Héctor Luís Camacho Matías (May 24, 1962 – November 24, 2012), commonly known by his nickname "Macho", which also refers to strong men who do not show weakness. Camacho was a Puerto Rican
professional boxer
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...
super featherweight
Super featherweight, also known as junior lightweight, is a weight division in professional boxing, contested between and .
The super featherweight division was established by the New York Walker Law in 1920, although first founded by the New ...
title from 1983 to 1984, the WBC
lightweight
Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing.
Boxing Professional boxing
The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...
title from 1985 to 1987, and the
WBO
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxin ...
amateur
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
career, Camacho won three
New York Golden Gloves
The New York Golden Gloves is an amateur boxing tournament. It has long been considered by many boxing aficionados as one of the most elite Golden Gloves titles, along with the Chicago Golden Gloves. Named for the small golden Boxing glove, gloves ...
tournaments, beginning with the Sub-Novice 112 lbs championship in 1978. During his professional career, Camacho had many notable fights against some of the biggest names in boxing, defeating Rafael Limon, Jose Luis Ramirez,
Edwin Rosario
Edwin "Chapo" Rosario Rivera (; March 15, 1963 – December 1, 1997) was a Puerto Rican professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 1997. He was a world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBC lightweight title from 1983 to 1984, ...
,
Ray Mancini
Ray Mancini (born Raymond Michael Mancino; March 4, 1961), better known as "Boom Boom" Mancini, is an American former professional boxer who competed professionally from 1979 to 1992 and who has since worked as an actor and sports commentato ...
Roberto Durán
Roberto Carlos Durán Samaniego (born June 16, 1951) is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held quadruple champion, world championships in four weight classes: Lightweight, welterweight, light middleweigh ...
twice late in Duran's career, and knocking out
Sugar Ray Leonard
Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as Sugar Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professionally between 1977 and 1997, winning quintuple c ...
. He also fought
Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez González (; born July 12, 1962), also known as Julio César Chávez Sr., is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2005. A multiple-time world champion in three weight divisions, Chávez was liste ...
Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya ( , ; born February 4, 1973) is an American Promoter (entertainment), boxing promoter and former professional boxing, professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. His accolades include winning 11 list of boxing sextuple ch ...
, among others.
During his later years, Camacho expanded his popular role and appeared on a variety of Spanish-language
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
shows including Univision's' dancing show '' Mira Quien Baila'' and a weekly segment on the popular show '' El Gordo y La Flaca'', named "Macho News". However, he also had much-publicized troubles with drug abuse and criminal charges. I 2005 was sentenced to seven years in prison for burglarizing a computer store, but the judge suspended six years, allowing him to serve one year under house arrest and two years of probation if monitored by Puerto Rican authorities. He also faced a separate drug charge after ecstasy pills were found in his hotel room. I 2011 he was shot at three times by would-be carjackers in
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to:
* San Juan, Puerto Rico
* San Juan, Argentina
* San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines
San Juan may also refer to:
Places Arge ...
, but was uninjured. In lat 2012 Camacho was awaiting trial in Florida on charges of physical abuse of one of his sons.
On November 20, 2012, Camacho was shot and seriously wounded while sitting in a car outside a bar in his native Bayamón; the driver, a childhood friend, was killed in the shooting. Camacho died four days later; after he was declared clinically brain dead, his mother requested the doctors remove him from life support. After lying in repose for two days in Santurce, Camacho's remains were transported to
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, to Héctor Luis Camacho Sr. and his wife María Matías. He was the second youngest of five children, which included a younger brother, Felix and sisters Raquel, Estrella, and Esperanza. When he was three, his parents separated, and his mother took the children with her to New York City. They lived in the
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson (June 17, 1871June 26, 1938) was an American writer and civil rights activist. He was married to civil rights activist Grace Nail Johnson. Johnson was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ...
housing project
Public housing, also known as social housing, refers to Subsidized housing, subsidized or affordable housing provided in buildings that are usually owned and managed by local government, central government, nonprofit organizations or a ...
in
Spanish Harlem
East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, or , is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the east ...
