SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: Former championship boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho died yesterday at the hospital in Puerto Rico where he has been unconscious since he was shot in the face in an attack in his hometown.
Camacho went into cardiac arrest in the pre-dawn hours and he was then taken off life support and died shortly thereafter, said Dr. Ernesto Torres, the director of the Centro Medico trauma center in San Juan.
Camacho’s mother, Maria Matias, said Friday night that she had authorized removing him from life support after his three sons had arrived from the US mainland and had a chance to see their father for the last time. They managed to visit him before he died, said former pro boxer Victor “Luvi” Callejas, a longtime friend who has been acting as a family spokesman in recent days.
“The family destroyed,” Callejas said outside the hospital.
Doctors had declared Camacho brain dead on Thursday. Matias had said she decided it was time for doctors to disconnect life support over the objections of the boxer’s eldest son, Hector Jr., because there was no chance of recovery.
“I lost my son three days ago. He’s alive only because of a machine,” she said Friday night. “My son is not alive. My son is only alive for the people who love him,” she added.
Camacho was shot as he sat in a car with a friend, 49-year-old Adrian Mojica Moreno, who was killed in the attack.
Police spokesman Alex Diaz said officers found nine small bags of cocaine in the friend’s pocket and a 10th bag open inside the car.
Police reported no arrests and said investigators continued to look for potential witnesses. Capt. Rafael Rosa told reporters they were following several leads, but declined to say whether police had identified any suspects. He said very few witnesses were cooperating.
Hector Camacho Jr. decried the violence that grips Puerto Rico, a US island territory of nearly 4 million people that reported a record 1,117 homicides last year.
“Death, jail, drugs, killings,” he said. “That’s what the streets are now.” Camacho’s sisters have said they would like to fly Camacho’s body to New York and bury him there. Camacho grew up mostly in Harlem, earning the nickname the “Harlem Heckler.” He won super lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight world titles in the 1980s and fought high-profile bouts against Felix Trinidad, Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard while compiling a career record of 79-6-3. He knocked out Leonard in 1997, ending the former champ’s final comeback attempt.
Camacho battled drug, alcohol and other problems throughout his life. He was sentenced in 2007 to seven years in prison on burglary charges, but a judge eventually suspended all but one year of the sentence and gave Camacho probation. He wound up serving two weeks in jail after violating that probation. A wife also filed domestic abuse complaints against him twice before their divorce.
Boxer ‘Macho’ Camacho dies in Puerto Rico
Boxer ‘Macho’ Camacho dies in Puerto Rico
‘Riyadh is our showcase event,’ says LIV CEO O’Neil as 2026 season tees off
RIYADH: The 2026 LIV Golf season teed off under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club on Wednesday, with stars including Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson getting proceedings underway in the Saudi capital.
Thomas Detry and Peter Uihlein lead the individual leaderboard after 18 holes, both carding seven-under-par 65s, while Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC tops the team standings at 15 under. Sebastian Munoz paced Torque GC with a five-under round, though he was unable to match his opening performance from last year, when he shot eight under.
Arab News spoke to LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil on the opening day of the league’s fifth season.
“The start of the season is a bit like that first day of school when you were a little kid,” O’Neil said. “It was wonderful to be out on the course and on the range, seeing the players. A lot of us haven’t seen each other for quite some time, so it was like the first day of school meets a family reunion.”
O’Neil also highlighted the significance of opening the season in Riyadh.
“Riyadh is our showcase event, and I couldn’t imagine a more fitting place to open,” he said. “There’s something special about LIV at night — it’s something you can’t really describe. You actually have to come and see it.”
LIV Golf has seen significant growth since its debut in 2022, despite pre-season concerns after Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed confirmed they would not return for the 2026 campaign. O’Neil said the league’s broader mission remains unchanged.
“We’re so mission driven. I believe if you stick to your values, good things happen,” he said. “All these incredible stars — DeChambeau, Rahm, Mickelson, Cam Smith, DJ — they wake up every day thinking, how can I grow the game of golf overall?”
That influence is now being felt by LIV’s younger players.
“We’re excited to see all these generations coming together and growing the game,” O’Neil added.
He pointed to Michael La Sasso, the league’s youngest player, as an example.
“Think about it from his parents’ perspective,” O’Neil said. “Is this a good place for him, to be mentored by Phil Mickelson? To learn how to practice, how to travel, how to eat, sleep and take care of your body? How to get through jet lag?”
Travel remains a defining feature of LIV’s global model.
“This notion of playing on five continents is something I couldn’t imagine years ago,” O’Neil said.
Heading into Round 1, a major talking point was the Official World Golf Ranking’s decision to award points to players finishing in the top 10 at LIV events. While LIV welcomed the move, it expressed disappointment that points were limited to only the top 10.
Smash GC captain Talor Gooch addressed the issue in his post-round press conference.
“I don’t think the right thing was done, which is what we’ve experienced at LIV for the last four or five seasons,” Gooch said. “Anyone who says the fair thing was done — I don’t think they’re in tune with reality.”
Despite the debate, Gooch praised the atmosphere in Riyadh.
“It’s amazing being here in Saudi Arabia, playing at night. Then going to Australia and playing in the day — it’s pretty special,” he said.
Australian youngster Elvis Smylie, who impressed on his LIV Golf debut, also spoke positively about his first visit to the Kingdom ahead of next week’s LIV Golf Adelaide.
“I really enjoyed my first trip to Saudi Arabia,” Smylie said. “Adjusting my body clock was a challenge, but it was great to be here. It was also nice to meet His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan out there.”
Round 2 tees off on Thursday with a shotgun start at 6:05pm.
