Boxing World Remembers Hector 'Macho' Camacho

Puerto Rican boxing legend and multiple-time champion Hector "Macho" Camacho was pronounced dead Saturday morning at the age of 50, according to the Associated Press (via The Mercury News). Camacho had been shot in the face four days prior while sitting in a car outside a bar with his friend, Adrian Mojica Moreno—who died at the scene—but was fighting to stay alive. After being declared brain dead by the doctors, Camacho’s family decided to remove the boxing star from life support Saturday. In the AP’s report of the incident, the local police said “Mojica had nine small bags of cocaine in his pocket and a 10th bag was found open in the car.” Despite a tumultuous life that ended far too soon, the boxing and sports world remembers the legend fondly. Whether it was because of his brutal in-ring style or his happy-go-lucky attitude and swagger away from the ring, his zest for life was contagious. This is a devastatingly sad story, and the boxing community has once again come together to grieve the loss of a great fighter. Reactions Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard shared his thoughts with RingTV.com on the man that retired him from the sport in 1997: I think that he was a star from the very first time that I saw him, when I was working with HBO, doing color commentary. I noticed that he had that thing, man. He had that 'X-factor.’ He could be very crude and sexy and all of those things. But he could also fight. He had incredible hand-speed, incredible power and he was a showman. Legendary fighter and promoter Oscar De La Hoya took to Twitter to express how much admiration he had for Camacho and how he handled his fights: Oscar De Lahoya : If boxers today had half the heart Camacho had, boxing would be in a better place. He fought everybody in their prime. Manny Pacquiao’s trainer and former combatant of Camacho, Freddie Roach, spoke to RingTV.com about the former fighter: I think that he was a great athlete, and if he stayed on the straight and narrow, he could have been, pound-for-pound, one of the best fighters in the world. I think that he would have been like a Manny Pacquiao. I think that he would have used his speed as his best asset. I think that he could be a contender in any era. Boxing stars weren’t the only ones coming out to share their well wishes, though. UFC personality Joe Rogan also talked about what it was that made the star so memorable: Joe Rogan : RIP to the great Hector "Macho" Camacho. One of the most controversial and entertaining fighters ever. You will be missed. And former world champion wrestler and WWE announcer John Bradshaw Layfield expressed his sadness over the loss of a great fighter like Camacho: John Layfield : Sad to hear another legend, Hecto 'Macho' Camacho just passed away! A great tough fighter, loved watching the guy! RIP!

Boxing Legend Hector Camacho Dead at the Age of 50 After Shooting in Puerto Rico

Boxing legend Hector Camacho has passed away after being shot in a drive-by shooting Tuesday night, according to ESPN. The Worldwide Leader reported that the boxing great had been taken off of life support on Saturday morning and died shortly thereafter. TMZ had the news following the attack: The former boxing champ was reportedly in the passenger seat of a car around 7 PM local time ... when another vehicle rolled up and someone opened fire ... striking Camacho several times in the neck and face. The driver of Camacho's car was reportedly killed in the attack. Camacho was 79-6-3 in his illustrious career in the ring, registering 38 knockouts in the process. Fans from different generations know his name because of his impressive victories and his catchy "Macho" nickname. Camacho won championships in three different weight classes. His longest came at the light welterweight level, where he reigned for nearly two years straight as the WBO champion. Losing a figure like Camacho is a tragedy, especially when it happens like this. He had an incredible career in terms of wins and longevity, using guile, speed and power to dominate in the ring. The 50-year-old's legacy in the ring will live on through his son Hector Camacho Jr., who is 52-4-1 in his impressive career. Camacho's death marks a sad day for his family and a sad day for the boxing world.

Froch vs. Mack: The Cobra Retains IBF Super-Middleweight Title

Yusaf Mack boasted that he would out-slick Carl Froch the way Andre Ward did, but reality made a liar out of him. He was unsuccessful in his attempts to solve the Cobra. Froch improved to 30-2, handing Mack his fifth defeat as a professional. Using a lethal right-left combination into Mack's ribs in the third round, Froch scored an emphatic knockout win. The British champion prevailed in his homeland and retained his IBF super middleweight title in the process. Mack was fighting an uphill battle from the very beginning by traveling to Nottingham to face the champion. Froch was too much for the Philadelphian and has now placed himself in line for a major payday. He could always chase a rematch with Andre Ward to avenge his loss in December of 2011. A prideful fighter like Froch has to be interested in settling the score with Ward. After Ward's dominating defeat of Chad Dawson, he's one of the hottest names in the sport. If Froch is to be mentioned in the same breath, he needs to even the score with him. Another possible high profile bout could come in a rematch with Lucian Bute. Froch stopped Bute in May to win the IBF title, but Bute is on the comeback trail. This would be a step back for Froch, in my opinion. At 35 years old, he needs to take fights that elevate his career. Beating a man he's already defeated should rank fairly low on his list of priorities. Winning definitely creates options and that is what Froch now has. We'll see what direction he chooses to move in next, but after another winning performance, he's creeping up on the pound-for-pound lists.