. Camacho attended local schools and ran into trouble as a teen, getting into street fights and landing in jail at fifteen. Pat Flannery, a language teacher in high school, helped the youth, teaching him to read and "acting like a father figure". When Camacho learned boxing and
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
as a teenager, Flannery guided him to the
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves of America is an organization that promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States, in which winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 fr ...
competitions. Demonstrating talent as a boxer, Camacho chose that sport as a career.
As an amateur, Camacho won three New York Golden Gloves Championships. Camacho won the 1978 112 lb Sub-Novice Championship, 1979 118 lb Open Championship, and 1980 119 lb Open Championship."Macho" Camacho - Boxing.com. In 1979 Camacho defeated Paul DeVorce of the Yonkers Police Athletic League in the finals to win the title, and, in 1980, Camacho defeated Tyrone Jackson in the finals to win the Championship.
In 1980 Camacho won Intercity Golden Gloves, defeating Orlando Johnson of Chicago.
Camacho completed his amateur career, having a hundred fights under his belt, with 96 wins, and 4 losses.
Camacho's nickname of "Macho" has been explained in various ways. According to his father, he gave him the nickname because he was his youngest son. According to the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', his mentor Pat Flannery is the one who gave him the nickname during his teens. According to Camacho himself, the nickname came as a result of American co-workers at a factory who couldn't pronounce his last name.
Amateur Highlights
Camacho's major achievements in the amateur boxing:
* 1978 New York Golden Gloves Flyweight Sub-Novice Champion
* 1979 New York Golden Gloves Bantamweight Open Champion
* 1979 Intercity Golden Gloves 119-Pound Champion
* 1980 New York Golden Gloves Bantamweight Open Champion
* 1980 Intercity Golden Gloves 125-Pound Champion
Professional career
After a stellar amateur career, Camacho began a quick rise through the professional rankings, first in the featherweight and then in the junior-lightweight division. He was so confident that he claimed he could beat world featherweight champions
Salvador Sánchez
Salvador "Sal" Sánchez Narváez (January 26, 1959 – August 12, 1982) was a Mexican professional boxer born in the town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Estado de México. Sanchez was the WBC and ''The Ring'' featherweight champion from 1980 ...
and
Eusebio Pedroza
Eusebio Pedroza (March 2, 1956 – March 1, 2019) was a Panamanian boxer who held the World Boxing Association, WBA and lineal featherweight championship from 1978 to 1985, having defended the title against 18 different contenders, more than any ...
. However, Sánchez died while Camacho was still coming up in the ranks. In the junior-lightweight division, he defeated the top contenders Irleis ''Cubanito'' Perez, Melvin Paul, John Montes, and Refugio Rojas.
Super featherweight
When the World Junior Lightweight champion, Bobby Chacón, refused to go to Puerto Rico to defend his title against Camacho, the
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation ...
(WBC) declared the world championship vacant. Rafael Limón, who had been defeated and lost the championship to Chacon, fought Camacho for the vacant title. It was the first time Camacho was in a ring with a former world champion; he scored a knockdown on Limón late in the third round and twice more in the fifth round before the referee stopped it.
Camacho also fought his first defense in
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to:
* San Juan, Puerto Rico
* San Juan, Argentina
* San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines
San Juan may also refer to:
Places Arge ...
, where he met Rafael Solis, a fellow Puerto Rican. He knocked out Solis with a right to the chin in round five, and retained the title.
Lightweight
Moving up to lightweight, Camacho won the
United States Boxing Association
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) is one of four major organizations recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) which sanctions professional boxing bouts. The others are the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing ...
title against Roque Montoya with a twelve-round decision. His victory in the next fight, broadcast on
Home Box Office
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
(HBO), made him a two-time world champion. Camacho beat the Mexican defending world champion, José Luis Ramírez in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
to win the WBC world Lightweight championship. Camacho dropped Ramirez in round three and won the fight by a unanimous twelve-round decision.
The two other reigning world champions in his division at that time, Livingstone Bramble and Jimmy Paul, were reluctant to unify the crown with Camacho. Instead, he beat Freddie Roach before his next fight of importance came along, ten months after beating Ramírez.
