Marvin Camel

Marvin Camel (born December 24, 1951) is a boxer and member of the Salish Kootenai Nation of the Flathead Indian Reservation in Northwestern Montana. He was born in Ronan and fought out of Missoula. He holds the distinction of being the first person recognized as Cruiserweight boxing champion of the world by two different professional sanctioning bodies.^[1]

Camel fought Mate Parlov in Yugoslavia to a draw in the first ever cruiserweight world title bout. In the rematch, in Las Vegas, Camel beat Mate Parlov for the vacant WBC world Cruiserweight title in 1980, losing the title in his first defense, to Carlos De León. After losing in a rematch to De Leon, he became, in 1983, the IBF's first world champion, beating Roddy McDonald, by becoming world Cruiserweight champion for the second time when he claimed that organization's title. He lost the title to Lee Roy Murphy. He is the subject of a biography released in December 2014, titled 'Warrior in the Ring' by Brian D'Ambrosio,^[2] as well as a documentary. Called "gritty ringside prose," "Warrior in the Ring" re-establishes Marvin's position in boxing as a forgotten, colorful figure who won titles in an unfamiliar weight class. Camel’s journey was an amazing example of gritty determination: punishing runs on Montana’s back roads, relentless training in makeshift gyms, sleeping in beat-up cars before fights in glittering Las Vegas, and even training and fighting for a world championship in a foreign country, alone.^[3] Camel’s victory over Parlov 35 years ago raised his professional record to 35-2-2. He lost his final bout in June 1990 against Eddie “Young Joe Louis” Taylor in Minneapolis. The 10-round decision left his lifetime mark at 45-13-5.

Camel's pro career took the rangy southpaw from Ronan to 13 states and seven foreign nations on three continents.

“I’ve had a good life, as far as boxing is concerned, winning two world titles, losing world titles, seeing the world,” Camel said in 2015. “Some things people only dream about having, I did it. I’ve been there. I’ve been to the top of the mountain. But I feel there’s still something out there that I’ve got to have, and I don’t know what it is.” ^[4]

In December 2014, as part of Camel's "return from the dead," D'Ambrosio and Camel attended the 52nd Annual World Boxing Convention. ^[5]

Professional boxing record

Honors

In 2006 at the World Boxing Council's 44th annual convention WBC President José Sulaimán awarded Camel honorary champion status.

See also

• List of cruiserweight boxing champions

References

1. "Marvin Camel". Cyber Boxing Zone. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
2. http://montanamagazine.com/warrior-in-the-ring-looking-back-with-marvin-camel/
3. http://www.riverbendpublishing.com/warrior-in-the-ring.html
4. http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/territory/new-biography-helps-marvin-camel-fight-time-obscurity/article_6233ac27-167c-5357-9748-57c6bca92b2b.html?comment_form=true
5. http://flatheadbeacon.com/2015/01/02/resurrecting-legend-marvin-camel/

http://montanamagazine.com/warrior-in-the-ring-looking-back-with-marvin-camel/

External links

• Professional boxing record for Marvin Camel from BoxRec