BoxRec

Hector "macho" Camacho is a fighter before my time and everytime I ask about how his career was like my brother-in-law gets disgusted. It seems what ever ill feelings towards Mach was passed on to his son as well (but that might be for the leija fight).

What was it about macho that people disliked?

He was an excellent technician with speed and great counter punching ability until he fought chapo Rosario. To me he didn’t show any heart on that fight and after that he wouldn’t exchange with nobody and running. In other words he became a bum, just like his son turnout to be. He could have been really good but his problem was the same as his son no heart. Plus he had an ego a million times worst than prince hamed.

If I had to sum up Hector Camacho in two words I would say unjustified arrogance.

Decagon wrote:Imagine someone with Mike Tyson's attitude, but John Ruiz's style.

When I first started watching boxing I used to heard the same hate for Camacho.

But at the same time I heard a young Camach Sr. had very fast hands and was very dangerous.

So I figure to buy Mancini v. Camacho thinking I was going to see a prime Camacho Sr. WRONG!

I had to go deeper into Camachos career when he was a jr. lightweight and lightweight. I only have two of his fights in prime form Camacho. And people don't lie when they say Camacho was a baddass fighter with very quick hands. I was very surprised myself. Nothing like the Camacho of the 90's, well at least the 92 and up when I started watching boxing.

I seriously belive Camacho hands were quicker then both Mayweather and Jones. At least from the fights that I have his has very quick hands.

And Camacho Jr. I really belive he got fame and money to quick, being the son of a famous fighter brought him fame and money that got to his head quickly and I think he started partiing too much that costed him his advansment.

For one he was a southpaw. Two he was safety first, he never took a step forward. He was quick of hand and foot, but a bore to watch and way overrated. The best part about Hector was seeing the trunks he was wearing for each fight and listening to him talk smack after the bout. It is macho time!! The best thing he ever did was KO Sugar Ray Leonard!!

ferroz wrote:Hector "macho" Camacho is a fighter before my time and everytime I ask about how his career was like my brother-in-law gets disgusted. It seems what ever ill feelings towards Mach was passed on to his son as well (but that might be for the leija fight).

What was it about macho that people disliked?

I think the biggest problem fans had with Hector was he wasted his talent. He really could have been great, IMO. But, like some on here said, he became a safety first boxer and wouldn't engage when the opportunities were there.

His mouth didn't endear him to many fans, either. And they were all too happy to watch JC Chavez spank him around the ring for hurling insults at him like he did at every press conference, while Chavez was trying to be the sportsman.

He also did party too much. As we all know, that takes a toll on the body. Had he stayed on the straight and narrow, and stayed conditioned, he could have been alot better than he was.

to really apprecitate his skills you have to see his fights vs jose luis ramirez, Montoya,and Limon, after I saw those fights, wow what a display of boxing skills, speed, movement, defense, well you name it and he did have it. then I saw his fight with Rosario and rosario hurt him in the seven or eight round I don't recall clearly but what I don't forget is the expression of fear on his face. after that fight he was never the same.

Comatcho was never the same after the Rosairo Fight and became a saftey first boxer. Its a shame because he had the talent to be an all time great but didn't have the right attitude.
Having said that he took his licks from Chavez without giving up and showed that he wasn't such a dog after all.

It was said that the only Macho was in the spelling of the name Camacho.

I also thought that it was amusing that he call himself "macho man" given that he was a runner. I agree he really wasted his career. In the early part of career he was one of the most exciting fighters in the world. Then he became such a runner that his fights were very boring.
I remember the Mancini fight in particular. Mancini was coming off a long layoff, and was wild, but at least he tried to fight. Camacho just ran the whole fight. He hardly threw any punches at all. (They still manged to give Camacho the decision).
He did have great talent (especially his hand speed), but he just didn't come close to be the great fighter that he could have been.

He ran his mouth and wasted his talent.Never should have made the mistake of sending Rosario panties before their fight.

Hector was an a-hole in the ring and when the camera was on him, but I've spent several time with him outside of boxing and he is very genuine and nice and not the a-hole you see him being on TV. That is the attitude he has to have to bring him the paydays. People will pay to see him get his ass kicked and promoters knew this

Camacho - too much money and too little maturity. Plus, people like myself disliked him because..........he once wore a roman gladiator helmet and loincloth into the ring. ughhhh

To be fair, Boxing has always had these pantomime style villains, guys who nobody likes and everyone wants to see beaten. Over in UK we had Eubank and Bugner. They did very well fro themselves by playing the bad guy.

I think there was a lot of this on Camacho.

Camacho had any semblance of "macho" blated out of him by Rosario. It was very irritating how he would showboat and try to embarass or make sport of an opponent and then not fight him. Paez was a ham and played around but if he made you mad he was right there trading punches with you. If that makes sense.
I must give Camacho credit for taking his beating from Chavez, and for one brief moment (the Leonard fight) he was my favorite boxer...I'm suprised nobody ever got him in a ring with Meldrick Taylor or Whitaker.