Atlantic City, N.J. September 26, 2023 – The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) proudly announces the roster of special guests attending the 7th Annual Awards & Induction Weekend, held from Friday, September 29th to Sunday, October 1st, 2023, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. The guest list features notable boxing figures such as: Roberto Duran, Michael Spinks, James Toney, Vinny Paz, Gerry Cooney, Ray Mercer, Tim Witherspoon, Kelly Pavlik, Lamon Brewster, Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, Junior Jones, Reggie Johnson, Mark Breland, Sharmba Mitchell, Eva Jones-Young, John Scully, Michael Olajide, Iran Barkley, Michael Nunn, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Jeff Chandler, Montell Griffin, Yaqui Lopez, Al Cole, Kali Reis, Hector Camacho Jr., Rodney Moore, Kendall Holt, Dave Tiberi, Nate Miller and William Joppy, to name a few.

The weekend kicks off on Friday, September 29th, with the “Opening Bell” VIP Cocktail Reception from 5:00pm – 8:00pm, followed by the Friday Night Fight Presented by Hard Hitting Promotions at Bally’s Casino Atlantic City. On Saturday, September 30th, the Fight Fan Experience & Boxing Exhibits at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will be open from 11:00am – 1:00pm

The highlight of the weekend is the Red-Carpet Formal Awards & Induction Ceremony, taking place on Saturday night inside the Sound Waves Theater. Attendees will enjoy a unique opportunity to mix and mingle with other boxing luminaries and special VIP guests, as well as honor all who helped put Atlantic City on the boxing map. The Pre-VIP Cocktail Reception will begin at 5:00pm, and it leads into the Official Awards & Induction Program from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. After the Awards Ceremony, guests with VIP tickets will have the chance to experience the Post-VIP Reception, which includes a bonus fight watch party for Canelo Alverez vs. Jermell Charlo

The 2023 class members of the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame include:

George Foreman, Shannon Briggs, David Tua, Pinklon Thomas, Tracy Harris Patterson, Doug Dewitt, Darroll Wilson, Shamone Alvarez, Jamillia Lawrence, Joe Hand Sr., Matt Howard, Rudy Battle, Benjy Esteves Jr., Arnold Robbins, Joseph Santoliquito, Lee Samuels They will be inducted alongside Posthumously & Pioneers such as Buster Drayton, Marty Feldman, Rocky Castellani, Frankie Polo, Joe Miller, Horace M. Leeds, “KO” Becky O’Neill and Willie O’Neill

For more information on event tickets, room reservations, and weekend schedules, visit the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame website at: www.acbhof.com

The ACBHOF gives a special thanks to their partners and sponsors: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Boardwalk Resorts – Flagship Hotel, Mayor Marty Small Sr., City of Atlantic City, Bare Knuckle Fighting Champions, Hard Hitting Promotions, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, The Irish Pub-Atlantic City, Moustakas & Nelson Law, Quail Hill Realty, Gionta Management LLC, T&K Boxing Promotions, Sparbar Boxing LTD, Patrick Killian Arts, Guzman Gloves, Adams Boxing, WBC, IBF, Icons of Boxing Memorabilia, and Fight Night Apparel

Guadalajara, Mexico (March 16, 2021) – Today, boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez and Hector Camacho Jr. came face to face to announce their much anticipated exhibition fight that will take place on Saturday, June 19th as A special night that will honor the first-family of Mexican boxing, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Omar Chavez will take place on Saturday night, June 19th, at The Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico

Chavez and Camacho as well as Omar Chavez and Ramon Alvarez were present at Tuesday’s festivities.

Julio Cesar Chavez, referring to the first time he was offered to fight with the son of his great rival, Chavez, a member of the Hall of Fame, said “First I said no, because he is too young for me. But when they told me it was a tribute to my great friend (Camacho Sr.), who is in heaven, I accepted immediately. “

“Between Mexico and Puerto Rico there has always been a great rivalry, but “Macho” Camacho never bothered with my family, he never offended me or used rude words. And we became great friends, I love him to heaven, he knows it, and although now he must be angry about the beating I’m going to give his son.”

