Héctor Macho Camacho
***latest news – life support was switched off on the 24/11/2012***
The news that the 7 times world champion Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho was shot in the face is becoming the tragic end of one of boxing most endearing fighters. Although he had a rather chequered retirement it is undeniable that when he was in the ring he was a great boxer to watch.
Born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, he and his family moved to the US and lived in Spanish Harlem. Growing up he was always in trouble and ended up in prison when he was 15. When he came out he decided to become a boxer and that was the trigger for him to become a icon and a very wealthy man.
As a amateur he was so dominating that it was inevitable that he would turn professional and then he quickly moved from junior lightweight to lightweight. He met his first defeat to Greg Haugen but regained his title after Haugen was found to have a banned substance in his urine which met there had to be a rematch, and Camacho won this easily.
Camacho also fought Julio César Chávez the Mexican superstar and Camacho lost to a unanimous decision from the judges.
Camacho also fought some of boxing’s great such as Roberto Durán (beat him on points twice), Sugar Ray Leonard (knocked him out in 5 rounds, ending Leonard’s boxing career for ever), then finally losing on points to Félix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya. After these fights it was clear that Camacho was on a downward curve in boxing sense and this is when his problems really start.
Although he saw himself as a born again Christian, Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho was constantly getting himself into scraps and dramas. These included burglary, a shooting incident involving car-jackers and a child abuse charge involving his child at his ex-wife’s house. He also featured on some dodgy reality shows including the infamous It’s Macho Time where a group of women compete to be Camacho’s girlfriend. All very funny but somewhat demeaned him as a sportsman, especially when nothing really happened apparently.
Finally the biggest grief of all in which we all hope and pray he will recover from. He was shot in the face in his home town of Bayamon. At this moment he is apparently brain dead and hia mother is going to Puerto Rico to see if she should turn off his life support. Our prayers are with him at this moment in time.