Héctor Camacho
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| Héctor Camacho | |
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Real name | Hector Luis Camacho |
| Nickname | Macho Camacho |
| Weight | Junior lightweight |
| Nationality |  Puerto Rican |
| Birth date | May 24, 1962 |
| Birth place | Bayamón, Puerto Rico |
| Style | Southpaw |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 85 |
| Wins | 79 |
| Wins by KO | 38 |
| Losses | 5 |
| Draws | 2 |
| No contests | 0 |
Héctor Camacho (born May 24, 1962 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico), nicknamed "Macho Camacho" [1] , is a Puerto Rican American boxer. An imitator of Muhammad Ali's flamboyance and controversial style, Camacho became a three time world champion. While boxing writers were enthusiastic about him early in his career, after Camacho changed his style into one that favored safety first, many turned against him.
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[edit] Early life and career
Camacho was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, but his family moved to New York when he was a child. He ran into trouble there as a teen, getting into fights and landing in jail at 15. He also learned boxing and karate as a teenager, and since he demonstrated talent as a boxer, he chose that sport as a career.
After a stellar amateur career, Camacho began a quick rise through the professional rankings, first in the Featherweight and then in the Junior Lightweight division. He was so confident that he claimed he could beat World featherweight champions Salvador Sánchez and Eusebio Pedroza. However, Sanchez died when Camacho was still coming up in the ranks.
In the Junior Lightweight division, he defeated top contenders Irleis Cubanito Perez, Melvin Paul, John Montes and Refugio Rojas (Both Montes and Rojas lasted one round, and Rojas would later last seven in a world title challenge of Julio César Chávez for Chavez's world Jr. Lightweight championship).
[edit] Junior Lightweight Championship
When World Junior Lightweight champion Bobby Chacon refused to go to Puerto Rico to defend his title against Camacho, the WBC declared the world championship vacant, and the man Chacon had taken the title from, Rafael Bazooka Limon, fought Camacho for the vacant title. It was the first time Camacho was in a ring with a former world champion, and he didn't show any lack of experience, dropping Limon in rounds one and three before the referee put a stop to the fight in round five.
His first defense also came in San Juan where he met fellow Puerto Rican Rafael Solis, whose family included former world bantamweight champion Julian Solis. Camacho got tested in this fight for the first time and was shaken in round three by a Solis uppercut, but he flattened Solis with a right to the chin in round five, knocking him out to retain the title.
[edit] Lightweight Championship
Next came a move to Lightweight, where he won the USBA title with a twelve round decision of Roque Montoya. By then Camacho was appearing on the covers of all the boxing magazines and making quite a few fans among teenaged girls.
His next fight made him a two time world champion. Fought on HBO, Camacho beat the Mexican defending world champion, Jose Luis Ramirez in Las Vegas to win the world Lightweight championship. Camacho dropped Ramirez in round three and went on to win the fight by a unanimous twelve round decision.
The two other reigning world champions in his division at that time, Livingstone Bramble and Jimmy Paul, were reluctant to unify the crown with Camacho. Instead, he beat Freddie Roach before his next fight of importance came along, ten months after beating Ramirez.
He met Edwin Rosario in New York, once again on HBO. In a famous fight, Camacho dominated rounds one to four, but had to hang on for dear life in rounds five, six and seven when he felt Rosario's power. He came back to take rounds eight and nine, but Rosario came back taking the last three rounds. It was a close fight but Camacho won the title by split decision. After this fight, Camacho's style changed into a defensive style that seemed more intent on avoiding punishment than winning a fight.
[edit] Decline
Camacho's personal life ran into trouble after the Rosario fight, as he was charged with possession of drugs. However, the charges were later lifted and Camacho resumed his boxing career.
Camacho then retained his title vs former World Junior Lightweight champion Cornelius Boza Edwards in Miami on a unanimous decision before going up in weight again. After a few fights there, he met former world lightweight champion Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, who had a record of 29-3 with 23 knockouts coming into this fight, for the vacant WBO version of the world Junior Welterweight title. Camacho was the fresher of the two and ended up winning a unanimous twelve round decision, joining that exclusive group of world champion boxers who have become three time world champions.