Hector “Macho” Camacho Jr thanked the authorities and the organizers of the event, and then added: “I have been waiting for the opportunity for this fight for years. I will be well prepared, very skinny as you like. This fight is going to be days before the anniversary of my father’s death, so it will be a very emotional fight for me.”

Tribute to The Kings will be live on Pay-Per-View and will feature a special Exhibition bout that will see Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. make his final ring appearance against Hector Camacho Jr. Camacho will be honoring the legacy of his late Hall of Fame father.

In this very special battle between Mexico and Puerto Rico, Camacho will look to get even from the historic bout that Chavez had with Camacho’s legendary dad on September 12, 1992.

In a 10-ound light heavyweight, former middleweight world champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr will take on an opponent to be announced.

In a 10-round middleweight bout, Omar Chavez will Ramon Alvarez in the rubber match of their trilogy

Tribute to The Kings is promoted by Borizteca Boxing and Toscano Promotions and will be produced by Global Sports Streaming.

Guadalajara, Mexico (March 12, 2021) – A special night that will honor the first-family of Mexican boxing, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Omar Chavez will take place on Saturday night, June 19th, at The Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico

Tribute to The Kings will be live on Pay-Per-View and will feature a special Exhibition bout that will see Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. make his final ring appearance against Hector Camacho Jr. Camacho will be honoring the legacy of his late Hall of Fame father.

In this very special battle between Mexico and Puerto Rico, Camacho will look to get even from the historic bout that Chavez had with Camacho’s legendary dad on September 12, 1992.

In a 10-ound light heavyweight, former middleweight world champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr will take on an opponent to be announced.

In a 10-round middleweight bout, Omar Chavez will Ramon Alvarez in the rubber match of their trilogy

Tribute to The Kings is promoted by Borizteca Boxing and Toscano Promotions and will be produced by Global Sports Streaming.

The historic night of action will be formally announced at two press conferences, with the inaugural kick-off press conference taking place on March 16th at The Teatro Degollado (Calle Degollado s/n, Zona Centro, 44100 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico) at 2 PM CT

Then on March 18th, at Old Jai Alai Palace Forum – Entertainment Center (Av. Revolución, Zona Centro, 22000 Tijuana, B.C., Mexico) at 12 PM PT

The International media will be able to participate virtually at these press conferences (Zoom Info to be sent on Monday)

Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. is considered the greatest fighter from boxing-crazed Mexico, and one of the greatest pound for pound fighters of all-time.

During his amazing 25 year-run, he compiled an incredible record of 107-6-2 with with a staggering 85 knockouts. He was a six-time world champion in three weight-divisions, and was inducted into the International Hall of Fame in 2011.

“It is an honor to render a tribute to Hector Camacho , but I know his son wants to get at me and get revenge from the fight I had with his father,” said Chavez Sr.

Camacho Jr. will look even the score as his Hall of Fame father and Chavez Sr. engaged in a showdown in 1992, that saw Chavez win a unanimous decision. Camacho Jr. has a professional record of 59-7-1 with 33 knockouts.

“Instead of six rounds with papa bear, I’ll fight two rounds with Omar, two more with junior, and then finish with the good ass whooping of the old man,” said Camacho Jr.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is the former WBC Middleweight world champion, who made three defenses of the crown, has a record of 52-5-1 with 34 knockouts.

“It has been a tough couple of years for me, but I want to show the fans that I am not done, and I have more to give the sport as I move to light heavyweight and make a run at another title,” said Chavez Jr.

Omar Chavez is 38-6-1 with 25 knockouts will take on Alvarez, who is 28-8-3 with 16 knockouts.

“I beat him easily in the second fight, and I’ll beat him the same way in this fight. We both wanted this fight, and I just want to knock him out again,” said Omar Chavez.

