Hector "macho" Camacho

I just wanted to know the thoughts of fight fans on Hector Camacho. Does anybody think that Hector 'Macho" Camacho isn't a boxing Hall of Famer? Starting out in life as a street fighter and car thief on the tough streets of New York's Spanish Harlem, Hector "Macho" Camacho became one of boxing's most flamboyant and entertaining showmen in the 1980s and 1990s. In his younger days, Camacho had phenomenal speed and quickness and, at five-foot five inches tall, won six titles in five different weight classes. Despite an impressive record of 76-4-2, Camacho's life has been burdened by consistent drug use and legal problems. Born to Fight Camacho was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, on May 24, 1962. When he was three years old, his mother left his father and moved with Camacho and his older sister, Raquel, to Spanish Harlem in New York City. The family lived in a variety of public housing projects, often lacking heat and hot water. Camacho got in his first street fight when he was nine years old. Always a boisterous, daring child, Camacho picked on an older, bigger boy in his neighborhood. When the boy got fed up and threatened to do him harm, Camacho went running home, crying to his mother. She suggested in no uncertain terms that if he didn't go back and stand up for himself, he'd have to deal with her. Dutifully, and in fear of his mother's wrath, Camacho returned to pummel the bigger boy. Car Theft and Prison By the time Camacho was 15, he had been expelled from six schools for fighting, and had graduated from stealing toys to stealing cars. In 1979 a botched car theft attempt led Camacho on a 30-block police chase that ended when an officer cornered him and cracked his head with the butt of his pistol. Camacho got stitches, spent a day at Rikers Island, and was put on probation. Lightning Speed When Camacho was 14 he began working with Robert Lee Velez, an ex-gang member who had also spent time in jail as a youth. Velez, then 38 years old, had become a butcher and moonlighted in his spare time as a boxing instructor. Impressed after seeing Camacho box, Velez began coaching him, turning the teenager from a slugger into a finesse boxer, and teaching him to use strategy along with his lightning speed to his advantage. Camacho began attending Manhattan High School, a school for troubled kids who were too disruptive in regular high schools. There he received support and guidance from Pat Flannery, a language-arts teacher. When Camacho arrived at the school at the age of 15, he was basically illiterate. Flannery became his mentor, teacher, and father figure. He taught him how to read and helped him clear up his nearly unintelligible diction. At first Flannery discouraged Camacho's dreams of becoming a boxer, but when the boy persisted, Flannery supplied him with boxing shoes and helped him sign up for the Golden Gloves competition. It was Flannery who came up with the nickname "Macho Camacho." In 1982, with an amateur record of 96-4, Camacho quit school during his junior year to pursue a full-time boxing career. Won Titles In August of 1983 Camacho returned to Puerto Rico to face Rafael "Bazooka" Limon for the World Boxing Council (WBC) junior lightweight title. Fighting before a crowd of 10,000 in San Juan, 21-year-old Camacho destroyed 29-year-old veteran Limon, who was at the time ranked third, earning a technical knock out (TKO) in the fifth round. Camacho entered the ring in leopard-spotted trucks with a jacket to match. Sports Illustrated reported: "A buzz saw, not a belt, whipped Limon. Camacho leaped out of his corner at the opening bell and chased Limon backward, nearly bowling him over in the first 10 seconds. Camacho dominated that round as well as the second, while Limon was able only to send out his long, slow, looping rights and lefts." In June of 1984 Camacho, who consistently struggled with maintaining a disciplined training schedule, gave up his super-feather weight title because he couldn't make the required weight (126 pounds) to defend it. At the peak of his career, Camacho suffered a personal and professional setback after a disagreement with his manager-trainer, Billy Giles, which ended the boxer's relationship with his manager. Giles then announced that Camacho had a serious drug habit. "The streets got Camacho again," he told New York. "A lot of drugs. You could tell by his performance in the ring, the way he was starting to lose his oxygen." Camacho fell into a deep depression, and did not fight for the remainder of the year. He returned to the ring in 1985 and claimed the WBC lightweight title in a 12-round decision in Las Vegas against Jose Luis Ramirez. He successfully defended the title twice in 1986. His bout with Edwin Rosario in June of 1986 was a split decision, and although he managed to hang on for the win, Camacho took a beating from the knock-down power punches of his opponent. After just three fights in 1987 and 1988, Camacho stepped into the ring on March 3, 1989, to defeat Ray Mancini in a 12-round decision that awarded Camacho the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight title. After two non-title bouts, Camacho defended his welterweight title twice in 1990. After all, he did coin the phrase (What time is it?) It's Macho Time..... I even see TV shows today saying that same phrase (What time is it?) :boxing: