Camacho shot, in critical condition

Former three-division world champion boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho, the flamboyant and often troubled Puerto Rican fighter, who was raised in New York City, was shot in the jaw in Bayamon, Puerto Rico while riding in a car on Tuesday night.  He is listed in critical condition. A man driving the car was also shot and killed.  Police have one suspect in custody according to reports in the local newspaper Primera Hora.  It was not clear what relationship, if any, Camacho had with the other victim. The 50-year-old Camacho was unconscious as he was taken to the trauma center at Centro Medico in San Juan.  Hospital officials said he was in serious condition.   According to doctors, Camacho was struck once in the left jaw and the bullet travelled down his neck and lodged in his right shoulder.  Along the way the bullet fractured his 5th and 6th cervical vertebrae and Camacho lost so much blood that he needed a transfusion.  There was no mention of paralysis and doctors could not determine if he had been struck by any other bullets. Camacho won super lightweight, lightweight and junior middleweight world titles in the 1980's and gained notoriety for entering the ring in outlandish gladiator outfits.   He also made headlines for a series of run-ins with the law. The hard partying fighter's most memorable bouts were a split decision loss to Julio Cesar Chavez in 1992 — when both fighters were undefeated — and his fifth-round knockout of a fading Sugar Ray Leonard in 1997 — which was to be Camacho's last real hurrah in the ring. Camacho's son, Hector Jr., followed his dad into boxing and had a good career but without any of his father's acclaim. The older Camacho, a three-time Golden Gloves winner,  ended his career with a record of 79-5-3 and Macho attempted a comeback as recently as 2009.

Original Story: http://ihatelupica.blogspot.com/2012/...