Hector Camacho was a
fighter. A pugilist. A boxer. A man whose
profession had relied on quick fists. He won championships over the course of his career, from the early 1980s into the late 2000s, and in four different weight classes (all in the lighter weights, but that hardly detracts from his
legacy). He was the sort who had an outsized personality, one which boisterously entered the room even before he did, perhaps the consequence of having four older brothers and sisters. "
Macho" as a nickname may have simply shortened his last name, but none doubt that it fit him to a 'T.'
A
Puerto Rican national hero, Camacho's love of his homeland and
generosity were expansive. But trouble often follows success, especially for those who lead a flashy, outsized life. Camacho's dark side came out after his fighting career ended in what was for a boxer old age (
George Foreman notwithstanding). Accusations of
drug addiction followed, and criminal conduct -- including a brutal beating of one of his own younger sons.
On November 20, 2012, Camacho was cruising in his hometown of Bayamón, Puerto Rico; while idled outside of a bar, his car was approached by one or more as-yet-unknown persons. Whatever the details, Camacho was shot in the face. Two days later he was ruled brain dead. Four days later his mother gave the word to pull the plug. His organs were too damaged to be donated. Asked how he ought to be remembered in death, Camacho's father replied, "As he always was --
loco."
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For THE IRON NODER CHALLENGE 5: THE FERROUS FRONTIER