DeMarco vs. Broner: The Problem Wins WBC Championship Via TKO

Adrien Broner now owns the WBC lightweight belt after beating Antonio DeMarco via eighth-round TKO. Broner used a high-activity approach to control DeMarco throughout the fight, eventually winning the fight in the eighth round. He was incredibly accurate in the match's ultimate round, putting the champion down with a series of uppercuts and body shots. Once DeMarco went down, his corner literally threw in the white flag. Broner protected his undefeated record with the most important victory of his career. With the loss, DeMarco drops to 28-3-1 and was defeated for the first time since 2010. The 26-year-old Mexican built up a significant amount of momentum heading into this fight. He took the lightweight title by beating Jorge Linares, then retained it five months later by knocking out Miguel Roman. DeMarco’s most recent fight was just over two months ago, but the short time in between bouts is certainly not a reason for this loss. He defended his belt for a second time by knocking out John Molina Jr. just 44 seconds into the contest. But now, the balance of power has shifted and Broner—nicknamed “The Problem”—has emerged as a serious force in the lightweight division. The 23-year-old has become a popular fighter due to his captivating personality, but had yet to face a fight of DeMarco’s caliber in his previous 24 professional victories (20 by knockout). This was Broner’s first fight as a lightweight after moving up from super featherweight. However, he put himself on track to move up a class after failing to make weight in his most recent fight. He was stripped of his WBO super featherweight title for being too heavy, but his fight against Vicente Escobedo still took place and Broner went on to easily defeat his opponent via knockout in five rounds. Now he has a new belt to make up for the one he lost in July, and his career is certainly on the rise. After this impressive victory, the future is extremely bright for Broner.

Klitschko vs. Wach: Most Impressive Aspects of Dr. Steelhammer's Latest Win

I though Mariusz Wach had a shot at pushing Wladimir Klitschko because of his size, but all he did was push his face into Klitschko's fists—repeatedly. If nothing else, Wach proved he had a great chin and will. He withstood a consistent beating to last 12 rounds with the champion, but lost a near shutout on the judges' scorecards. Wach had one redeeming moment in the fight. He landed a big right hand on the top of Klitschko's head and it appeared to wobble the champion. Fortunately for Klitschko, it came at the end of the fifth round. When the sixth round began, it was more dominance as usual. That leads me into one of the most impressive aspects of Klitschko's latest victory.

One of Klitschko's only weaknesses is his chin. He's been KO'd three times in his career, but not since 2004. He hasn't been so much as challenged in at least six years. His offense and mechanics have gotten better under the tutelage of the late Emanuel Steward, and he hasn't taken many hard shots. In this fight he took one, but he came out in the following round just as aggressive as he had been in the five previous rounds. A younger Klitschko might have been intimidated at that point and fallen into protect mode. Stamina

He did tire a bit late, but it was primarily because he had worked so hard to take Wach out. After this fight, I'm not sure if any heavyweight in the world can knock Wach off his feet. Even though Klitschko threw a boatload of punches, he maintained a good energy level for most of the fight. Jab

This is was the key punch of the night for Klitschko. Yes, he hurt Wach with a bevy of straight right hands, but it was all set up by the stinging jab. The very basic 1-2 combo carried him to victory in this bout.

Chris John Wins Absolute top Chonlatarn

Indonesian boxer Chris John for the 17th time champion successfully defended his title after mengkandaskan opposition challenger, Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo, Friday (09/11/2012). The three judges gave the victory to Chris John with a value of 117-111, 119-109, 119-109. The battle, which took place at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, Chris won by a landslide and still holds the title of champion WBA Super Featherweight Champion. Degree that has since 26 September 2003. In the early rounds, both fighters were due to play in tempo did not really shoot at. But, Chris John tried to take the offensive initiative by releasing a combination of left and right hook to the face and ribs Chonlatarn Chris John is more often initiated the attack, apparently exhausted, until the opponent to attack and landed a punch in the face Chris John. However, in the ninth round up, Chris began to dominate the fight with a variety of punches, a good hook, straight, and the upper cut. Nevertheless, Chonlatarn able to survive and avoid the worst case, which is falling. Finally, set points tally, the three judges gave the victory to Chris John. Boxer nicknamed "The Dragon" was scored 117-111, 119-109, 119-109. Now, Chris John boxing record to 48 wins (22 of them by knockout) and two draws.