On September 27, 2014, Alvarez won a hotly contested unanimous decision; Chavez evened up the rivalry with a 2nd round stoppage on April 29, 2017.

“Since losing the second fight, I know I was not fully prepared, and took the fight on short notice but I have no excuses. Now I want to retaliate for that defeat by giving it everything I have to win. This will be an emotional fight in my home town,” Said Alvarez.

On June 19, the Chavez – Alvarez trilogy will settle the score.

Pay-Per-View Information and More great bouts will be announced shortly

Reading, PA (January 3, 2019) – On Saturday night, January 26th, championship boxing returns to the Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania as Phoenix Promotions stages a big Pro-AM card.

In the main event, it will be a 10-round battle for the UBA Bantamweight title as Rosalinda Rodriguez takes on Liliana Martinez.

Rodriguez of Miami has a record of 8-0 with two knockouts.

The 32 year-old Rodriguez is a four-year professional who has wins over two undefeated fighters in Frederica Blanco and Samantha Salazar.

In her last bout, Rodriguez won an eight-round unanimous decision over Crystal Hoy on December 8th in Louisville, Kentucky.

Martinez of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic has a record of 21-18 with 13 knockouts.

The 35 year-old Martinez is a 19 year-professional is coming off a decision loss to Sandra Atanassow on February 3rd in Germany.

In the eight-round co-feature, Hector Camacho, Jr. returns to the ring when he takes on Vladimir Hernandez in an middleweight bout scheduled for eight-rounds.

Camacho, Jr. of New York, has a record of 58-7-1 with 32 knockouts.

Camacho, 40 years-old, is a 23 year veteran of the squared circle.

Camacho went undefeated in his first 34 fights, which included wins over Freddy Curiel (14-3-1), Roberto Nunez (15-3), Miguel Angel Ruiz (21-5-1), Menard Reed (20-1), former world champion Phillip Holliday (36-3-1), Joe Hutchinson (18-1-2), Rocky Martinez (34-4-1), former world title challenger Larry LaCoursiere, Arturo Urena (19-3), Fredd Ladd (45-9), Nelson Estupinan (12-1), Kenny Kost (14-3), Israel Cardona (36-9) & Former world champion Yory Boy Campas (92-14-1).

Hernandez of Denver, Colorado has a record of 10-3 with six knockouts.

The 29 year-old Hernandez is a 10 year-professional has two wins over Danny Valdivia (14-0 & 14-1).

In a six-round bouts:

Nicholas Hernandez (9-3-1, 2 KOs) of Reading takes on Jauvan John (3-7-1) of Brooklyn, NY in a junior middleweight bout.

Frank Trader (11-2-1, 3 KOa) of Philadelphia fights Zack Ramsey (8-5, 4 KOs) of Springfield, MA in a junior lightweight bout.

In four-round bouts:

Harold Lopez (4-0-1, 1 KO) of Allentown, PA fights pro debuting Rondarius Hunter in a flyweight bout.

Rakym Dyer will make his pro debut against fellow first-timer Earvin Young of Milwaukee, WI in a welterweight bout.

Martino Jules (5-0) of Allentown, PA will take on an opponent to be named in a featherweight contest.

There will be an amateur show that begins at 4 p.m., and tickets that that portion of the show only are $25.

Ticket Prices are as follows for Pro Show, that begins at 8 PM
1) $1,500.00 VIP Tables.
2) $150.00 Ring Side Seats.
3) $75.00 Silver Seating.
4) $50.00 Bronze Seating.
5) $25.00 General Admission.

All Tickets can be purchased at At The Santander Arena’s Box Office -700 Penn Street Reading Pa. 19602; Ticketmaster.com and at The Reading Extreme Boxing Club located at 1419 N. 5th Street Reading Pa. 19602.

