Hector “Macho” Camacho was not just a boxer, he was an entertainer. With his flare for the grand entrance and over the top statements, he took boxing to a different level. Though some said he was all show, Camacho backed up his mouth and style with a strong jaw and lighting speed. With a professional record of 79-6-3 with 38 wins by knockouts and never losing a fight by knockout, he was no lightweight boxer, no puns intended.
Camacho was known for the flamboyant outfits that he wore to the fights: he dressed as a fire fighter, gladiator and wore caps with trunks that looked like skirts. He once stated “I’m to boxing what Michael Jackson is to music.” Many loved that about him, while for others this just made them hate him more. They wanted to see him go down in the ring by way of a knocked out, but he never gave them the satisfaction. He backed up his sense for the flare with his great boxing skills.
Camacho’s aggressive attacking style of boxing and lightning quick hands helped picked off his opponent blow by blow, but it was his hard jaw that made this style work effectively and brought many memorable knockouts. Even when Camacho was victorious he would look like he was the one who was hit the most.
Although his life outside of the ring was as over the top as his career inside the ring, let’s remember Hector “Macho” Camacho for what he did for the sport. He fought some of the greatest boxers in his class division such as Julio Cesar Chavez, Felix “Tito” Trinidad, and Oscar “The Golden Boy” De La Hoya, and stood his ground, only getting knocked down, but never knocked out, by De La Hoya.
Tragically his aggressive life style left him vulnerable. He died in his hometown of Bayamon, Puerto Rico from a gun shot wound to the face. He was loved by many and countless fans attended or stood outside his childhood church at East Harlem Church to pay their last respects to the man who brought world class entertainment to boxing.
