“Chicanito” pays tribute to Teiken Promotions for 20 years of loyalty
Former WBC World Champion Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez will be adding one more award to his trophy mantle: This Friday, the former junior lightweight will attending the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) in New York City to accept the Crawford Award for “perseverance in overcoming adversity.” “Chicanito” will be sharing the prestigious honor with world-renowned journalist George Kimball; the two were tied in the ballots.
Hernandez is looking forward to this weekend’s banquet where the BWAA will also bestow honors upon Manny Pacquiao for “Fighter of the Year,” Freddie Roach for “Trainer of the Year,” Joe Calzaghe, Israel Vazquez, Rafael Marquez, Harold Lederman, among other notables in the field.
I spoke with the L.A. fighter, who has fought a brave battle against cancer since last October, as he was getting ready to travel back east for the awards dinner. Genaro will be flying out to New York tomorrow but wanted to take time to chat and reminisce about his career, including his longtime association with the Japanese Teiken Promotions. One of “Chicanito’s” earliest mentors was Teiken’s Akihiko Honda, who is receiving his own award also in New York this weekend. The venerable promoter is part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s 2009 class of new inductees.
It is fitting that both men will be honored this weekend for their contributions to the sport. Hernandez (38-2-1, 17 KOs) is not only known for his ring career, but also as an HBO commentator and generous humanitarian. He was the very first “Ambassador of Goodwill” for the WBC President José Sulaimán’s charitable organization World Boxing Cares. “Chicanito” continues to give back to the community and has earned the admiration and respect of fans around the world.
In this new discussion, he tells me about Teiken’s stable of fighters (including Edwin Valero and Jorge Linares), words of wisdom he would give to Alfredo “Perro” Angulo, and what being part of Mr. Honda’s boxing family has meant to the champ.
Michele Chong: HI GENARO! FIRST AND FOREMOST, THAT’S GREAT NEWS ABOUT YOUR RECENT REMISSION FROM CANCER. HOW ARE YOU DOING NOW?
Genaro Hernandez: Please tell all of the people who were asking about me that I’m doing good and I would like to “Thank” them for all of their support throughout this bad ordeal that my family and I are going through.
MC: YOU’RE LOOKING STRONGER NOW.
GH: Yes, but I don’t feel like I’m at the status as when I was fighting due to the loss of muscle strength and conditioning which was, and still is, being affected due to chemo.
MC: DURING OUR LAST INTERVIEW, YOU MENTIONED YOU’D BE COVERING THE PACQUIAO-HATTON FIGHT. HOW WAS YOUR WEEKEND IN VEGAS?
GH: I had a very good weekend in Vegas for the Pacquiao-Hatton fight. I was glad HBO gave me the opportunity to work for them once again in such a great boxing show where it made me feel like if I were at a big soccer event in England–I’m a big soccer fanatic. I had a great time hearing how the English fans would sing and cheer for their fighter; it’s just amazing!
MC: ARE YOU STILL WORKING WITH HBO?
GH: I’m only working with HBO on a fight to fight basis. If they have a PPV show out there in Vegas, most likely they will ask me to be part of their broadcasting team for their SAP International channel. (Second Audio Program Channel for Spanish broadcast).
MC: YOUR BROTHER RUDY IS A WELL-KNOWN TRAINER AND CUTMAN IN L.A. HE WAS IN ALFREDO ANGULO’S CORNER DURING “PERRO’S” VERY FIRST DEFEAT. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL ALFREDO IN REGARDS TO HIS STILL-PROMISING CAREER?
GH: I don’t feel proper in telling Alfredo Angulo what idea I may have that would probably be of some good to him, only because I would feel that I’m disrespecting his trainer.
MC: YOUR EARLY MENTOR, MR. AKIHIKO HONDA, WAS INDUCTED INTO THE WORLD BOXING HALL OF FAME LAST NOVEMBER. THIS WEEKEND, THE REVERED JAPANESE BOXING PROMOTER WILL BE INDUCTED INTO THE IBHOF. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR ASSOCIATION WITH MR. HONDA.
GH: I would like to congratulate Mr. Honda for his well deserved induction into the Hall of Fame. I met my, later to be my great promoter, Mr. Honda back in 1989 when I was taken to Japan to fight the only Filipino fighter in my career, Leo Collins. I impressed Mr. Honda by knocking out Leo Collins in two rounds, and that is when I became part of the Teiken Family.
MC: WHAT MAKES MR. HONDA STAND OUT FROM OTHER PROMOTERS?
GH: I believe what makes Mr. Honda stand out from the rest of the other promoters is that he isn’t out there looking for any camera exposure; he’s always behind the scenes. Mr. Honda is very respectful, and makes sure that everyone is being well taken care of. Mr. Honda has a great team behind him (Mr. Nobu, Ms. Akim, and all of the people who make up Teiken Promotions). Mr. Honda is like a father to me and is always asking how I am doing and also helping me out financially.
MC: HOW LONG DID YOU WORK WITH TEIKEN? AND ARE CURRENTLY YOU CURRENTLY WITH THE COMPANY?
GH: Yes, I’ve been working for Teiken since I started fighting for them back in 1989.
MC: WHERE YOU IN JAPAN FOR EITHER THE 1988 TYSON-TUBBS BOUT AND THE 1990 TYSON-DOUGLAS FIGHT?
GH: Unfortunately no, I wasn’t in Japan to witness either of the two fights Mike Tyson had out there.
MC: DID YOU GET THE CHANCE TO BE ON THEIR BOXING PROGRAM ON THE POPULAR WOWOW NETWORK?
GH: I believe I did fight once on WOWOW and that was against Leo Collins back in 1989.
MC: TWO OF TEIKEN’S BEST-KNOWN WARRIORS, EDWIN VALERO AND JORGE LINARES, ARE CURRENTLY MAKING HEADLINES. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THESE YOUNG VENEZUELAN FIGHTERS?
GH: Well unfortunately for Valero, he is no longer a Teiken fighter. He decided to look elsewhere and leave our team. (Valero last fought in Japan in June 2008). We however still wish him the best of luck in his career. As for our great fighter and Champion Jorge Linares, all I can tell him is to keep a good head on his shoulders and be humble like he’s been all along.
MC: HAVE YOU WORKED WITH OR MET TEIKEN’S JAPANESE FIGHTERS TOSHIAKI NISHIOKA AND HOZUMI HASEGAWA?
GH: I have had the pleasure in meeting both Toshiaki Nishioka and Hozumi Hasegawa, but have yet to work with them because of the language barrier between us. Both fighters are very respectful and well mannered.
MC: ANY MESSAGE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD ABOUT ALL THE SUPPORT YOU’VE RECEIVED FROM EVERYONE?
GH: I could never be more “grateful” to my family, Teiken Promotions, my cousin Mario Garcia and family, and last but not least all of the people who have been supporting me when I was a fighter and in this deadly battle of cancer!
MC: CHICANITO, THANKS AGAIN FOR YOU TIME. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR AWARD AND HAVE A GREAT TRIP.
GH: Thank you!
Photos courtesy of Michele Chong and Genaro Hernandez