BROOKLYN (January 11, 2013) – WBO Middleweight World Champion and New Yorker Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin will make his first title defense against Fernando Guerrero in the co-featured bout to the world title clash between Unified Super Lightweight Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia and Brooklyn native Zab “Super” Judah at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, February 9 live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

In addition to Quillin and Garcia, the stars of last October’s inaugural boxing event at Barclays Center will return to the sport’s most popular new venue.

SHOWTIME Extreme will start the televised action with a 10-round junior middleweight bout between Brooklyn’s Dmitriy Salita and Hector Camacho Jr. along with a 10-round middleweight fight featuring boxing’s most inspirational fighter, Brooklyn’s Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs, who continues his comeback following a successful battle against cancer against an opponent to be named.

Other undercard fights will feature the New York professional debut of Staten Island’s 2012 United States Olympian Marcus Browne in a four-round light heavyweight fight as well as crowd- pleasing Boyd Melson, whose dedication to finding a cure for spinal cord injuries makes him a true champion, who will fight in a six-round middleweight bout against an opponent to be named.

Garcia vs. Judah, a 12-round bout for Garcia’s Unified Super Lightweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and supported by Golden Boy Promotions sponsors Corona and AT&T. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with preliminary fights to air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, are on sale now and are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling 800-745-3000.

“We’re happy to be back in Brooklyn with the great main event of Danny Garcia vs. Zab Judah and a stacked undercard that has something for every boxing fan, from championship bouts to crossroad fights, to appearances from New York’s best,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “This will be another great night at Barclays Center.”

“The inaugural fight card at Barclays Center last October was a rousing success as we teamed with Golden Boy to bring championship boxing back to Brooklyn for the first time in more than 80 years,” Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark said. “We expect an even more exciting event on February 9, as we continue to offer great title fights while giving emerging New York fighters the opportunity to showcase their talents in Brooklyn’s grandest ring.”

“It’s a great feeling to be back in Brooklyn for my first title defense and I am going to give fans what they are looking for again,” said Quillin. “The crowd at Barclays Center pushed me to another level last October when I won my title and I can’t wait to win for them again on February 9.”

“This is the moment every fighter dreams of and I feel like everything is finally aligned for me to win my first world championship on February 9,” said Guerrero. “Quillin is an exciting, aggressive fighter like me and we’re going to put on a show for the great fans in Brooklyn.”

“It’s a special feeling to be able to fight in my home borough again,” said Jacobs. “This was an extra special holiday season for me and my family. To look back on last October when I had the chance to return to the ring and continue my career was an early Christmas present that no one can ever take away from me. My fight on February 9 gives me the opportunity to continue my championship quest.”

“I love fighting in Brooklyn and to now face Hector Camacho Jr., another legendary New York name, the stakes will be extremely high on February 9,” said Salita. “I look forward to the opportunity and feel confident that I will be victorious that night.”

“It is going to be an exciting, but very emotional night for me on February 9 when I fight at Barclays Center,” said Camacho. “I am fighting for myself, but it will also be a tribute to my dad who was loved throughout all of New York. I plan to honor and represent the family name with a win of Dmitriy.”

“This moment is what I’ve been waiting for since I first started boxing and I just can’t wait to fight,” said Browne. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase my skills in front of my fans and make my hometown debut at Barclays Center. Everyone on Staten Island and in New York City has shown me a tremendous amount of support and I’m ready to put on a great show on February 9.”

With an exciting style and a flair for the dramatic, Quillin (28-0, 20 KO’s), who lives in Manhattan, carried the momentum from his June 2012 win over Winky Wright into Barclays Center on October 20, winning the WBO middleweight title with a six-knockdown performance against previously unbeaten former World Champion Hassan N’Dam. Ready to top that epic win with an encore performance, Quillin will make the first defense of his crown against Guerrero.

Long one of the most popular fighters on the East Coast, Guerrero (25-1, 19 KO’s) took his show on the road in 2012, and with wins over Jason Naugler (TKO 4) in Mexico, Jose Medina (W10) in Las Vegas, and J.C. Candelo (TKO 6) in Texas, he showed the development of his game and his readiness for a world title shot. On February 9, the hard-hitting southpaw gets the opportunity he’s been waiting for.