Camacho next met Vinny Paz, winning on points again, then challenger Tony Baltazar, from Phoenix. Baltazar was another points victim on an HBO televised bout, but then Camacho lost his undefeated record and world championship to the former world Lightweight champion Greg Haugen. However, as an unidentified substance was found on Haugen's urine, a rematch was ordered and Camacho regained the title, beating Haugen on a close but unanimous decision.
This set the table for his showdown with Julio César Chávez, in Las Vegas in the year 1992. Camacho, dressed as Captain America coming into the bout, lost a unanimous decision on Showtime's Pay Per View leg, SET, that night.
Among his notable wins since 1992 there are two over the legendary future hall of famer Roberto Duran, beaten on points twice, once in Atlantic City and another time in Denver. In 1997, he knocked out Sugar Ray Leonard in 5 rounds. Leonard was attempting a comeback following his loss to Terry Norris in 1991. This loss sent Leonard into permanent retirement. Camacho lost title tries for the world welterweight championship vs Félix Trinidad (in 1994) and Oscar de la Hoya (in 1997), both by unanimous decisions.
On December 5, 2003, Camacho recovered from a first round knockdown (the third against him in his career) to defeat Craig Houk by a knockout in round three.
Camacho won, on July 4, 2004, a unanimous ten round decision over Clinton McNeil.
On January 6, 2005, Camacho was arrested by police in Mississippi on charges of trying to burgle an electronic goods store and carrying ecstasy on him.
Ismael Leandry, Camacho's manager, told El Vocero newspaper that Camacho had been offered a computer by a store representant the day before he got arrested. Camacho, who was in Mississippi for a fight, allegedly bought the computer and went into his hotel room, where he tried to hook it up. The computer, according to Leandry's allegations, did not work, and Camacho went early in the morning the day he was arrested to trade it for a new one. When he saw that the store was not opened, according to police records, he broke into the store and took a brand new one. Leandry said that Camacho left the one he had originally purchased from the vendor, grabbed a new one and left his room's telephone number in case someone from the store had a question. Camacho was excarcerated soon after the arrest.
On July 9 he returned to the ring, in Tucson, Arizona, beating Raul Munoz by decision after ten rounds. A small riot ensued, both inside and outside the ring [2] and old rival, J.C. Chavez, had to be escorted out of the arena where the fight took place by security. Police are investigating this case.
On September 17, Camacho was arrested for allegedly assaulting his live-in girlfriend, Bonita Money.
Camacho has a record of 79 wins, 5 losses and 2 draws, with 38 wins by knockout.
His son, Hector Camacho Jr., is also a boxer.
| Preceded by Bobby Chacon Stripped |
WBC Super Featherweight boxing champion 7 Aug 1983– 1984 Vacated |
Succeeded by Julio César Chávez |
| Preceded by Jose Luis Ramirez |
WBC Lightweight Champion 10 Aug 1985–1987 Vacates |
Succeeded by Jose Luis Ramirez |
| Preceded by Title created |
WBO Light Welterweight Champion 6 Mar 1989– 23 Feb 1991 |
Succeeded by Greg Haugen |
| Preceded by Greg Haugen |
WBO Light Welterweight Champion 18 May 1991– 1992 Vacates |
Succeeded by Carlos Gonzalez |
[edit] Amateur career
Hector Camacho won three New York Golden Gloves Championships. Camacho won the 1978 112lb Sub-Novice Championship, 1979 118lb Open Championship and 1980 119lb Open Championship. In 1979 Camacho defeated Paul DeVorce of the Yonkers Police Athletic League in the finals to win the title and in 1980 Camacho defeated Tyrone Jackson in the finals to win the Championship. Camacho trained at the LaSombra Sporting Club in New York.
[edit] See also
- Hector Camacho versus Edwin Rosario
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of lightweight boxing champions
- List of male boxers
- List of notable boxing rivalries
- List of WBC world champions
- Notable boxing families
[edit] External links
- Career Record
- [3] Camacho vs Rosario Video
