THE SHOWDOWN / BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE DE LA HOYA-RUELAS FIGHT : RAFAEL RUELAS : Hernandez Is in His Corner

What does Los Angeles’ left-out champion think of Saturday’s fight?

Genaro Hernandez, the World Boxing Assn. junior-lightweight champion, clearly has a rooting interest.

“I’m hoping Rafael wins,” Hernandez said recently. “But the first one that hits is the one that’s going to win. Rafael, he doesn’t have any body movement, and Oscar, that’s the type of person he loves fighting. But Rafael has a big heart, so I think it’s a tossup.”

Hernandez, who turned down a chance to fight De La Hoya on Feb. 18 because he wasn’t offered enough money, has made no secret of his disdain for the “Golden Boy.” De La Hoya, in turn, calls the WBA champion “Generic” Hernandez.

Hernandez said the course of the fight will be dictated early.

“Rafael has to try to avoid (De La Hoya) the first three rounds, I think,” Hernandez said. “But Oscar is going to have to watch it, because Rafael can hit. Now, (Oscar) is going to feel a lightweight’s punch. He’s going to feel a big punch. Let’s see how he handles it. He’s been dropped twice by guys who don’t have no punching power.”

Any advice for Ruelas?

“I know things that other people don’t seem to understand,” Hernandez said. “You move to Oscar’s left, he doesn’t know how to hit you. He’s liable to get hit with left hooks. Up to now, nobody’s been able to see that. I worked out with him in the gym, and when I moved to his left, he hasn’t been able to do anything to me.”