Following a harrowing but victorious fight against cancer that kept him out of the ring for over a year, Jacobs (24-1, 21 KO’s) returned to action on October 20 and scored an emotional first-round knockout win over Josh Luteran. In December, the 25-year-old Jacobs halted tough Chris Fitzpatrick in five rounds and he expects similarly positive results in his next bout at Barclays Center.

One of New York’s most popular fighters, Salita (35-1-1, 18 KO’s) is ready for another world title shot and a win over Camacho Jr. on February 9 will move him one step closer. A decision winner over Brandon Hoskins at Barclays Center last October, the 30-year-old Salita aims to keep his five fight-winning streak and his championship dreams alive with a win over Camacho Jr.

The son of the late, great “Macho” Camacho, Hector Camacho Jr. (54-5-1, 29 KO’s) will undoubtedly be looking to leave an impression and score a victory in his father’s home city on February 9. The winner of 11 of his last 13 bouts, the 16-year veteran of the sport has been waiting for an opportunity like this in the Big Apple. In his first local bout since 2001, the 34-year-old from San Juan can’t wait to hear the bell ring.

A member of the 2012 United States Olympic team, Marcus Browne (2-0, 2 KO’s) proudly represented Staten Island in London, and now that he’s back home, he’s ready to impress his growing number of fans. Undefeated in his two fights as a pro, the 22-year-old southpaw dispatched of both Codale Ford and Ritchie Cherry in his first two bouts.

31-year-old middleweight Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson (10-1-1, 4 KO’s) got a scare from underrated Jason Thompson at Barclays Center last October when he hit the deck early in the bout, but the talented and resilient Army veteran battled back to earn a six-round draw in one of the most exciting fights of the night. On February 9, the New Yorker vows to leave the ring victorious in a six-round middleweight fight.

Opponents for Jacobs, Browne and Melson will be announced shortly.

Opening the event will be two four-round bouts featuring Manhattan junior welterweight Zachary Ochoa (3-0, 3 KO’s) and Philadelphia bantamweight Miguel Cartagena (5-0, 3 KO’s) who will both compete against opponents to be named.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.barclayscenter.com, http://Sports.SHO.com, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @BarclaysCenter, @DannySwift, @SHOsports, follow the conversation using #BrooklynBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/ShoBoxing.

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Located atop one of the largest transportation hubs in New York City, Barclays Center is accessible by 11 subway lines, the Long Island Rail Road, and 11 bus lines.

SAN ANTONIO – Saturday, Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr., fighting for the first time in 16 months, dropped an overmatched opponent on the red canvas of an outdoor ring erected in La Villita’s Maverick Plaza about a two-minute stroll from the River Walk. Meanwhile at ringside, and on message boards everywhere, and on YouTube, debate about Bradley-Pacquiao continued, though in significantly politer terms.

Camacho’s comeback, as these things go, does not appear a particularly serious one. He is George Foreman, with the religious awakening and cheeseburgers but without the stopping power. Camacho is a Puerto Rican welterweight/junior middleweight/middleweight/super middleweight, not an American heavyweight, and so he also must rely on shtick more than Foreman did. Shtick is a family specialty, though; cry not at all for Machito.

His dad, without whom the Camacho name in Puerto Rico would be more obscure, by far, than the Chavez name in Mexico, does not care a whole lot about his son’s conversion to Islam, one that finds Junior prefacing statements with “God is great” and donning a white thobe that clings more than billows at ringside. Saturday, Camacho’s shiny silver trunks, too, clung, in a summer look that said, Whoa, even I didn’t think my ass could get this full. And “full” is good a word as any to describe Camacho’s physique.

