In 1985, boxer Héctor Camacho, known for his flashy style and flamboyant costuming as a "Macho Man" and "Puerto Rican Superman," became the first Puerto Rican to have won the World Boxing Championship (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) championships in the lightweight division. Born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, in 1962, Camacho won 40 of his first 41 fights culminating with his victory over José Luis Ramos for the WBC lightweight championship. In 1987, Camacho moved up to the super lightweight division, in which he fought only seven sluggish battles before retiring in 1994. The two highlights of this latter career were his victory over World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini in 1989 and his 1992 fight with Julio César Chávez for a $3 million payoff.

Héctor "Macho" Comacho

Further Reading:

Tardiff, Joseph T., and L. Mpho Mabunda, editors. Dictionary of Hispanic Biography. Detroit, Gale, 1996.