Chavez smothered him and beat him down with ease Griffo. I was most disappointed. I recall in the latter stages of the fight Rosario did land one biggie in close, but not big enough. Chavez starved him of punching room and put on an inside fighting clinic.
When push come to shove Camacho lacked that certain little X-factor to become an ATG. He had all the talent, but lacked that extra bit of heart needed to reach the pinnacle at the end of the day. That real grit. His fellow light hitting speedster Pernell Whitaker had it in spades when needed. Whitaker ended up a genuine great, while Camacho fell short.
I think Camacho was a great fighter. A lower level. Like Hernandez, McGuigan etc They got one solid win and good wins, Camacho built up a better career overall. Nevertheless it resulted in being recognised as something special. He wasn't Leonard or Robinson but someone can remain a factor in the game for as long as he did, it has to be respected. Plus, when all is said and done, no one really put him away. When you've faced DLH, Tito, Chavez etc that is special. Camcho was a top dog but he never did have that x factor. That extra something that brought out those special nights but I believe he did a good job nevertheless.
And even more astonishing, didn't Viruet actually beat the count in getting back up? (That's what I recall from distant memory.) JT, you may recall, as an interesting side-note to Rosario/Viruet, the drastic change in Viruet's style over his previous few matches to how he had boxed through most of his career. Even the most "feather fisted" world class boxers can deliver a punch with significant clout when they choose to. Viruet's contemporary and rival, Vilomar Fernandez, decked Howard Davis Jr. in round two, and chased him all over the ring. In one of his final televised appearances, Fernandez also seriously buckled his opponent early in round one. (I forget if it was Angel Cruz or Billy Parks.) Vilomar also retired Monroe Brooks in two rounds. While I only saw Fernandez volitionally deviate from his safety first style for his vicious assault against Davis, Edwin Viruet was an entirely different matter. Sometime after his split decision loss to DeJesus, he turned into a super-aggressive attacker, slamming bodyshots underneath, and pummeling outclassed and overmatched adversaries, beginning a three bout knockout streak by dispatching Stormin' Norm Goins in nine. (Afterwards, he provided an entertainingly belligerent and rousing post fight interview in ring center for the viewing audience. For somebody with whom English was a second language, Eddie V. could always raise a storm when a microphone and camera were broadcasting his messages, especially with the pugnacious expressions he fixed directly at the viewer. Hell, I thought he was a better postfight interview than Ali! What a delightfully nasty attitude!) It was certainly a far more audience friendly style that he had adopted, but still, it was taking him eight or nine rounds to finally beat his victims down for the count. If Viruet had used the earlier style which allowed him to twice survive against, frustrate, and **** off Duran so much with Rosario, he might have survived the distance. But his newly developed in-ring aggression was reviving his career. It was also a suicidal way to combat El Chapo, who immediately demonstrated his ring generalship and mastery of Viruet. Too bad Viruet couldn't have beaten up some more bums on the tube before taking on somebody of Rosario's calibre, just so he could have given some more of those pugnacious post fight self-promotions. (Remember how, while Duran was waiting for the decision to be announced after his ten rounder with Adolfo Viruet, he walked right up to brother Edwin, dressed in street clothes, and punched him in the mouth? If Duran and Eddie V. ever meet for a boxing exhibition, or even on the street, send me a ticket! Roberto might have been able to make peace with DeJesus, but I suspect he and the Viruet boys will always get along about as well as Giardello and Fullmer.)
We're not far from being in the same boat. I'd rate him on a similar level to Starling to be honest with the proviso Camacho had the talent to maybe go a bit further.
You'd better reassess Camacho then A legend in his own lunchbox. Titles? Just two. He didn't beat the top fighter for his title at 130 nor beat the best of the division, exactly the same at 135 excepting Rosario who wasn't the top fighter at the time and many thought beat him, and we won't even talk about that matchbox BO title at 140. Lets face it, Hector didn't beat the top fighter in any division he fought in, these are the facts. He fought a few, but got beaten everytime. There's a barometer right there :good
you're the only person who holds that view. mayweather was candidate for crappy chin of the year and shouldn't even have been in boxing. "Many thought beat him" who's "many", you? Are you the "many" you're talking about? You don't win fights winning just three out of 12 rounds, its mathematically impossible. Hector beat your man and you just can't admit it. it's nice for edwin to have that consolation prize of wba championship. its a good thing the title was split.
Mayweather was considering alongside Camacho at the time, there was no talk of crappy chins and the like yet. Not bad, winning a title for someone who shouldn't have been in boxing 4/5's of his homeland actually. Our very own SS too. Exactly, so stop whining about Hagler - Leonard :rofl Hector sure wasn't going near the Bramble El Chapo beat for the title, was he :hey Close fight, a draw would have been fair.
I suppose that means I should overlook the fact roger crumpled like a cheap deck of cards the following year. because there was no talk of his crappy chin at the time, that makes Roger the #1 titlist that Hector "failed" to meet. And lets not forget the reason why Roger was so highly touted-----the reason is? Roger was half champ for less than one year. :happy whatever you say Jo-jo why should he? Hector won and was the champ-and Hector's not interested in fighting retreads like Rosario, much less a guy edwin retread ko'd in two.
The following year doesn't count sorry. Mayweather pre Lockridge was considered all but on par with Camacho, on par for some. If you were as well travelled back in the 80's as you claim you wouldn't need be asking. Maybe you are like the barbers cat, full of **** and wind I meant pre Rosario. Hector went for the much slower and better stylistic fit in Ramirez. Still possibly his best win ever tho. I'd say it might be his best exhibition. I am not so agenda laden as to claim this wasn't a superb performance. Ramirez suited him, and Camacho sure put on a helluva display.