Four and a half years ago, when he weighed an embarrassing 173 pounds in Scottsdale, Ariz., for a fight the day before Super Bowl XLII, Camacho said he thought maybe he should get down to 147, to prove he was serious. He’s not down there yet, though he claimed Friday he weighed as little as 157 before his opponent fell-out and he learned the sacrifice they were trucking up from Corpus Christi would be well over the middleweight limit. That sacrifice, J.D. Charles, caught a Camacho left uppercut to the belly in the second minute of their main-event tilt and went down and stayed down. Afterwards, he said he could have gotten up but didn’t. With the short notice and purse they offered him, in other words, he’d more than fulfilled his obligation when the 120th second passed. Camacho didn’t grandstand or insult Charles.

Therein lies a little of the appeal Camacho holds for those who’ve crossed paths with him during his 16-year campaign. He can actually fight when he wants to and is so wonderfully self-deprecating, and therefore empathetic, he would never fault a fellow prizefighter for wanting effort. Camacho understands the exact brutality of our sport and talks candidly about it. In all his court-jesterliness, he is, when the bell rings, additionally a reminder of something Carlo Rotella wrote in an excellent 2003 book called “Cut Time”:

“The lowliest of professional opponents . . . can fight better than almost everybody else on earth. Any one of them could beat the hell out of the typical top-flight contact-sports jock remotely his size, and any one of them could single-handedly clear out a bar full of fight-goers, writers, and other smart alecks who dismiss him as a stiff when he boxes in the ring.”

Camacho, seeming stagy but sincere, tells you he is embarrassed about what shame he’s brought on his career. Then he tells you about the women he enjoyed during that run – and you realize the insincerity of those lines about shame. For a short, chunky kid with a birthmark that runs the left side of his face, he’s done things to women more than reason expected. Where his father was a character, a leading actor in many a hijinks, Machito is a storyteller, a supporting actor who doubles as narrator. Had his reflexes been a tad slower, he’d have made a good cameraman in gonzo pornography – such is his charisma, timing and capacity for disarming inquisitors.

“F–king the girls I was f–king in my days?” Camacho Jr. explained in the foyer of Allstar’s Gentlemen’s Sports Club, Friday. “You can’t blame me, man! I was f–king the baddest girls, from Switzerland and Europe. You cannot blame me, man!”

Ah, the effects of the camera. Saturday, a third ringside experience in as many weeks brought another chance to reflect on what happened in Bradley-Pacquiao, and what happened to those at ringside and those at home. Locked in a narrative that said Pacquiao would win an easy decision, after the sixth round, many a serious ringside journalist on a tight deadline – thank Pacquiao’s fascination with the NBA playoffs, in part, for that – put his head down and wrote while the last 15 minutes of the fight happened. Then he turned-in a scorecard that was not close as perhaps it should have been, for a fight all three professional judges saw turn on a single round.

The home viewer? He was treated to an experience that bore only a derivative resemblance to reality, and primed for another outrage. That outrage was nearly universal, but rather than fixate on the “universal” part of that clause, in a maniacal search for absolute consensus some have fixated on the “nearly” part. Well. You’ll get no apologies for those three ringside scorecards that dissented, so stop asking.

A few days after the latest unconscionable robbery that is the reason no one will ever watch another prizefight again in the history of humankind, apropos of nothing at all I had a conversation like this:

“I like the ‘blue raspberry’ slurpees at 7-Eleven better than real raspberries.”

“You know those drinks are filled with artificial sweeteners, concocted in laboratories to be delicious, unfilling, and to make you buy more, right?”

“They still taste better.”

The televised-fight experience – with its infallible commentators, scorecards and superduper slow motion – may well taste better than the real, ringside experience. But for goodness’ sake, do not tell a gardener that the corn-syrupy, synthetic blue mess in a plastic cup you got at the corner store tastes “more like real raspberries” than what he picks from red canes.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

SAN ANTONIO – Hector “Machito” Camacho Jr.’s belly might not have been tight as an average prizefighter’s Saturday, but his belly was not the softest in the Maverick Plaza ring during the main event. But then neither was his punch.

