Date: 3rd February 1990
Venue: Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Title: WBO World Super-lightweight Title
Promoter: Main Events
Tv: ESPN
Hector Camacho
(
36
-
0
-
0
)
Weight: 140 lbs
Vinny Pazienza
(
28
-
3
-
0
)
Weight: 138 lbs
The Hector Camacho vs Vinny Pazienza WBO World Super-lightweight Title fight was held on Saturday 3rd February 1990 at the Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. The fight was promoted by Main Events and was billed as "Put Up or Shut Up." Hector Camacho had an undefeated record of 36-0-0 while Vinny Pazienza had a record of 28-3-0.
The fight went the full 12 rounds and was closely contested. Camacho landed 133 of 442 punches thrown (30%), while Pazienza connected on 118 of 451 punches (26%). The Associated Press reported that in the twelfth round, the blood-covered Pazienza threw a wild flurry of punches, backed away from Camacho, pounded his own face with his gloves, and screamed like Tarzan.
The judges scored the fight in favor of Camacho, who won by a split decision. Two of the judges scored the fight 115-113 and 116-112 in favor of Camacho, while the third judge scored the fight 114-113 in favor of Pazienza. Despite the split decision, most ringside observers felt that Camacho had done enough to win the fight.
The victory over Vinny Pazienza marked Hector Camacho's 37th straight win and the first defense of his WBO Super-lightweight world title. The win also cemented Camacho's status as one of the top fighters in the world at the time. Vinny Pazienza, on the other hand, saw his record fall to 28-4-0 after the loss.
The buildup to the fight was marked by trash talk and insults between the two fighters. In the end, however, the fight was a testament to the skills and toughness of both fighters.