Live by the sword, die by the sword

“Live by the sword, die by the sword” is a passage from Matthew in 26:52. Matthew describes Simon Peter, one of Jesus Christ’s disciples, drawing his sword in the Garden of Gethsemane to defend Jesus who was being arrested prior to being crucified to death. Jesus admonishes Peter and tells him to put back his sword into its scabbard, “Then Jesus said unto him, ‘Put up again thy sword into its place for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.’”

The passage simply means that when you use violence to get your way, you will someday be a victim yourself of violence by others who act alike.

And this is exactly the story of three-division (super featherweight, lightweight and junior welterweight) boxing champion Hector (Macho) Camacho of Puerto Rico.

After a 30-year career in boxing with a record of 79-6-3, 45, and two years into retirement, the 50-year old warrior, succumbed on November 24 at the Centro Medico trauma center in Puerto Rico four days after being shot in the left side of the face while seated inside a black Ford Mustang parked outside the Azuquita bar in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. According to Bruce Weber, Camacho had a heart attack and died a short time later after being taken off life support. His childhood friend, Alberto Mojica Moreno was killed instantly in the shooting. Reports state that 10 bags of cocaine were found in their car.

The AP and CBS News had also reported that on November 23, Camacho’s mother, Maria Matias, announced plans to have her son taken off life support on November 24. He was officially declared dead that following day.

To be sure, Camacho lived a dangerous life. According to Ashley White, Camacho was taken into custody in April 2012 by Florida authorities amidst accusations of child abuse. The incident took place in March 2011 but the warrant for his arrest was filed in November 2011. Camacho was released from the Orange County Jail in Orlando on a $5,000 bail he posted. Camacho was accused of pulling his teen-age son by the neck, slamming and stomping him on the floor of Camacho’s former wife’s house. Camacho’s lawyer, Linda George said that the arrest was made on the basis of a family dispute. A trial on the charge was pending at the time of his death.

Weber described Camacho as a boxer known for his lightning-quick hands and flamboyant personality who emerged from a delinquent childhood in New York’s Spanish Harlem. He had a sackful of tricks gleaned from his teenage years as a street fighter. Weber adds that as a teenager, Camacho was a brawler, a serial shoplifter, an admitted drug user and a car thief, and he never put that part of his nature behind him. He was arrested numerous times on charges including domestic abuse, possession of a controlled substance, burglary and trying to take an M-16 rifle through customs. According to the El Nuevo Dia, Camacho was sentenced to seven years in prison, but a judge suspended all but one year of the sentence and gave Camacho probation.

Like eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao (who would have certainly fought Camacho had they belonged to the same era), Camacho was known for his speed and quick hands.

Camacho was also flamboyant and, according to an interview in USA Today, promoter Bob Arum, who promoted Camacho’s fight with then-Arum fighter Oscar de la Hoya in 1997, said of the late fighter, “I always thought he was a bit of a loose cannon, a fool. But when I promoted that fight, I realized that he was very, very clever as far as promotion was concerned. He did a lot of stuff for a purpose. And he had an instinct to know what would bring attention to him and the event. I was very, very impressed with him on that promotion. De la Hoya was obviously the ‘A’ star, but it was Camacho that carried that promotion and made it as successful as it was. From that time on, I had a very friendly relationship with him.”

Camacho fought the best boxing had to offer. He defeated Panama’s “Hands of Stone”, Roberto Duran twice; knocked out Sugar Ray Leonard in the fifth round and sent the comebacking American into permanent retirement at the age of 40; lost to Julio Cesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad and Oscar de la Hoya. He also won a 10-round unanimous decision over now world-renowned trainer Freddie Roach when both he and Roach were 23 years old. Camacho also TKO’d in the fourth round on August 26, 1982, Johnny Sato, the only Filipino fighter he fought.

For all his faults and his living in the fast lane, Hector Camacho had a big heart. May “Macho” finally find the peace that so eluded him in his earthly life.