In retrospect, should Camacho sr be considered a legendary fighter?

[Dynamite76]

No, he didn't do the work. If he had avoided the drugs, he definitely would be legendary .IMHO, could have beaten Chavez had he stayed on course. For a short time there, him and Rosario were very special fighters, as well as Don Curry, and Davey Moore.

[usmnt45]

No but he is up there

[GoldenGloveLove]

HOF but not an ATG like Whitaker or Chavez.

He had the physical gifts and skills to be an ATG, but squandered so much talent due to his lifestyle issues.

He also had a tendency to go into a defensive shell in fights when he'd get hit hard or with some frequency. He'd look mainly to survive.

Some fighters are like this, some aren't. It makes me respect those, like say, Fernando Vargas and Ricky Hatton. Lots of fighters go into a shell when they are facing Mayweather, they are getting hit with sharp counters and frustrated by the lack of openings Floyd gives. Some just shell up defensively and hope for some opening to come along in hopes of an unlikely KO punch. Hatton just went for it. Sure he got knocked silly and into the ringpost lol, but at least he was willing to take that risk.

During the late rounds of Trinidad-Vargas, George Foreman said Vargas needs to "hit him, hit him, hit him, move out of the way" and that Vargas would get KO'd trying to trade left hooks with Tito. He was completely right, but I still respect Vargas for truly "going out on his shield" and trying to do what he felt was his best chance to win the fight rather than simply not get KO'd.

Agree with all of this.

[McGoorty]

He had a load of high profile bouts in the 80's and 90's.. He was also undefeated for a very long time though many people including myself know he really got a gift decision against Mancini.. Does he deserve to be up there with the other greats of his generation like Chavez and Whitaker?

Well he was one of the beat in the era in his weight class but I cannot rate him as an all time great or even great, he was simply a good boxer, better than the average good fighter but that's as much as I can say... I will add I never liked his style at all, never liked safety first styles in general. He was fast but I got to say that Whitaker was in a different league and so was Chavez