He met former WBC lightweight champion
Edwin Rosario
Edwin "Chapo" Rosario Rivera (; March 15, 1963 – December 1, 1997) was a Puerto Rican professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 1997. He was a world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBC lightweight title from 1983 to 1984, ...
on June 13, 1986, at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, a bout also broadcast on HBO. The fight was notable for the shifts of dominance between the men. Camacho dominated rounds one to four, but had to hang on in rounds five, six and seven, when he felt Rosario's power. He came back to take rounds eight and nine, but Rosario came back to take the last three rounds. It was a close fight, but Camacho retained the title by a split decision of the judges.
Camacho retained his title against Cornelius Boza-Edwards, a former world junior lightweight champion, in
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
in a unanimous decision, after dropping Edwards in the first round.
Light welterweight
He went up in weight and competed at the next level. After a few fights there, he met Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, the former world lightweight champion who had a record of 29–3 with 23 knockouts, for the vacant
WBO
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxin ...
Light Welterweight title. Camacho was the fresher of the two and won a split twelve-round decision. He joined that exclusive group of world champion boxers who have become world champions in three weight divisions.
Camacho's next rival of note was Vinny Pazienza, whom he defeated on points. His next challenger was Tony Baltazar, from Phoenix. He defeated Baltazar by points in a fight televised by HBO. His undefeated streak came to an end, and he lost his world championship to Greg Haugen, the former world Lightweight champion. The referee had deducted one point from Camacho for refusing to touch gloves with Haugen at the start of the 12th round. After the fight, an unidentified substance was found in Haugen's urine, and a rematch was ordered. Camacho regained the title, beating Haugen in a close split decision.
In 1992 in Las Vegas, Camacho met
Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez González (; born July 12, 1962), also known as Julio César Chávez Sr., is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2005. A multiple-time world champion in three weight divisions, Chávez was liste ...
, a formidable Mexican champion who was undefeated 81–0. Camacho entered the ring in an outfit based on the Puerto Rican flag; the fight was televised by Showtime's Pay Per View. Camacho was later criticized by some in the boxing press for his retreating tactics during the fight; Chávez kept pushing the fight and harassed him with hard punches to the body. The bout ended with a victory for Chávez by unanimous decision.
Since 1992 Camacho's notable fights included two victories (by points) over
Roberto Durán
Roberto Carlos Durán Samaniego (born June 16, 1951) is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held quadruple champion, world championships in four weight classes: Lightweight, welterweight, light middleweigh ...
, (one in
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
, the other in
Denver
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
). In 1997, he knocked out
Sugar Ray Leonard
Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as Sugar Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professionally between 1977 and 1997, winning quintuple c ...
in five rounds. This loss sent the forty-one-year-old Leonard into permanent retirement, putting an end to his third comeback attempt six years after a loss to Terry Norris in 1991.
Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya ( , ; born February 4, 1973) is an American Promoter (entertainment), boxing promoter and former professional boxing, professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. His accolades include winning 11 list of boxing sextuple ch ...
(1997), but he lost both matches by unanimous decisions.
On December 5, 2003, Camacho faced Craig Houk. It was an odd fight, as Houk continuously turned his back on Camacho throughout the fight. Camacho had Houk in trouble in the first round before Houk caught an overzealous Camacho with a left hook and floored him, the third knockdown against him in his career. Camacho bounced back up and battered Houk for the remainder of the round. He knocked Houk near the end of the first and eventually won by knockout in round three. He won consecutive unanimous ten-round decisions over Clinton McNeil and Raúl Jorge Muñoz. After that, his boxing career went on hiatus, as he faced criminal charges. He pled guilty to burglary and acknowledged drug abuse, but was given probation.
Camacho returned to boxing on July 18, 2008, competing against Perry Ballard for the World Boxing Empire's Middleweight Championship. The fight lasted seven rounds. Camacho won when Ballard's corner threw the towel. Before this fight, Camacho was trained by Angelo Dundee. His last two fights resulted in a draw and a loss, against Luis Ramón Campas and Saúl Duran, respectively. His last fight against Duran was on May 14, 2010.
Later years and troubles
2005 burglary
On January 6, 2005, Camacho was arrested by police in Gulfport,
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
on charges of trying to burglize an electronic goods store and carrying the drug ecstasy on him. In 2007, he pleaded guilty to being under the influence at the time of the burglary. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison, but a judge eventually suspended all but one year of the sentence and gave Camacho
probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...
