Documentary shows the extreme highs and lows that defined Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho
Gennadiy Golovkin calls his fights “one big drama show” for the fashion in which the middleweight champion often conquers opponents.
Drama, however, doesn’t follow Golovkin outside the ring. Golovkin has led a fairly tranquil career.
For drama overload, few boxing lives matched Hector “Macho” Camacho’s. Ever since his breakthrough in the early 1980s, Camacho possessed superlative skills and charisma that propelled him to win world titles in three divisions and become one of the sport’s crossover stars.
Along with ring dominance were the personal flaws and demons that overwhelmed Camacho until his still unresolved murder eight years ago. Camacho was 50 at the time of his death.
The extreme highs and lows that defined Camacho are centerpieces of “Macho: The Hector Camacho Story,” which will debut on Showtime Friday night at 9. The 90-minute documentary profiles Camacho from his formative years in New York’s Spanish Harlem neighborhood, to development and eventual success as a fighter and drug abuse which hovered until he was shot and killed in his native Puerto Rico.
“I’ve been around the boxing world for a long time as an agent and then a filmmaker,” director Eric Drath said in the film’s introduction. “And I told a lot of stories about the sport and its great characters. Out of all the fighters I’ve known none were as unforgettable as Hector “Macho” Camacho.”
Figured prominently in the film are Camacho’s mother Maria, son Hector Jr., ex-wife Amy and several of the noteworthy champions who fought Camacho during his 30-year career.
Learning the identity of who shot and killed her son remains Maria Camacho’s primary purpose to live. Despite positive leads in Maria’s recent visit to the island, Puerto Rican authorities still have not provided her with a name.
“They can’t find who killed Macho,” she said. “Who killed Macho? Who killed my son?”
Camacho and a friend were ambushed while inside a car. Those final images contrasted with Camacho’s rise to stardom.
After a standout amateur career, Camacho turned professional in 1980. CBS showcased Camacho during his ascent to contending status and eventual title-winning performance against Rafael “Bazooka” Limon for the super-featherweight belt.
“He made himself known, he was a colorful guy right from the start, he kind of captivated us,” said Tim Ryan, who called Camacho’s fights for the network. “We were starting to become the boxing network so he became one of our star guys.”
But as he reached boxing pinnacle, Camacho wrestled with cocaine addiction and legal problems. The toll caused constant marital tension that ultimately ended in divorce.
“I stood by his side and I had his back,” Amy Camacho said. “But I knew Macho was never going to stop doing what he was doing because he blatantly said, ‘I like it, I love it. You met me like this and I will stay like this.’
“He was running away from love. He was running away from family. He was always running away because everything for him was the streets. He didn’t want to give it up.”
Although New York and Puerto Rico claimed Camacho as a favorite son, Central Florida became his home during the second half of his 88-bout career. Camacho also made eight ring appearances in South Florida, including a successful defense of his lightweight title against Cornelius Boza Edwards Sept. 26, 1986 at Flamingo Park in Miami Beach.
CHAMPIONS RESURFACE
Three of the sport’s top pound-for-pound best fighters resume their careers in December after lengthy absences.
Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. will fight Danny Garcia Saturday night in Arlington, Texas. For Spence, it is his first bout since sustaining serious injuries in a car accident 13 months ago.
Super-middleweight titleholder Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who recently ended his promotional association with Oscar De La Hoya, will face Callum Smith on Dec. 19 in San Antonio. Alvarez has not fought since Nov. 2019.
Meanwhile, Golovkin will make his first South Florida appearance Dec. 18 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood. Inactive since Oct. 2019, Golovkin will defend his middleweight belt against Kamil Szemeta. Similar to the Devin Haney-Yuriorkis Gamboa lightweight title fight at the same venue last month, no spectators will be allowed at the event.
Coming up
Saturday (9 p.m., pay-per-view): Errol Spence Jr. vs. Danny Garcia, 12, for Spence’s IBF and WBC welterweight titles.
