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I know that he is thought of in very small terms as a fighter now a days, but back in the day this guy was just plain awsome to watch. I had boutght my first ever issue of K.O. Magazine and featured in the mag was a bout between Hector Camacho and Louie Burke. There was a nice write up on Hector and I began following his career. Quite honestly, I still have not seen a fighter that displayed such speed and swiftness when in the ring. He would walk in to range and start firing away with such speed and quantity in his combos, I thought he was awsome.
He easily took the title from the hands of Jose Luis Ramirez and I thought he was going to be champion forever. That is until he ran into Edwin Rosario. Rosario plain and simple put a beating on Camacho, trapped him and pounded him when Camacho wanted to move and with his power nulified not only Camachos speed but also his heart. Camacho walked away from the fight with a decision that he did not deserve and also walked away a different fighter. The Hector Camacho of the old days seemingly died in that fight.
I would watch his fights that came after Rosario and I quite simply could not take it. Here was one of the most talented and gifted fighters who was now afraid, it seemed to be hit at all. He still won plenty of fights but those fights were hard to watch to say the least. For Camacho to stand and exchange with anybody after Rosario it had to mean that Camacho knew that he was in no danger of being hurt, and in the ring fighting, that is a rare occasion.
He was my first idol in the world of boxing. He actually beat a buddy of mine on his way to the title, Greg Coverson. Greg, a man that could fight very well, has his own story about the surroundings of the fight for him but he was easily out pointed in 10. I now look at Camacho in a different light, remembering what he was and what he had become in the later parts of his career. Running can win you gold in the olympic 100 meter dash but in boxing it will not win you many fans, he did manage to win many fights still with his superior hand speed and skill but it was never even a glimmer of what he may have been....Rockin'
He easily took the title from the hands of Jose Luis Ramirez and I thought he was going to be champion forever. That is until he ran into Edwin Rosario. Rosario plain and simple put a beating on Camacho, trapped him and pounded him when Camacho wanted to move and with his power nulified not only Camachos speed but also his heart. Camacho walked away from the fight with a decision that he did not deserve and also walked away a different fighter. The Hector Camacho of the old days seemingly died in that fight.
I would watch his fights that came after Rosario and I quite simply could not take it. Here was one of the most talented and gifted fighters who was now afraid, it seemed to be hit at all. He still won plenty of fights but those fights were hard to watch to say the least. For Camacho to stand and exchange with anybody after Rosario it had to mean that Camacho knew that he was in no danger of being hurt, and in the ring fighting, that is a rare occasion.
He was my first idol in the world of boxing. He actually beat a buddy of mine on his way to the title, Greg Coverson. Greg, a man that could fight very well, has his own story about the surroundings of the fight for him but he was easily out pointed in 10. I now look at Camacho in a different light, remembering what he was and what he had become in the later parts of his career. Running can win you gold in the olympic 100 meter dash but in boxing it will not win you many fans, he did manage to win many fights still with his superior hand speed and skill but it was never even a glimmer of what he may have been....Rockin'
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