. He served two weeks in jail after violating that probation.
2011 shooting
On February 12, 2011, Camacho was attacked near the Luis Lloréns Torres housing project in
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to:
* San Juan, Puerto Rico
* San Juan, Argentina
* San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines
San Juan may also refer to:
Places Arge ...
. Camacho said he was taking a friend to a nearby bar when two men approached his vehicle (a 2005 BMW X5) and tried to
carjack
Carjacking is a robbery in which a motor vehicle is taken over.Michael Cherbonneau, "Carjacking," in ''Encyclopedia of Social Problems'', Vol. 1 (SAGE, 2008: ed. Vincent N. Parrillo), pp. 110-11. In contrast to car theft, carjacking is usually i ...
him. When he tried to drive away, they shot at him three times. He said that since "everybody loves me," he didn't think the men had realized who he was. He did not file a police report.
2012 shooting and death
On November 20, 2012, around 7 p.m. AST, Camacho was shot once in the jaw while sitting in a car, on Puerto Rico Highway 167, in Bayamón. Camacho, 50, was seated in the passenger seat of a friend's
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American Car, automobiles manufactured by Ford Motor Company, Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its Ford Mustang (seventh ...
when he was shot by unknown individuals from a passing SUV. The driver of the car, Adrian Mojica Moreno, Camacho's childhood friend, was killed in the attack. Camacho was taken to San Pablo Hospital in Bayamón, where he was reported to be in critical condition. Police said a chase took place and that the vehicle from which the shots were fired was found in the area of Jardines de Cataño. There were conflicting media reports, with an early claim that police arrested a suspect around 9 p.m. AST. Police investigating the incident said they found nine bags of
cocaine
Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
in the car.
The bullet pierced Camacho's left
mandible
In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla).
The jawbone i ...
and fractured his fifth and sixth
cervical vertebra
In tetrapods, cervical vertebrae (: vertebra) are the vertebrae of the neck, immediately below the skull. Truncal vertebrae (divided into thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in mammals) lie caudal (toward the tail) of cervical vertebrae. In sauropsid s ...
e, lodging in his right shoulder and forming a lesion on his
carotid artery Carotid artery may refer to:
* Common carotid artery, often "carotids" or "carotid", an artery on each side of the neck which divides into the external carotid artery and internal carotid artery
* External carotid artery, an artery on each side of ...
that restricted blood flow to his brain. At one point doctors announced Camacho was expected to survive but might be paralyzed, but after he suffered a
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...
during the night, doctors said they could find only minimal brain activity. The morning after the shooting, Rafael Rodríguez Mercado, director of the Medical Sciences Campus, reported to '' El Nuevo Día'' that Camacho was brain stem dead. "His full recovery would be a miracle; medically there is nothing more that can be done," stated Rodríguez Mercado. This was confirmed the next morning by Ernesto Torres, director of the hospital.
Camacho's mother Maria Matias announced on November 23 plans to have her son taken off life support once his three remaining sons arrived in Puerto Rico to be with him. Héctor Camacho was officially declared dead after a heart attack the following day. It was not possible for any of his organs to be donated to recipients because of the time that had passed between him being found clinically brain dead and when his heart stopped.
He is survived by his parents, his sons, two grandsons, his brother FélixBRUCE WEBER, "Hector Camacho, 50, Boxer Who Lived Dangerously, Dies" ''New York Times'', November 24, 2012 and his sisters Raquel, Estrella and Esperanza. His oldest son, Hector Camacho Jr., said violence had overtaken Puerto Rico. "Death, jail, drugs, killings," he said. "That's what the streets are now."
Puerto Rico's former governor, Luis Fortuno, said "'Macho' will always be remembered for his spontaneity and charisma in and out of the ring." Puerto Rican governor-elect, Alejandro Garcia Padilla, said Camacho had "united the country"; "We celebrated his triumphs in the streets and we applauded him with noble sportsmanship when he didn't prevail." Asked how he wished his son to be remembered, his father said for his clowning around and that he was a happy person, that he had revolutionized boxing by how he was dressed upon entering the ring.
