genaro "Chicanito" Hernandez had plenty of time to prepare for the inevitable, for his fight against rhabdomyosarcoma was waged over three long and often excruciating years. Although that war officially ended on June 7, 2011, the multitudes who loved him never fully invested themselves in the idea of his defeat -- and there were several reasons to feel that way.

First, in mid-2009 it appeared that he had overcome the disease. Second, although he portrayed himself as a regular guy in his daily life, he was a man who possessed immense spiritual faith. Third, he had the good fortune of strong family support combined with an army of friends and boxing industry figures who provided much needed emotional and financial support.

The final reason for hope was the strongest of all -- the content of Genaro Hernandez's character.

Boxing fans who witnessed his battles know this very well. His skill and tenacity carried him to a record of 38-2-1 (17 KO) and victories over the likes of Refugio Rojas (KO 6), Daniel Londas (KO 9), Raul Perez (TD 1, KO 8), Harold Warren (W 12), Azumah Nelson (W 12) and Carlos Hernandez (W 12).

His was a career defined by intangibles rather than singular attributes. Although the 5-11 Hernandez towered over his opponents and used them to the fullest degree, he was effective in chest-to-chest combat. He wasn't the strongest puncher shot-for-shot, but he hit hard enough to gain respect. He moved just enough to avoid the brunt of his opponents' attacks and he fought as hard as he needed to in order to achieve his task. The sum of his handiwork, however, was something special.

And yet there were times when the boxing world had doubts about him. Following the sixth round of his September 1995 bout with WBO lightweight champion Oscar de la Hoya, Hernandez informed referee Richard Steele he could go no further. Because the injury that forced his surrender wasn't obvious to the naked eye, he was called a quitter, and that was the kindest label he had to endure. Once he offered his explanation -- one that was backed up by medical reports -- some of those critics had little choice but to eat crow.

First, Hernandez went into the fight with the nose already injured, courtesy of a Shane Mosley hook during the last day of hard sparring one week before the fight. Unbelievably, Hernandez went through with a scheduled public sparring session with Mosley at a local indoor basketball court in which he wore a large football-type mask for protection. Had he skipped the exhibition he might have tipped off the De La Hoya camp that something was amiss but once "The Golden Boy" nailed him with a left uppercut to the tip of the nose during the final round he could no longer hide his duress.

"What I never told anybody was the fact that after that bell rang it just seemed like I went into a blackout," Hernandez said in a 2007 interview. "I didn't see nobody or hear nobody. The only thing I saw was the corner padding when I went in there and threw the mouthpiece out and the referee Richard Steele. When my brother came to sit me down I told him, 'no, I'm not going no more.'

"Let's put it this way: You get an egg, you let it fall, that's how bad it shattered," he continued. "My nose was never broken in 23 pieces -- whoever wrote that obviously doesn't have the knowledge that it was the cartilage that was actually shattered in 23 pieces. That actually put in my mind that I had done the right thing, because that's when the doctor told me that...'if one more punch had hit that bone and it goes up into the brain you wouldn't be here.'"

Still, despite his WBA junior lightweight reign that encompassed three years and eight defenses, he still felt the need to prove himself to his detractors. That opportunity came 18 months later when he challenged perennial WBC 130-pound king Azumah Nelson in a pick-'em showdown. After Nelson nailed Hernandez with a sweeping hook to the throat after the seventh round bell, he was given the option of accepting a disqualification win. "Chicanito" refused and after receiving treatment he went on to capture a split decision that should have been unanimous.

Although Hernandez followed the warrior's code inside the ring, his humanity was never far from the surface. Despite Nelson's egregious foul, Hernandez strapped his newly-won WBC belt around Nelson's waist following the post-fight interviews.

"I want you to wear it out," he told Nelson. "You came in a champion, you leave a champion. We have a lot of love for you."

After his career ended with a TKO loss to future pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. in October 1998, Hernandez continued his involvement in boxing. One of those roles included his work for CompuBox, where he served honorably and well for seven years. The bilingual Hernandez served as a commentator on Spanish-language telecasts and a translator for his English-speaking audiences.

From the time his struggle with cancer became known, he was the focus of countless prayers. But cancer doesn't care who it strikes or how much agony it inflicts. It places no merit on whether its victim has a loving family or a deep and diverse circle of friends. All it wants to do is conquer its host. Once it attacked Genaro Hernandez, however, it met a fierce, fiesty and unyielding foe that never shied away from a challenge. But in the end Hernandez's bravery and strength of character wasn't enough -- and that's only because it couldn't have been enough.

If there is one silver lining in this grim circumstance it is this: The boxing fraternity had ample opportunity to show Hernandez just how loved he was. They came in the form of countless e-mails, events to raise money for his treatment, private and public donations for said treatment as well as the Bill Crawford Award for "perseverance in overcoming adversity" from the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2008.

His 13-2 record in title fights spread over seven years and two reigns is one of which to be proud. Perhaps someday he will receive the ultimate honor -- induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. But even if he doesn't achieve that status one thing is beyond argument: He was a Hall of Fame human being.

We at CompuBox honor Hernandez for his considerable contributions to the company and to the sport he loved so much