Report: Hector Camacho’s alleged murderers will finally be tried

Hector Camacho’s alleged murderers will be tried a decade after his death, according to a report.

The men who allegedly murdered Hector “Macho” Camacho in 2012 reportedly will finally face trial.

DailyMail.com is reporting that three suspects were extradited from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico, where the former world champion was killed. They will appear in court Wednesday.

A television station in Puerto Rican identified two of the men at Jesus Naranjo and Joshua Mendez. The name of the third defendant wasn’t revealed.

Camacho was sitting next to a friend in the passenger seat of a parked car when he was shot in the face on Nov. 20, 2012 in Bayamon. He died four days later in a San Juan hospital. The friend, Adrian Mojica, died at the scene.

Mojica evidently was targeted. The defendants allegedly intended to kill him and take several kilos of cocaine from the car, DailyMail.com reported.

The defendants were taken into custody several days after the murders. They weren’t charged until now because a witness refused to testify. Another witness has come forward, which led to the pending trial.

Naranjo and Mendez have been in prison in the U.S. for some time on other convictions.

Report: Hector Camacho’s alleged murderers will finally be tried

Hector Camacho’s alleged murderers will be tried a decade after his death, according to a report.

The men who allegedly murdered Hector “Macho” Camacho in 2012 reportedly will finally face trial.

DailyMail.com is reporting that three suspects were extradited from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico, where the former world champion was killed. They will appear in court Wednesday.

A television station in Puerto Rican identified two of the men at Jesus Naranjo and Joshua Mendez. The name of the third defendant wasn’t revealed.

Camacho was sitting next to a friend in the passenger seat of a parked car when he was shot in the face on Nov. 20, 2012 in Bayamon. He died four days later in a San Juan hospital. The friend, Adrian Mojica, died at the scene.

Mojica evidently was targeted. The defendants allegedly intended to kill him and take several kilos of cocaine from the car, DailyMail.com reported.

The defendants were taken into custody several days after the murders. They weren’t charged until now because a witness refused to testify. Another witness has come forward, which led to the pending trial.

Naranjo and Mendez have been in prison in the U.S. for some time on other convictions.

‘Macho: The Hector Camacho Story’ is brilliant tale of smiles, tears

The Showtime documentary ‘Macho: The Hector Camacho Story’ is a brilliant tale of smiles and tears.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on SportingNews.com.

***

Too often in sports, we hear about an athlete who rose to incredible heights only to experience a tragic fall from grace once they were past their prime.

In many ways, the Showtime documentary “Macho: The Hector Camacho Story,” which premiered Friday, is a great example of that story arc. But Camacho’s demise began while he was still in his prime, as was shown in a story brilliantly told by filmmaker Eric Drath.

In 1984, Sugar Ray Leonard was in the midst of one of his many retirements and Mike Tyson hadn’t yet to burst into people’s consciousness. Seemingly out of nowhere, there came a flamboyant 130-pound Puerto Rican from the Spanish Harlem section of New York with a bubbly personality, stylish ring attire and exceptional boxing ability. He soon became “The Man” in boxing.

“Macho Camacho’s charisma, boxing prowess, and flamboyant style made him a Puerto Rican sports icon and, for a time, the biggest star in boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, Showtime’s president of sports and event programming. “When he stepped into the ring, everyone knew it was ‘Macho Time.'”

But Camacho’s time ended too soon.

He was shot while looking at his cell phone in a parked car on Nov. 20, 2012, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The three-division world champion was declared dead four days later at the age of 50. Puerto Rico police later said that several bags of cocaine were found in the vehicle. The murder remains unsolved.

“Macho” lived life in the fast lane; ultimately, he died as he lived.

Camacho began his professional boxing career in 1980 after going 96-4 in the amateur ranks and winning the Golden Gloves championship in New York at 118 pounds. He viewed boxing as a way to keep himself out of trouble and out of jail. The boxing ability was identifiable right away. He possessed unusual speed and a jab that rivaled the best of all time.

By 1983, it was only a matter of time before Camacho would become a world champion. But that’s when things started to unravel.