Funeral and burial
After Camacho's death, his mother, María Matías, expressed the wish for her son to be buried in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where he had grown up and started his fighting career. Camacho's son Héctor Camacho Jr. thought he should be buried in Puerto Rico, but agreed to his grandmother's and aunts' wishes.
Before being taken to the mainland United States, Camacho's body lay in state at the Puerto Rico Department of Sports and Recreation in Santurce. During the two days Camacho's body was on viewing, hundreds of people visited the facilities to pay tribute to the fighter.
Dozens of retired and active boxers from Puerto Rico and abroad were among those who participated in the funeral services. Among them were Félix "Tito" Trinidad,
Wilfred Benítez
Wilfred "Wilfredo" Benítez (born September 12, 1958) is an American-born Puerto Rican former professional boxer and the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Earning his first of three career world titles in separate weight division ...
,
Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez RiveraJohn John Molina, Samuel Serrano, Román "Rocky" Martínez, Juan Manuel López, Nelson Dieppa, Alex "El Nene" Sánchez, Julian Solís, Manny Siaca, and the brothers McWilliams and McJoe Arroyo. Trinidad was outspoken in praise for his former rival, saying Camacho "put Puerto Rico's flag up high, with a lot of pride like many other champions have done. He was very loved. You can see how everybody has suffered the loss of this great human being, a great champion." Trinidad regretted the circumstances of the fatal shooting.
Camacho's body was flown to New York City on November 29 and presented at Elcock Funeral Home in
Queens
Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
. On Friday, his body was taken to Saint Cecilia's Church in Manhattan for a religious service. Camacho was buried on December 1 in Saint Raymond's Cemetery in
the Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
. Before the burial, a parade was held in Camacho's honor in East Harlem. Two white horses pulled a hearse carriage up First Avenue surrounded by fans, friends and family of the late boxer. Camacho's casket was draped in a Puerto Rican flag. After a visitation and mass at St. Cecilia's Church on East 106th Street on November 30 and December 1, Camacho was buried on the afternoon of December 1, 2012, in Saint Raymond's Cemetery, Bronx in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx.
Aftermath and investigation
Almost ten years later, on March 9, 2022, the Department of Justice of Puerto Rico arrested five suspects. William Rodríguez Rodríguez, Luis Ayala García, and Joshua Méndez Romero were serving federal sentences for unrelated crimes, and were flown in from Florida as part of what police called "Operation Knockout." The fourth suspect, Jesús Naranjo Adorno, was arrested in morning hours in the same city where Camacho was killed, and the fifth suspect, Juan Luis Figueroa Rivera, remains in prison in Puerto Rico for an unrelated case. Authorities also stated that two other suspects were killed in 2013 and 2015, in unrelated events.
Legacy and honors
Several sports journalists, analysts, and experts from Puerto Rico and United States have praised Camacho's skills and influence in the boxing world. The journalist Rafael Bracero and Francisco Valcárcel, president of the
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxing ...
, agreed that Camacho was among the "Top 5 Puerto Rican boxers" of all time, along with Félix "Tito" Trinidad,
Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez RiveraWilfred Benítez
Wilfred "Wilfredo" Benítez (born September 12, 1958) is an American-born Puerto Rican former professional boxer and the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Earning his first of three career world titles in separate weight division ...
. The boxing historian, Mario Rivera Martinó, praised Camacho, calling him a "complete fighter" in the Lightweight division.
José Sulaimán
José Sulaimán Chagnón (May 30, 1931 – January 16, 2014) was a Mexican boxing official, best known for serving as president of the World Boxing Council (WBC) from 1975 until his death in 2014. During his nearly four decades at the helm, Sul ...
stated that he "revolutionized boxing during his time".
Ed Brophy, director of the
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, right next to exit 34 of the New York State Thruway, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected on ballots cre ...
, noted Camacho's talents in attracting an audience. He said, "Camacho brought a lot of excitement to boxing. He was bright, colorful, and always gave something to talk about with his walks to the ring, with his unique style of entering, and the costumes he wore." Brophy also praised Camacho's boxing skills, describing him as "an exciting fighter, and one of the greats. He faced the best, going up and down several divisions." Alfredo R. Martínez, senior editor of
ESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes (, ) is an American multinational Spanish-language pay television sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the ...
