Hector Camacho

for the real Camacho you hear some of the old school guys mention
try to get

a Rafael Bazooka Limon vs Camacho
b. Jose Luis Ramirez vs Camacho

In these two Camacho comes in seeking the title.
These will clearly show what the kid was capable of, especially the Limon fight. If you can get your hands on the Limon Fight you would be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt I believe

 

Camacho is a man whose career is plagued by myth.

At 130, Camacho was the next up-n-coming star. He was a phenomenal combination of speed and power and he DOMINATED the covers of boxing mags. Won first world title in his 3rd year as a pro, titlist in 3 weight classes, beat some very good fighters like Haugen, Paz, Limon, Boza-Edwards, Howard Davis Jr (gold medalist i believe), Mancini, Jose Luis Ramirez. His first loss occurred when the ref incredulously deduced a point from Camacho in his first bout with Haugen for not touching gloves before the 12th. He avenged the loss in his next fight.

The nack on Camacho was first, his flamboyant style (which most fans HATE, evidenced by the intense dislike of Hamed), and that his style wasn't very macho. His game was boxing, but he was nowhere the running, slapping fighter that people accuse him of being? So where did they myth come from? The Rosario fight.

In the Battle of Puerto Rico, Rosario and Camacho battled. Camacho was dominating, was rattled by a huge punch midway in the fight, and Camacho, dazed from the brutal punches, gave away the rest of the fight (just like Judah-Baldomir), and escaped with an SD. Here is where they say Camacho became a runner.

AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST MYTHS IN BOXING

Look at Camacho's record after the fight, he beat: Boza-Edwards, Davis, Mancini, Paz, and he WAS NOT a runner in these fights, best evidenced by his win against extra-aggressive PAZ. Camacho fought beautifully, throwing punches and bunches and engaged the strong Paz repeatedly to a dominating victory.

Then with Camacho and Chavez as the top 2 p4p fighters in the world (everyone conveniently forgot how successful he was in his prime), Camacho earned the name Macho, as he was brutally beat down by the Mexican champ, with Camacho refusing to go down and out.

After this fight, Camacho was changed. He famously said that if he's going to get hurt, he better get paid well. He moved up to his fourth weight class, welterweight, which was stacked with big fight possibilities and lasted 12 rounds (while past prime) against the best versions of DLH and Trinidad, and knocked out come-backing Sugar Ray Leonard and beat an ancient Duran twice on points. This stage of his career was carefully managed, he wanted the most money, and he got it with huge fights, and some decent victories over faded legends.

He may have been capable of more, but people really forget how great and supreme he was in his prime.

 

Thats a bet. I love southpaw fighters and always feel like Im missing out not having seen him.

I think sweet_scientest has the Ramirez fight if my memory is correct.

I made a thread a few days ago in the classic section about Duilio Loi, the southpaw Italian fighter and got only a few replies. He is another I feel I'm missing out on.

 

another point:

the fact that Camacho, who started at 130, was beating junior middle and middleweight prospects past age 40, gives you an idea of how talented he is, despite those fights having a lot of holding.

 

Another great post- thanks for taking the time.

 

Out of interest, how did you guys score the Rosario fight? Its gone down in the books as a robbery for Camacho but even giving Rosario 10-8s for the twice he had Camacho rocked I still had Hector winning by 2 points.

 

not to mention that eusebio pedroza and bobby chacon both dodged him like the plague, imagine if he would have beaten those two.

 

dont listen to people that keep calling it a robbery, they are idiots. Hector outboxed him for like 7-8 rounds.

 

That's how it is with footage of Duran on youtube lol.

 

he would have easily no problem.....

 

thats going way back Ive never have seen Loi fight although I know he beat Carlos Ortiz once for sure Maybe twice not sure ....
I have heard say it was robbery, a hometown decision but anyone who could go 15 with Carlos Ortiz in a close one in the 1960' has got to be
damn good

 

Macho won, you dont win a fight because you hurt a fighter in one round and get outboxed the rest of the way.

 

He hurt him twice. But yes, I agree

 

Yes, and those who have seen him say he is a top 10 p4p southpaw. A poster named Luigi sent me a link once to a website that has film of him, I need to order some fights.