Whitaker. Camacho was an excellent fighter at his peak, ridiculously fast, but I still wouldn't pick him over prime Whitaker. A 1990 Camacho was already declining, probably from his lifestyle. Whitaker wins more clearly here.
What makes you think Camacho was declining? He changed his style some to adapt to the new weight class? He had a close fight with Ray Mancini?
Whitaker by easy decision. We might fall asleep in this one. At lightweight, it would be much closer.
Camacho's decline started with his 1988 fight with Reyes Cruz, in which he was dropped and looked very vulnerable. If he was prime, he would not have had trouble with very rusty, coming out of 4 yr. retirement Mancini or barely beat , then lost to Greg Haugen He changed his style right after the Rosario scare, not to adapt to 140 lbs. See his fight with Boza-Edwards right after the Rosario fight. Compare this to how he fought Jose Luis Ramirez just a year earlier. The aggression and willingness to take chances was gone after the Rosario fight.
In 1990, Pernell would have taken him against the young Camacho from mid eighties, forget it. No fighter could cope with so much speed. Pernell would simply be dazzled and I just dont see how he could catch up
Prime vs. Prime? I'll take Camacho in a close decision. In 1990 I'd lean toward Whitaker by close decision.
LMAO! Some of responses are a joke. Whitaker would beat Camacho at ANY WEIGHT, at ANY point in time. Simply a different class of fighter. We're talking about a top 15 all time great against a guy who isn't even top 50. And I say that as a Camacho FAN. Camacho was a helluva fighter in his prime, but he'd be comprehensively outboxed by Pea. LOL @ anyone who thinks otherwise.
Pernell wins. Camacho was good....really good,but Whitaker could do whatever 'Macho' could but better.
There is no version of Camacho that would have beaten Whitaker. Pernell was better in every way. I actually think Pernell would have won a decision in a lopsided landslide.