Lucian Bute Escapes with a Unanimous Decision Win Against Denis Grachev

When Lucian Bute left the comfort of Montreal's Bell Centre and ventured to Nottingham to defend his IBF super middleweight title against Carl Froch, the fight figured to be a highly competitive bout against two of the world's best 168-pound boxers. In getting stopped inside of five rounds and losing his title to Froch, Bute's run of nine title defenses, to many, had been exposed as the product of bludgeoning underwhelming title challengers. Well, now Bute will officially get the chance to refute his detractors. Bute (31-1, 24 KO) won a close, grueling fight over Denis Grachev via scores of 115-113, 118-110 and 116-112. Grachev (12-1-1, 8 KO), understandably, seemed disappointed after the fight, and the score of 118-110 seemed ridiculous as several rounds were hotly contested. Now, Bute winning isn't unreasonable, but a case can be made for Grachev, and regardless of how one scored the fight, it was certainly close. Bute started the bout with nervous energy, darting in and out as he looked to land his straight left hand and trademark counter left uppercut. Grachev, whose punching has become markedly more controlled and precise, was surprisingly on his back foot early in the fight. This, however, would quickly change. Despite a clash of heads in Round 2. Bute boxed well early, but Grachev soon began to impose himself as he repeatedly backed Bute up against the ropes, throwing to both the head and body. While several of his punches did not land flush, he did connect with hard, straight right hands throughout the fight. Bute did better later in the fight, especially during the championship rounds. If Grachev appeared more active, Bute landed the harder single shots, though his inability to consistently find adequate punching range or unload with eye-catching combinations was alarming.

The 12th round might have been Bute's best as he landed clean shots, controlled the center of the ring and made Grachev miss somewhat wildly. While Bute stunned Grachev a few times throughout the fight (usually with uppercuts), Grachev also had Bute hurt and in retreat in the fifth round. So, how does this performance bode for Bute's rematch against Carl Froch? Well, let's just say that it doesn't inspire an abundance of confidence. Grachev is a tough, solid fighter, but Bute allowed himself to be backed up against the ropes almost at will, and he certainly was hittable. It seemed plausible that Bute would outbox Grachev, but this proved far more difficult than most fans and pundits might have expected. If Bute can't stay off the ropes, control range with his jab and press forward with effective offense, Froch will steamroll him again. Granted, Bute did just go 12 hard rounds against a good opponent, but how will he fare against Froch, a man who punches harder and is more naturally gifted than Grachev? Grachev performed well and should find himself in another notable fight soon. As for Bute, he technically did his part and still has to be considered a very good fighter. That said, if Froch destroys Yusaf Mack, how much excitement will there be for Froch-Bute II? In the chief supporting bout, Allan Green, who was coming off of a devastating fourth-round KO loss to Mikkel Kessler, stopped Renan St. Juste after seven rounds. St. Juste (23-4-1, 15 KO), who didn't answer the bell for Round 8, did register a knockdown of Green (32-4, 22 KO) in Round 4 but was unable to score a stoppage. Other than suffering a knockdown, Green repeatedly backed St. Juste up and scored well with his jab and a variety of combinations. The sixth stanza was particularly wild as Green pinned St. Juste on the ropes, only to be hurt in return before rallying strong to close the round. This is a decent bounce-back win for Green, though his punch resistance still seems somewhat suspect. Where Green goes from here appears uncertain, and he might have to settle for being an "opponent" and hope to score an upset victory if he expects to get back into the title mix. At this stage, every bout Green contests is a crossroads fight. Also of note on the undercard was the sensational one-punch knockout Canadian prospect Mikael Zewski scored over Cesar Chavez. Zewski (17-0, 13 KO), who first signed with Golden Boy Promotions only to end up with promotional rival Top Rank, is managed by Cameron Dunkin and appears to be Canada's top boxing prospect. Against Chavez (20-3, 9 KO), Zewski controlled range with his jab, ending the brief encounter by scoring with a left hook in retreat, which was followed by a devastating counter right uppercut that appeared to break Chavez's nose and floored him for the count. What was particularly impressive about the knockout blow was Zewski's footwork and leverage; he is certainly a prospect worth following.