clarinews@clarinet.com (DAVE RAFFO, UPI Sports Writer) (02/04/90)
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (UPI) -- Hector ``Macho'' Camacho dropped his pre-fight clowning to carve Vinny Pazienza into a bloody mess Saturday night, winning a unanimous 12-round decision in their junior welterweight grudge match. Camacho retained his lightly regarded World Boxing Organization 140-pound title and proved himself more than the runner he has been for the last three-and-a-half years. Camacho sliced Pazienza on both eyes and a cheek and bloodied his nose. Judge John Rupert of Florida scored the fight 115-112, Jose Antonio Salseda of the Domincian Republic had it 117-116 and Richard Murray of New Jersey had it 119-109. Camacho, a Puerto Rican native who grew up in New York, improved to 39-0. Pazienza, a former light heavyweight champion, fell to 28-4. The fight was called ``Put up or shut up'' because the boxers traded insults and one-liners over the past three months to hype the bout. Camacho was all business in the ring, however, leaving Pazienza to play to the crowd -- which was strongly in his favor. Camacho cut Pazienza's nose in the third round and opened a cut over his right eye in the sixth. Camacho cut Pazienza's right cheek in the ninth and busted open his left eye with a right off the ropes in the 10th. Camacho, a southpaw, was too quick for Pazienza and often snapped his head back with combinations. Pazienza's bull rushes brought cheers from the crowd but he seldom did any damage. Camacho fought defensively in the sixth and eight rounds, but had his best round in the ninth. He opened up jabbing and fired combinations to Pazienza's bloody head. A left uppercut stood up a crouching Pazienza late in the round. Pazienza's corner never closed the gash over his left eye. Blood ran down his face the final two rounds and his white trunks were smeared with blood at the finish. Pazienza's best punch was a left hook with Camacho against the ropes in the final round. The crowd of over 12,000 at the Convention Center included about 4,000 ``Pazmaniacs'' from Rhode Island to cheer on the 5-2 underdog. They booed loudly when Camacho came out into the ring before the pay-per-view show began, one hour and 40 minutes before the main event. Camacho, wearing his World Boxing Council lightweight and junior lightweight and current WBO title belts, shouted, ``It's Macho time'' as the crowd jeered. Pazienza conceded the pre-fight fashion show, entering the ring in a conservative black robe and white trunks. The robe said ``The Pazmanian Devil'' on the back in white letters and had a red heart on the front. Camacho entered the ring in full Indian headdress with his title belts slung over his shoulders and brief trunks covered by feathers and Indian patches. Camacho was guaranteed $800,000 and Pazienza $400,000 for the fight. On the undercard, Pernell Whitaker retained his WBC and IBF lightweight titles wih a unanimous 12-round decision over Fred Pendleton. WBO light heavyweight champ Michael Moorer stopped Marcellus Allen after the ninth round to improve to 19-0 with 19 knockouts Camacho won his first title by stopping Rafael Limon for the vacant WBC junior lightweight crown Aug. 7, 1983. He moved up to the lightweight division after one defense, and captured the WBC lightweight title with a unanimous 12-round decision over Jose Luis Ramirez Aug. 10, 1985. He defended that crown twice, then moved up again in weight to the 140-pound junior welterweight division. Camacho scored just one knockout in his previous 11 bouts and became a runner after Edwin Rosario rocked him twice in a 1986 lightweight title bout. Camacho held on to win a disputed decision, but was widely criticized for his performance. Pazienza won the International Boxing Federation lightweight title in 1987 on a controversial decision over Greg Haugen in Pazienza's hometown of Providence, R.I. He lost the title back to Haugen on a 15-round decision in February 1988 and dropped a decision against Roger Mayweather nine months later for the WBC junior welterweight title. He won three fights by knockout in 1989.