A talented boxer and a flashy performer in the ring, but even flashier outside of it. “The Macho Man from the Spanish Harlem” was born on a day like today in 1962.
Hector Luis Camacho Matias was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and was soon transplanted to the New York “barrio” that he would one day put on the boxing map with his colorful patois and his exuberant behavior. After an explosive amateur career in which he won three New York Golden Gloves tournaments, he finally made his transition to the pros, and the legend of the Macho Man was born.
Making his debut in 1980, he accumulated 21 straight wins before clashing with former titlist Rafael “Bazooka” Limon for the WBC junior lightweight title left vacant by Bobby Chacon. He defeated Limon by stoppage and went on to make one defense before jumping to lightweight and taking Jose Luis Ramirez’ WBC belt at that weight. A couple of defenses against Edwin Rosario and Cornelio Boza Edwards followed, and then another jump in weight had Camacho facing Ray Mancini for the inaugural WBO junior welterweight belt. Camacho won by split decision and went on to defend it against Vinny Pazienza and Tony Baltazar before losing it to Greg Haugen only to regain it in the rematch.
In 1992, the 40-1 Camacho met his nemesis when he faced Julio Cesar Chavez in one of the biggest Mexico-Puerto Rico clashes ever. Camacho turned the fight into a grudge match with his antics, and Chavez made it his business to punish him for it, decisively beating Camacho on points.
Camacho wore his “Big Chief” outfit into the ring for his 1990 showdown with Vinny Pazienza. Photo / The Ring Magazine via Getty Images
A couple of fights later, Camacho met his compatriot Felix Trinidad in a crossroads bout. In his absolute prime, Trinidad soundly defeated his paesano with a unanimous decision that many saw as the beginning of the end for the Macho Man. Far from it, that fight was the mid-point of Camacho’s career, and a few notable achievements still laid in the future.
After a 19-0-1 run in the following three years that included a win over fellow all-time-great Roberto Duran, Camacho was matched with Sugar Ray Leonard in his much-publicized comeback. In a minor upset, Camacho stopped Leonard and effectively ended whatever was left of his dreams to return to former glories.
In his next fight, Camacho was matched with Oscar De La Hoya in a fight that was considered more of a payday than a chance to redeem his career. Camacho lost by decision, and continued fighting on and off for 13 more years in a 17-1-2 run that included a win over Duran in a rematch and a draw against Yori Boy Campas. He called it quits in 1990 with a record of 79-6-3 (38 knockouts) and the pride of never losing a fight by stoppage in his entire three-decade career across five weight classes.
Later in life he became a TV personality appearing in numerous shows, but also making cameos in the occasional news broadcast for episodes related to his nightly habits. He was involved in several low-profile criminal and misdemeanor cases in the US and Puerto Rico, but remained a beloved figure throughout his many ordeals.
On November 20, 2012, Camacho was shot while sitting in a car outside a bar in his native Bayamon, a suburb of San Juan. Although the driver was believed to be the target of the attack, Camacho was seriously injured as well and succumbed to his wounds four days later when his mother requested his caretakers to remove him from life support after he was declared clinically brain dead.
One of his sons, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., was also a boxer.
Hector Camacho Sr. was inducted into the International Boxing Hal of Fame in 2016.
Diego M. Morilla has written for The Ring since 2013. He has also written for HBO.com, ESPN.com and many other magazines, websites, newspapers and outlets since 1993. He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and an elector for the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He has won two first-place awards in the BWAA’s annual writing contest, and he is the moderator of The Ring’s Women’s Ratings Panel. He served as copy editor for the second era of The Ring en Español (2018-2020) and is currently a writer and editor for RingTV.com.
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