, also noted Camacho's flamboyant approach, saying that "if he wasn't the first, he was one of the firsts that entered the ring with extravagant costumes, feather crests, bright clothes, everything to the rhythm of some pop song".
Hiram Martínez, senior editor of ESPN Deportes, said about Camacho's training:
he transforms into a hungry, focused, and dedicated boxer, that works hours and hours polishing his speed, his wit, and the style that turned him into one of the greats of all time. That's the only way you can explain why all those great hitters he faced during the best moments of his career never knocked him down.
Jaime Vega-Curry (deputy editor of ESPN Deportes), said Camacho was "a character that combined a contagious charisma, impressive boxing quality, a child's soul, a salesman's shrewdness, and a superlative confidence on himself and in the force of his 'Macho Time'"
Brophy noted Camacho would be eligible for the
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, right next to exit 34 of the New York State Thruway, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected on ballots cre ...
in December 2015. He added that "Camacho is part of boxing history, and that's what the International Boxing Hall of Fame is about."
Camacho, along with Lupe Pintor and Hilario Zapata, among others, was voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in December 2015 and was inducted in June 2016.
Noted boxing biographer
Christian Giudice
Christian Giudice (born June 5, 1974) is an American boxing writer and editor who has published boxing biographies. The biopic film ''Hands of Stone'' was based on Giudice's book with the same title.
Raised in Haddonfield, New Jersey, Giudice atte ...
wrote a book about Camacho's life titled ''Macho Time: The Meteoric Rise and Tragic Fall of Hector Camacho'', which was released on October 20, 2020, by Hamilcar Publications.
Hector's fiancée, Shelly Salemassi, published a book of their real life story called The Lady and the Ten Time World Champ, Going The Distance With Hector Macho Camacho, which was released on December 1, 2021, by Page Publishing.
Marriage and family
Camacho had four sons, his oldest from an early relationship and three from his marriage. His eldest son, Héctor "Machito" Camacho Jr. (born 1978 in New York, when Camacho was 16), also became a professional boxer and has won a championship.
Camacho married Amy Torres in 1991, and they had three sons: Justin (born December 1, 1989), Christian (born 1992), and Tyler Camacho (born 1998). (The ''New York Times'' reports the youngest son's name as "Taylor".) In 1998 she obtained a restraining order against Camacho, alleging he had threatened her and one of their sons."Ex-boxer 'Macho' Camacho dies four days after shooting" AP, ''Cleveland.com'', November 24, 2012, accessed November 29, 2012 They divorced in 2001. In March 2011, his ex-wife Amy Camacho and at least one son were living in
Orange County, Florida
Orange County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,429,908, making it the fifth-most populous county in Florida and the List of ...
when an argument between the boxer and his ex-wife caused neighbors to become alarmed and call police. His youngest son, Tyler, is also a boxer, as was his brother, Felix Camacho.
Together for 15 years, Hector was engaged to Shelly Salemassi. In 2003, The Press and Guide of
Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit, Dearborn borders Detroit to the south and west, roughly west of downtown Detroit. In the 2020 United States ...
printed an engagement notice between Camacho and Shelly Salemassi, along with a photograph of the couple."Engagements", ''Press & Guide'', Dearborn, Michigan, 16 January 2003, p 4-B Although they never married, the ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative
daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'' reported she was the only one of his former significant others to fly to Camacho's New York funeral.
Popular influence
During the peak of his career, Camacho became an icon in popular culture. He first appeared on Telemundo's ''Super Sábados'', where he joined a musical sketch, "Macho Time", named after his catchphrase. In 1976, the novel ''La guaracha del Macho Camacho'' by Luis Rafael Sánchez was published. The novel is a snapshot of every day life in Puerto Rico in the 70's and though Camacho is not a character ''per se'', his presence is felt throughout as a symbol of the Puerto Rican identity of the time. During the 1990s, Camacho appeared in episodes of ''El Show del Mediodía'', performing staged fights with Melwin Cedeño's character, Chevy, el Ponzoñú.
In 1992, Camacho invited Cedeño to sing a version with him of '' La Borinqueña'' before a fight, together with Pedro Guzmán, a fellow comedian/musician. The trio's publicity stunt drew strong criticism at the time. Camacho also appeared in the sitcom, ''
The Wayans Bros.