Broadcaster Tim Ryan recalled a phone conversation he had with Camacho the day before the fighter’s Feb.12, 1983, bout in Alaska against John Montes on CBS. According to Ryan, Camacho was “completely out of his mind drug-wise” and threatened to jump out of his hotel room window. The next day, Camacho stepped into the ring as if nothing occurred and blasted Montes in a first-round knockout.

Camacho (79-6-3, 38 KOs) won his first world title later that year, stopping Rafael Limon in the fifth round to capture the WBC super featherweight crown. Three years later, after winning the WBC lightweight title, he defeated Edwin Rosario by a split decision to run his record to 29-0 (15 KOs) and establish himself as the biggest name in boxing.

At the time, Camacho was everywhere. He was featured in every major publication and had even met then-President Ronald Reagan.

“He was definitely a lucky guy in the sense that he was born with all the talent in the world,” Drath said. “He was a natural showman and was blessed with that gene for showmanship that so few fighters ever have. You had Muhammad Ali, of course. Sugar Ray Leonard to an extent. Tyson had that ability that people just marveled at.

“Camacho had this authenticity. He was different, and he just didn’t care. Who he was inside of the ring was who he was outside of the ring. That charm and charisma helped him in the beginning as people perhaps enabled him a little more than they might have another person who committed the crimes he did. But his talent saved his butt, too. He had that wonderful combination of talent and charisma and showmanship [which] made him just a remarkable fighter and a remarkable story.”

Camacho appeared to have it all. He had a wife, a son, a great family and money to last him for many lifetimes. But one thing plagued him, and it ended up being his downfall: cocaine.

Long after his prime, Camacho’s team was approached for a fight with Roy Jones Jr. in which their fighter would make a reported $7 million. Camacho was out of shape and needed to shave off weight. He started training, but it didn’t last long. He told his childhood friend and bodyguard Rudy Gonzalez that he couldn’t do it anymore and would rather do drugs.

“I can’t do this fight,” Gonzalez said Camacho told him. “I appreciate what you guys are doing, but I just want to get high. I don’t want to do this.

“I’m a champion, but I’m a junkie first.”

Hector “Macho” Camacho was taken way too soon from the world. He was well ahead of his time as a fighter. This documentary tugs at the viewer’s heartstrings and makes them wish that Camacho would have been able to control his demons, because who knows what could have been?

‘Macho: The Hector Camacho Story’ is brilliant tale of smiles, tears

The Showtime documentary ‘Macho: The Hector Camacho Story’ is a brilliant tale of smiles and tears.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on SportingNews.com.

***

Too often in sports, we hear about an athlete who rose to incredible heights only to experience a tragic fall from grace once they were past their prime.

In many ways, the Showtime documentary “Macho: The Hector Camacho Story,” which premiered Friday, is a great example of that story arc. But Camacho’s demise began while he was still in his prime, as was shown in a story brilliantly told by filmmaker Eric Drath.

In 1984, Sugar Ray Leonard was in the midst of one of his many retirements and Mike Tyson hadn’t yet to burst into people’s consciousness. Seemingly out of nowhere, there came a flamboyant 130-pound Puerto Rican from the Spanish Harlem section of New York with a bubbly personality, stylish ring attire and exceptional boxing ability. He soon became “The Man” in boxing.

“Macho Camacho’s charisma, boxing prowess, and flamboyant style made him a Puerto Rican sports icon and, for a time, the biggest star in boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, Showtime’s president of sports and event programming. “When he stepped into the ring, everyone knew it was ‘Macho Time.'”

But Camacho’s time ended too soon.

He was shot while looking at his cell phone in a parked car on Nov. 20, 2012, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The three-division world champion was declared dead four days later at the age of 50. Puerto Rico police later said that several bags of cocaine were found in the vehicle. The murder remains unsolved.

“Macho” lived life in the fast lane; ultimately, he died as he lived.

