Playboy Magazine South Africa November 2013 November 2013 | Page 80

FEATURE IT'S MACHO TIME

He found out in that
fight that he didn’t
like getting hit. Given
how Camacho had
soared up to that
point, just his being
in a close fight, his
being challenged,
his being hit, in that
sense it was a defeat.
me and said, ‘Okay, Mama, I got a tattoo.’ I said,
‘Oh, sweet. My name?’
“He told me, ‘No, I got a unicorn.’ I asked him,
‘How the hell did you stay hard long enough for
them to do it?’ I guess the tattoo guy’s wife...
I don’t know what she did or how she did it.”
Then there was the cocaine. Shelly didn’t like it
and didn’t like Macho doing it. But she couldn’t
help herself. By then she was hooked. On his
beautiful body. On his blithe persona. On his
generous spirit. “He’d give a stranger, some hobo,
his last hundred dollars if the guy asked for it.”
But most of all, Shelly was hooked on Macho’s
tenderness. During one of our conversations
her voice seemed to float as she described
sneaking away with “Mach” for one of their long
weekends. Booking a quiet hotel room. Spending
the days and nights ordering room service and
slow dancing naked.
The tale makes Machito smile again.
Melancholy this time. Lost in his own
recollections. Then, “Shelly loved my dad. And I
think he loved her. He just couldn’t stop himself
from foolin’ around. Was his nature. Shelly

would tell me, ‘I hate that motherfucker. But his
heart is good and I love him.’ That was my dad.
Yin and yang.”
As Machito grew up, the father and son seemed
to reverse roles. “Not too long ago I see him
and I say, ‘Pops, let me ask you a question. How
many days you been up?’
“He says, ‘Three days, goin’ on four.’
“I said, ‘Pops, you’re 50 years old. How much
more time you think you can do these kinds of
tricks? How much more you think you’ll be able
to take before you die?’
“He told me, ‘Let me tell you something,
motherfucker. I’ve done 10 days. I’m fucking
strong. What you talkin’ about?’
“He still didn’t get me, didn’t get what I was
trying to say. That he wasn’t a kid no more.”
Silence for a while. Both of us lost in Macho
memories. I break the mood. Describe for
Machito some of his father’s early fights. Fights I
saw, fights Machito was too young to remember.
The old Felt Forum. The Sands in Atlantic
City. The fast and savvy southpaw circling
and jabbing, a louche and graceful predator
owning the ring with his cobra quickness.
Banging through Johnny Sato, Melvin Paul,
Greg Coverson, good fighters all. Then, 1983,
the 21-year-old Macho blasting Bazooka Limón
in San Juan to win the World Boxing Council
super-featherweight title. Machito and I laugh;
Bazooka did have a bazooka. Macho moving up
in weight to take the lightweight belt. Even beat
legendary trainer Freddie Roach. All leading to
the first grand showcase three years later. Macho,
unbeaten in 28 fights, barely outlasting Edwin
Rosario on Madison Square Garden’s big stage to
retain his title.
Machito shakes his head. “He got hit good
in that fight. First time. Changed him, changed
his style. He never thought in the ring before.
Just throwin’ punches. Now he’d say, ‘Nobody
knocking me out.’ ”

THE TRAINER
The Rosario fight. A war. Larry Merchant calling
it for HBO, Mike Marley covering it for the New
York Post. (Me in the second row.) Four rounds
of Rosario stalking, measuring, a human drill bit.
He opened the fifth with a straight right and a
crushing left hook that buckled Macho’s knees.
Did it again in the 11th.
Macho gobsmacked. “Fought me like he’s mad
at me,” he told Sports Illustrated. That never ??V?VB&Vf?&R??6??F?6VB?B&??F????6??6R7?BFV6?6????7&?vB&??VB?GW&???r??F?P?6??GF?6??W??&?6???ff?"?bF?R6?Vvv??r( ?G'V^( ?VW'F?&?6??&?v?B?B?VgBGW&?VB?6?????F?F?6W"f?"F?R&W7B?b??26&VW"??( ?RvV?Bg&??6??V&?G?v?F?G&V?2?b&V??p?w&VBF?F?R&V?G??bG'???rF???RF?R??7@????W??R6?V?B?( ?6?2?W&6??B?&WF?&VB??r????F?R??Rg&????2???R??6?F????6?( ?P?f?V?B?WB??F?Bf?v?BF?B?RF?F?( ?B??RvWGF??p???B?v?fV???r6?6???B6?&VBWF?F?@????B??W7B??2&V??r??6??6Rf?v?B???2&V??p??????$???4?????4?%u%bU?D?0??&VV?G&F??r???R6??2v?F?6?V??6?V?76????6??( ?2f??<:?R??( ?B?WB?W"BF?RgV?W&???&WGG?&???FRg&??FWG&??B??W"6?VV?27F??V@?'?F?RFV'26?VFv??r?W"?66&?6?V???W@??6??R?V'2v???Rv2G&????rBV??VV??7FWv&N( ?2?&???w????FWG&??B?6?RF?F?( ?BWfV???r?Rv2&??W"??V6??W726V?V'&?G???@?v6?( ?B??fRBf?'7B6?v?B?6?R6?2?'WB?Rw&Wp????W"?6?Rf????fV???7F?VBf??V???&B??BF???G&????&B&?G?F?VB'?F?Bv?&vV?W2f6R??( ?R7F???F????'&VF?v?gFW"R?V'2?( ?6?R6?2??6?V??FV??2?R7F?'???FV???6??F??&?W@???2FB?B6?V??( ?2?V??W2W??W6&?B?V&????F?V?"&V?F???6???F?RW?&??w2?W"??W6R?6?V????2?WC??6???7vW'2?( ?v??F?R?V???2F??3?( ?FV??G2F?RW???( ?v??( ?2F??3?( ??6??&W?W2??( ?v?B?b?vW&RF?6??R?fW"?B6???RF?@?VW7F?????W'6???( ?( ??'&?F?W"?F?V??N( ?2?6??F??R( ?6?V??V6??W2?6??F?( 2?6??( ?2??B&@?wW???W7Bf?&v?BF?w&?rW????6?^( ?2v?B7F?&?W2??F??R6?R&??VB????WB?b???gFW"?^( ?BW6?V@???2?&?vR?r????v?Bg&??f??&?FF??6??v???F??R6?RG&vvVB????WB?b6????'???0?f??W27?B7W&?gFW"6?^( ?B??6?VB??&F?&???F??"?Bf?V?B???v?F???F?W"v????6?0?6?R??Wr&?WB???bF?V??F??V?2?66?&W2??( ?R6??VB?R??2v??FRVW'F?&?6???P?v?FVB?RF??''?????B??fRF?VW'F??&?6??'WB?6?V?F?( ?B?WB????G26?Rf?'7B?F?N( ?0?v???66WFVBF?R?F?W"v??V??V??R?WfW ?v?BF?B?F?W?6?B?( ???R???r??^( ?26?VF??p?????R?( ??6?B?( ?????r?'WB?R??fW2?R?( ??P?v2v?F???B?bv??V??'WBF?W&Rv2?????FW&6?W'6RW?6WBv?F??R??&?6W???V???@??R?BF??2F?B?R??VBF?W6R??v?V?B??B?W@????W6RF?V????R?( ??Bv2f?"6?V??F?B?6??FGF??VBV??6?&??????2&?6??( ?vR?BFV???v?BFGF??v?F????2??R??Rv2???Wr??&??B?R6??V@??