''The Wayans Bros.'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from January 11, 1995, to May 20, 1999. The series starred real life brothers Shawn Wayans, Shawn and Marlon Wayans, comedian John Witherspoon (actor), John Withe ...
,'' portraying Manuel "Hot Pepper" López. He staged a fight against the main character, Marlon "Suckerpunch" Williams (
Marlon Wayans
Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for his work with his brother Shawn Wayans on The WB sitcom ''The Wayans Bros.'' (1995–1999) and the comedy films ''Don't Be a M ...
).
Due to his prominence, Camacho became the subject of cultural references in television, music and literature. Harry Mullan devoted a chapter to him, titled "It's Macho Time," in his ''The Book of Boxing Quotations'' (1988). In a 2003 episode of ''
King of the Hill
''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...
,'' titled "Boxing Luanne", the titular character
Hank Hill
Hank Rutherford Hill (born April 15)Season Five, Episode Ten: Yankee Hankie (at time 04:42 of 22:30) Birth Certificate has his name listed as Hank Rutherford Hill is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox ...
remarks "Oh, I get it. A little flash… Like Héctor "Macho" Camacho". after placing tassels in the boxing outfit of Luanne Platter. Rapper
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
referred to Camacho and the professional wrestler "Macho Man"
Randy Savage
Randy Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and professional baseball player, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation ( ...
in his 2008 single, " Mr. Carter".
Following retirement, Camacho expanded his role as a television personality. In 2010, he took part in ''¡ Mira Quien Baila!'', a
reality show
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
that is the American/Spanish-Speaking version of ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
''. He was the first to be eliminated from the competition. Camacho later joined the Univision entertainment news program '' El Gordo y La Flaca'' as a ''Mira Quien Baila'' critic and entertainment world newscaster. In March 2012, Camacho starred on a
dating game show
Dating game shows are game shows that incorporates a variety of matchmaking systems and services in the form of a game with clear rules. Human matchmaking is involved only in selecting the game's contestants, who are usually selected more for the ...
titled ''It's Macho Time,'' where women competed to be his "girlfriend". Currently a written biography is being assembled by Emil "Rocco" Filerino, a lifelong friend and personal manager. Another biography, "Macho Time: The Meteoric Rise and Tragic Fall of Hector Camacho", by writer
Christian Giudice
Christian Giudice (born June 5, 1974) is an American boxing writer and editor who has published boxing biographies. The biopic film ''Hands of Stone'' was based on Giudice's book with the same title.
Raised in Haddonfield, New Jersey, Giudice atte ...
, was published on October 20, 2020. In addition to those books, his son Hector Camacho Jr. wrote a collaboration with author Dustin Warburton and illustrator Dan Monroe, a comic book named "Macho Dad" in which Camacho is portrayed as a son-carrying, Puerto Rican flag-wearing superhero. Macho Dad was released on September 1, 2014.
Hector's fiancée, Shelly Salemassi, published a book of their real life story called "The Lady and the Ten Time World Champ, Going The Distance With Hector Macho Camacho", which was released on December 1, 2021, by Page Publishing ().
welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...
champion (147 lbs)
* IBC
light middleweight
Light middleweight, also known as junior middleweight or super welterweight,PeBoxRec/ref> is a weight class in boxing but also may include other combat sports.
Boxing
The light middleweight division (also known as junior middleweight in the Intern ...
champion (154 lbs)
* IBC
middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
super middleweight
Super middleweight, or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
In professional boxing, super middleweight is contested between the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, in which boxers can weigh between 160 pounds ( ...
List of Puerto Ricans
This is a list of notable people from Puerto Rico which includes people who were born in Puerto Rico (Borinquen) and people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. Puerto Rican citizens are included, as the governm ...
*
List of boxing triple champions
In boxing, a triple champion is a boxer who has won world titles in three weight classes. For most of the 20th century it was a remarkable and rare achievement accomplished by only a handful of fighters. Beginning in the 1970s, triple champions h ...
Sports in Puerto Rico
Sports in Puerto Rico can be traced from the ceremonial competitions amongst the pre-Columbian Native Americans of the Arawak (Taíno) tribes who inhabited the island to the modern era in which sports activities consist of an organized physic ...