Camacho began his professional boxing career in 1980 after going 96-4 in the amateur ranks and winning the Golden Gloves championship in New York at 118 pounds. He viewed boxing as a way to keep himself out of trouble and out of jail. The boxing ability was identifiable right away. He possessed unusual speed and a jab that rivaled the best of all time.

By 1983, it was only a matter of time before Camacho would become a world champion. But that’s when things started to unravel.

Broadcaster Tim Ryan recalled a phone conversation he had with Camacho the day before the fighter’s Feb.12, 1983, bout in Alaska against John Montes on CBS. According to Ryan, Camacho was “completely out of his mind drug-wise” and threatened to jump out of his hotel room window. The next day, Camacho stepped into the ring as if nothing occurred and blasted Montes in a first-round knockout.

Camacho (79-6-3, 38 KOs) won his first world title later that year, stopping Rafael Limon in the fifth round to capture the WBC super featherweight crown. Three years later, after winning the WBC lightweight title, he defeated Edwin Rosario by a split decision to run his record to 29-0 (15 KOs) and establish himself as the biggest name in boxing.

At the time, Camacho was everywhere. He was featured in every major publication and had even met then-President Ronald Reagan.

“He was definitely a lucky guy in the sense that he was born with all the talent in the world,” Drath said. “He was a natural showman and was blessed with that gene for showmanship that so few fighters ever have. You had Muhammad Ali, of course. Sugar Ray Leonard to an extent. Tyson had that ability that people just marveled at.

“Camacho had this authenticity. He was different, and he just didn’t care. Who he was inside of the ring was who he was outside of the ring. That charm and charisma helped him in the beginning as people perhaps enabled him a little more than they might have another person who committed the crimes he did. But his talent saved his butt, too. He had that wonderful combination of talent and charisma and showmanship [which] made him just a remarkable fighter and a remarkable story.”

Camacho appeared to have it all. He had a wife, a son, a great family and money to last him for many lifetimes. But one thing plagued him, and it ended up being his downfall: cocaine.

Long after his prime, Camacho’s team was approached for a fight with Roy Jones Jr. in which their fighter would make a reported $7 million. Camacho was out of shape and needed to shave off weight. He started training, but it didn’t last long. He told his childhood friend and bodyguard Rudy Gonzalez that he couldn’t do it anymore and would rather do drugs.

“I can’t do this fight,” Gonzalez said Camacho told him. “I appreciate what you guys are doing, but I just want to get high. I don’t want to do this.

“I’m a champion, but I’m a junkie first.”

Hector “Macho” Camacho was taken way too soon from the world. He was well ahead of his time as a fighter. This documentary tugs at the viewer’s heartstrings and makes them wish that Camacho would have been able to control his demons, because who knows what could have been?

Degrees of Separation: Linking Scots Josh Taylor and Jimmy Wilde

Six degrees of separation is a theory that everyone in the world is separated by no more than six social connections. In other words, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows Queen Elizabeth. …

Six degrees of separation is a theory that everyone in the world is separated by no more than six social connections.

In other words, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows Queen Elizabeth. Or so the concept goes.

We’re borrowing the six degrees concept – well, sort of loosely – to connect fighters from the past to their more contemporary counterparts in our new occasional feature, “Degrees of Separation.”

Example: Let’s connect Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Super easy; we did it in two steps. Senior fought Grover Wiley, who fought Junior.

In this installment of the Boxing Junkie feature,we wanted to link Scottish 140-pound titleholder Josh Taylor with arguably the greatest fighter Scotland has ever produced, Jimmy Wilde.

Taylor, 29, is still active. Wilde last fought in 1923. Yes, our work was cut out for us … but we did it.

Check it out:

Jimmy Wilde fought …

Pancho Villa, who fought …

Jimmy McLarnin, who fought …

Barney Ross, who fought …

Henry Armstrong, who fought …

Ray Robinson, who fought …

Denny Moyer, who fought …

Vito Antuofermo, who fought …

Marvin Hagler who fought …

Ray Leonard, who fought …

Hector Camacho, who fought …

Oscar De La Hoya, who fought …

Manny Pacquiao, who fought …

Lucas Matthysse, who fought …

Viktor Postol, who fought …

Josh Taylor

Could you do it in fewer steps? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook. Or you can contact me on Twitter. And please follow us!

