World Boxing Council News
 Media Report (March 17, 2004)
"The WBC has had the blessing and the opportunity to help many people throughout its 41 years of existence. We always try to keep these situations private to respect the pride and honor of the people that are in need and we do not advertise, but serve those that need help at that given time.
"Genaro "Chicanito' Hernandez, the former WBC super featherweight champion, had been suffering from double vision since losing his WBC belt to Floyd Mayweather.
"Genaro has been a long friend of the WBC and a pride to boxing inside and outside the ring. We have been always been in contact, but just recently we found out about his problem.
"The WBC contacted Dr. Gerald Finerman, who immediately directed Genaro to Dr. Arthur L. Rosenbaum, Chief, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Vice Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology at the Doris Stein Eye Research Center, University of California, who performed a first class surgery on Genaro.
"Attached you will find a letter from Genaro to the WBC and a press release from the Retired Boxers Foundation.
"Thank you for supporting the Friendly Hand Foundation and the WBC charitable actions. I wanted to share this story with you, because this kind of letter of gratitude pays for all the hours that we all put into boxing and for all those sour moments that we go through."
Translation of the letter sent by Genaro "Chicanito" Hernandez to President Sulaiman:
"My dearest Mr. Sulaiman:
"How are you? May God have you and your family in good health. I want to express my endless gratitude to you for everything you have done for me; the kind of help you have given me is not something that happens daily. With the surgery to fix my eyes, you gave me my sight back and this is something I will never be able to repay. God has given me friends I didn't know I had, mainly because the distance between us. Now I know the kind of family the WBC is; a family that God sent to help people like me, and I will always be grateful to you.
"Mr. Sulaiman, I kindly ask you to please disclose the letter I sent to the Retired Boxers Association so all people know the kind of organization the World Boxing Council is. I want everyone to know that the WBC is one of the few organizations that really care about its fighters instead of being only interested in the money the can make out of them. Lic., if there is ever anything I can do for you, please count on me. I will continue telling everybody that the WBC was the one that gave me the joy or recovering my vision.
"I send you a big hug and my regards to all the people in the WBC. Thank you again for everything!
Genaro and Hernandez Family"
Retired Boxers Foundation, Inc.
"The Undisputed Champions for DIGNITY!"
Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos, Founder & President
Jacquie Richardson, Executive Director
RETIRED BOXERS FOUNDATION, INC.
3359 Bryan Avenue
Simi Valley, CA 93063
(805) 583-5890
rbfalex@ix.netcom.com
www.retiredboxers.org
March 13, 2004
RBF SALUTES THE WORLD BOXING COUNCIL FOR THEIR GIFT OF SIGHT
TO RETIRED CHAMPION GENARO "CHICANITO" HERNANDEZ
WBC President Jose Sulaiman, Lic. Mauricio Sulaiman and the World Boxing Council make arrangements for surgery a world famous Doris Stein Eye Research Center at UCLA at no cost to Hernandez
[Simi Valley, CA] The Retired Boxers Foundation is happy to report that on March 9, 2004, Genaro "Chicanito" Hernandez--who just became an Honorary Board Member of the RBF--was successfully operated on by Dr. Arthur L. Rosenbaum, M.D., Chief, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Vice-Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology at the Doris Stein Eye Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, compliments of the World Boxing Council. WBC President Jose Sulaiman and his son, Lic. Mauricio Sulaiman, also an executive with the WBC, made the arrangements for the consultation and surgery at no cost to the Hernandez family.
Genaro "Chicanito" Hernandez has been suffering from double vision since his last professional fight when he fought Floyd Mayweather, Jr., for the WBC Super Featherweight Title on October 3, 1998. According to Hernandez, "The WBC were so willing to help me, that they took the cost upon them in good will. I would just like for the people out there to know that the WBC isn't an organization that doesn't seem to care for their fighters who fight to represent them. I would just like to thank the WBC for giving me the ability to see normally again."
The Founder and President of the Retired Boxers Foundation, Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos, was touched by an email message from Hernandez in which he said, "I would like to Thank You for getting back in touch with me and also honored to be on your board. It's people like yourself and Jackie that are true to their word and not like these other foundations that are just a lot of talk. Let me know what I can do to help you guys."
Ramos has worked with the WBC to help other fighters who cannot afford the high cost of medical care-especially in cases like Genaro Hernandez, where their quality of life is greatly diminished. In late 2003, the Retired Boxers Foundation worked with the WBC to pay for chemotherapy for Juan Antonio Lopez who was diagnosed with Leukemia. Ramos said, "We are a small nonprofit corporation and we do not have the money to do everything we want to for fighters in need. We can provide financial support in a crisis and then we leverage our resources with other agencies that have the ability to take the reins from us, like the WBC. I respect and admire WBC President Jose Sulaiman and his son Lic. Mauricio Sulaiman because they 'walk the talk' just like we (the RBF) do." In December 2002, the WBC presented Alex Ramos with a sterling silver plaque to honor him for his efforts to help retired professional boxers who need a hand up. The WBC has a long, yet unpublicized record of doing the right thing for the fighters.
Hernandez was also eager to point out that Teddy Atlas and he have been in touch with each other for a while now, and even though the WBC has taken care of his medical bill and Hernandez told the RBF that Atlas has told him he "was and still is offering to help me with any Dr. bills that may not be taken care of, if any. So please if you can, please let everybody you know how much I'm grateful to the Teddy Atlas Foundation and the WBC for everything they did for my family and I."
As an Honorary Board Member of the RBF, Hernandez' first task will be to share his experiences with Darren Maciunski, a professional boxer whose boxing career has been cut short because of similar vision problems. Maciunski is living in the New Jersey area and RBF Representative, Mike Indri, has been working with the RBF Medical Advisory Board and Alex Ramos to determine what medical options he has and to find a way to pay for any medical procedures that may be necessary. Both Hernandez and Ramos are familiar with the unique circumstances that face professional boxers, and in this case, diagnosis and treatment of an injury that impairs vision. Both also believe strongly in the brotherhood of boxers that assures all of them that this is about "Fighters Helping Fighters."
The RBF is an IRS 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to assist retired professional boxers in the transition from their glorious days in the ring to a dignified retirement. For more information on the Retired Boxers Foundation, please visit the site at www.retiredboxers.org or call Alex Ramos at (805) 583-5890.
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