Fighting J.D. Charles (7-5, 1 KO), a Corpus Christi welterweight-cum-middleweight found on one day’s notice, Camacho (54-4-1, 29 KOs) showed the very large distance between a beginner and a seasoned pro – however unprofessionally that pro sometimes comports himself – stopping Charles at 2:05 of the first round in an outdoor arena in the historic downtown neighborhood of La Villita.

After slipping a few shots and throwing a few power leads in the opening minute, Camacho, fighting from his customary southpaw stance, pressed Charles to the ropes and landed a heavy left uppercut to Charles’ body that dropped him, cast his mouthpiece on the red canvas and caused an end to the match quite early.

“We’ve been working on body shots, back home,” Camacho said afterwards, referring to his native Puerto Rico.

Camacho, whose career’s only time spent as a serious contender came at junior lightweight, looked soft at 164 1/2 pounds. He plans to lose weight and go to junior middleweight or pursue a title or two.

“I want Chavez Jr.,” Camacho said. “I want Jesse James ‘Vieja’ if he’s around. People said ‘Camacho’s not ready, he’s not serious.’”

And they’ll probably continue to do so.

JOEL GARCIA VS. JOSEPH RIOS
Saturday’s co-main event, a well-matched super flyweight scrap between two Texans, San Antonio’s Joseph Rios (11-7-2, 4 KOs) and El Paso’s Joel Garcia (5-1, 1 KO), went its full six-round distance and resulted in a majority decision for Rios, one that official judges scored 58-56, 57-57 and 59-55.

Rios, who attained the largest applause of the evening, moved his head and legs like a mini Mike Tyson – though without Tyson’s concussive power on the inside collected a few too many early punches on his way in. What power Rios showed came by way of Garcia’s occasional overeagerness.

“Coming into the fight, I knew he was going to be tough,” Rios said after his career’s 11th victory.

Garcia, whose right hand never quite turns over at the end, explaining his anemic knockout percentage, had power questions of his own and didn’t seek to answer them with much of what overeagerness Rios initially relied on.

In round 5, though, Rios’ relentlessness began to change the fight’s tenor, opening a cut over the outside of Garcia’s left eye, a cut bad enough to cause referee Ellis Johnson to march Garcia to a ringside physician for a mid-round checkup. The sixth and final round saw Rios charge out of his corner in an effort to stop the match within its distance, but Garcia fought him off and made it to the match’s final round.

CHRISTINA RUIZ VS. NOHIME DENNISSON
Fighting before her hometown fans and trained by Austin’s Ann Wolfe, local super bantamweight Christina Ruiz (6-4-2, 4 KOs) tried her best to knock-out Albuquerque’s Nohime Dennisson (4-2-2) but never quite made enough contact to do so, instead settling for a fair, majority-draw decision: 39-37 (Ruiz), 38-38 and 38-38.

In the opening minutes, when Ruiz tried to land fight-altering right hands, she was unable to find her fluid-moving New Mexican foe, causing Ruiz’s trainer Wolfe to shout repeatedly “Fight her, Chris!”

But as the match progressed, Ruiz began to work behind her jab, fight – not plod – her way inside and connect with punches heavy enough to draw a trickle of blood from Dennisson’s nose

“Hopefully, I kept all of you as my fans,” Ruiz said after the fight, before she addressed the late-arriving jab her corner implored her to throw. “I finally listened to my coach, and it worked. I got to listen more.”

Ruiz’s humble and likable postfight presence drew a sustained applause from the La Villita crowd.

KENTON SIPPIO-COOK VS. MARTINEZ PORTER
Austin middleweight Kenton Sippio-Cook (1-0, 1 KO) made a pronounced debut Saturday, as he caught Fort Worth’s Martinez Porter (1-3) leaning forward and cracked him with a photogenic right-cross counter that dropped Porter with such force that Referee Ellis Johnson did not even trouble himself with a full count, stopping the match at 1:49 of round 2.