Read more:

Degrees of separation: Connecting John L. Sullivan to Deontay Wilder

Degrees of Separation: Linking Filipino greats Flash Elorde, Manny Pacquiao

Degrees of Separation: Linking Japanese greats Fighting Harada and Naoya Inoue

Degrees of Separation: Linking Tyson Fury to first U.K.-born heavyweight champ

Degrees of Separation: Connecting Canelo Alvarez with Mexican legends

Degrees of Separation: Linking the Mayweathers

Degrees of Separation: Linking Manny Pacquiao to Pancho Villa

Degrees of Separation: Linking Manny Pacquiao to Pancho Villa

Six degrees of separation is a theory that everyone in the world is separated by no more than six social connections. In other words, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows Queen Elizabeth. …

Six degrees of separation is a theory that everyone in the world is separated by no more than six social connections.

In other words, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows Queen Elizabeth. Or so the concept goes.

We’re borrowing the six degrees concept – well, sort of loosely – to connect fighters from the past to their more contemporary counterparts in our new occasional feature, “Degrees of Separation.”

Example: Let’s connect Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Super easy; we did it in two steps. Senior fought Grover Wiley, who fought Junior.

In this installment of the Boxing Junkie feature, we decided to feature Manny Pacquiao a second time. Earlier, we linked the future Hall of Famer to Filipino great Flash Elorde. We’re going back farther this time, connecting Pacquaio to the first Filipino to hold a world title, Pancho Villa.

Villa became flyweight champion when he stopped an aging Jimmy Wilde in  1923 and held the title until he died two years later, at only 23. Villa last fought in 1925, 95 years ago. So it took us 13 steps to connect him to Pacquiao.

Check it out:

Pancho Villa fought …

Jimmy McLarnin, who fought …

Lou Ambers, who fought …

Henry Armstrong, who fought …

Ray Robinson, who fought …

Joey Archer, who fought …

Emile Griffith, who fought …

Bennie Briscoe, who fought …

Marvin Hagler, who fought …

Ray Leonard, who fought …

Hector Camacho, who fought …

Oscar De La Hoya, who fought …

Manny Pacquiao

Could you do it in fewer steps? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook. Or you can contact me on Twitter. And please follow us!

Read more:

Degrees of separation: Connecting John L. Sullivan to Deontay Wilder

Degrees of Separation: Linking Filipino greats Flash Elorde, Manny Pacquiao

Degrees of Separation: Linking Japanese greats Fighting Harada and Naoya Inoue

Degrees of Separation: Linking Tyson Fury to first U.K.-born heavyweight champ

Degrees of Separation: Connecting Canelo Alvarez with Mexican legends

Degrees of Separation: Linking the Mayweathers

Degrees of Separation: Linking the Mayweathers

In this installment of Degrees of Separation, Boxing Junkie links the three fighting Mayweathers — Floyd Sr., Roger and Floyd Jr.

Six degrees of separation is a theory that everyone in the world is separated by no more than six social connections.

In other words, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows Queen Elizabeth. Or so the concept goes.

We’re borrowing the six degrees concept – well, sort of loosely – to connect fighters from the past to their more contemporary counterparts in our new occasional feature, “Degrees of Separation.”

Example: Let’s connect Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Super easy; we did it in two steps. Senior fought Grover Wiley, who fought Junior.

In this installment of the Boxing Junkie feature, we decided to link the late Roger Mayweather with his protege and nephew Floyd Mayweather Jr., who carried on where Uncle Roger left off when he fought for the last time in 1999.

We didn’t have to work too hard to connect them, only three steps.

Check it out:

Roger Mayweather fought …

Kostya Tszyu, who fought …

Ricky Hatton, who fought …

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

We also wanted to see how many steps it would take to link Roger Mayweather with older brother Floyd Mayweather Sr., who left boxing in 1985 but came back for one fight in 1990.