“I was just keeping calm and cool so I could see it,” Sippio-Cook said after his debut, before promising an active schedule. “Oh, definitely once a month. This is what I love to do.”

Elated with his win, Sippio-Cook even managed to acknowledge and thank a former schoolteacher of his who’d made the 300-mile southwards trip from Denton.

ROLANDO CAMPOS VS. HENRY HERNANDEZ
In an entertaining opening match between two men with offenses disproportionately better than their defenses, lanky hometown slugger Rolando Campos (6-4, 2 KOs) decisioned fellow Texas lightweight Henry Hernandez (1-5, 1 KO) by three unanimous scores of 39-37, despite being wobbled and dropped just after the bell rang to end the second round.

Opening bell sounded on a well filled-in Maverick Plaza at 8:08 PM local time.

SAN ANTONIO – Boxing aficionados who have long suspected Hector Camacho Jr. was a better fit for a stripper’s pole than a prizefighting ring got their chance to see fate show its wares Friday afternoon. Saturday, they’ll get a chance to see “Machito” back in a prizefighting ring, too.

On center stage at Allstar’s Gentlemen’s Sports Club a few miles northwest of the downtown area, Camacho (53-4-1, 28 KOs), without a late-replacement opponent to stand across from, took center stage at the weighin for his Saturday fight. Then the moment took him. Pulling a towel from his soft waist and revealing nary a stitch lay between the audience and his smooth brown skin, Camacho climbed on a stripper pole and slid along it while his name was called.

An iota of decorum returned, the towel was held in front of the weighin’s medical scale, and Camacho made 164 1/2 pounds – his career’s second-highest weight. His substitute opponent, John David Charles (7-4, 1 KO), of Corpus Christi, Texas – a man who has weighed between 137 pounds and 155 1/2 in his last four fights – will be weighed on Saturday morning.

“They called me this morning,” Camacho explained about his weight, “they told me, ‘Your opponent’s scratched-off, so you can eat.’ I said, ‘Huh? That’s a joke!’ I thought it was a joke. ‘Don’t tell me twice,’ I told them, ‘I’m going to eat. I don’t want to hear no sh-t about my weight.’ I warned them, and you know I warned them.”

Camacho, who began his career at junior welterweight and was undefeated for five years before a no-contest against San Antonio’s Jesse James Leija in 2001 began his career’s spiraling away, is now a practicing Muslim, attributes his latest comeback to the good habits Islam has taught him, and believes he still has the talent, and name, to get himself another title shot at a lower weight.

“I weighed fifty-seven (157) this morning,” Camacho said before weighing-in. “Maybe at 54. I could make 47. I’ve got no excuse. I’m small. I ain’t no 68 pounder. I shouldn’t be fighting no motherf–king animals. I shouldn’t have to, man. I should not have to. I must be sick.”

Asked what advice about his comeback his father – Hector “Macho” Camacho – has offered him, Camacho Jr. replied with characteristic candor.

“He told me, ‘It’s rare that somebody get a second chance in boxing. You got it, now, take advantage’,” Camacho said, before continuing in his dad’s voice. “‘You f–ked up your own name, now it’s up to you to get it back.’”

Camacho, who now divides his residency between Panama and his native Puerto Rico, will be making a return of sorts to Alamo City, as Saturday’s match will be his second time fighting in this town. Fourteen years ago next month, Camacho fought on the undercard of Leija’s fourth and final match with Azumah Nelson.

“I call him ‘Jesse James Vieja’ now,” Camacho said, and he laughed. “He’s old. I call him ‘Vieja.’ That’s Spanish for old. Jesse James ‘Vieja’; I’m going to call him out.”

Doors open at 6:00 PM on Saturday’s card at La Villita’s Maverick Plaza, with first bell scheduled to sound at 7:30. 15rounds.com will have full ringside coverage.