It took us five steps:

Floyd Mayweather Sr. fought …

Ray Leonard, who fought …

Hector Camacho, who fought …

Oscar De La Hoya, who fought …

Julio Cesar Chavez, who fought …

Roger Mayweather

And, finally, to complete the circle, we linked Floyd Sr. and Jr. in four steps:

Floyd Mayweather Sr. fought …

Ray Leonard, who fought …

Hector Camacho, who fought …

Oscar De La Hoya, who fought …

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Could you do it in fewer steps? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook. Or you can contact me on Twitter. And please follow us!

Read more:

Degrees of separation: Connecting John L. Sullivan to Deontay Wilder

Degrees of Separation: Linking Filipino greats Flash Elorde, Manny Pacquiao

Degrees of Separation: Linking Japanese greats Fighting Harada and Naoya Inoue

Degrees of Separation: Linking Tyson Fury to first U.K.-born heavyweight champ

Degrees of Separation: Connecting Canelo Alvarez with Mexican legends

Degrees of Separation: Linking Filipino greats Flash Elorde, Manny Pacquiao

Boxing Junkie linked Manny Pacquiao (right) to countryman and Hall of Famer Flash Elorde in six steps in our Degrees of Separation feature.

Six degrees of separation is a theory that everyone in the world is separated by no more than six social connections.

In other words, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows Queen Elizabeth. Or so the concept goes.

We’re borrowing the six degrees concept – well, sort of loosely – to connect fighters from the past to their more contemporary counterparts in our new occasional feature, “Degrees of Separation.”

Example: Let’s connect Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Super easy; we did it in two steps. Senior fought Grover Wiley, who fought Junior.

In this installment of the Boxing Junkie feature, we connect arguably the two greatest Filipino boxers of all time: the late Flash Elorde, who last fought in 1971, and the still-active Manny Pacquiao.

Elorde (89-27-2, 33 KOs) was a world junior lightweight champion from 1960 to 1967 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) has won titles in eight weight divisions. The Hall awaits him.

It took us only six steps to link the two even though Elorde’s final fight took place almost a half century ago.

Check it out:

Flash Elorde fought …

Ismael Laguna, who fought …

Ken Buchanan, who fought …

Roberto Duran, who fought …

Hector Camacho, who fought …

Oscar De La Hoya, who fought …

Manny Pacquiao, who fought …

Could you do it in fewer steps? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook. Or you can contact me on Twitter. And please follow us!

Degrees of separation: Connecting John L. Sullivan to Deontay Wilder

Degrees of Separation: Linking Japanese greats Fighting Harada to Naoya Inoue

Six degrees of separation is a theory that everyone in the world is separated by no more than six social connections. In other words, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows Queen Elizabeth. …

Six degrees of separation is a theory that everyone in the world is separated by no more than six social connections.

In other words, you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows Queen Elizabeth. Or so the concept goes.

We’re borrowing the six degrees concept – well, sort of loosely – to connect fighters from the past to their more contemporary counterparts in our new occasional feature, “Degrees of Separation.”

Example: Let’s connect Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Super easy; we did it in two steps. Senior fought Grover Wiley, who fought Junior.

In this installment of the Boxing Junkie feature, we connect Hall of Famer “Fighting” Harada, who is generally recognized as the greatest Japanese fighter of all time, to countryman Naoya Inoue, the best from Japan today.

It took us more steps than we would’ve liked, 12, but we got there. Harada last fought 50 years ago.

Check it out:

Fighting Harada fought …

Lionel Rose, who fought …

Rafael Limon, who fought …

Hector Camacho, who fought …

Oscar De La Hoya, who fought …

Manny Pacquiao, who fought …

Adrien Broner, who fought …

Antonio DeMarco, who fought …

Jorge Linares, who fought …

Vassiliy Lomachenko, who fought …

Guillermo Rigondeaux, who fought …

Nonito Donaire, who fought …

Naoya Inoue

Could you do it in fewer steps? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook. Or you can contact me on Twitter. And please follow us!

Degrees of separation: Connecting John L. Sullivan to Deontay Wilder