BOXING : Camacho Wins by a Split Decision

Hector Camacho won most of the early rounds, began to tire at the midway point and then held off a strong-finishing Greg Haugen to win a junior-welterweight grudge match Saturday night on a split decision.

Camacho, who lost a close decision to Haugen in February in Las Vegas, this time won before a crowd of about 5,000 at the Reno/Sparks Convention Center. Camacho lost the first time on a split decision because of a foul, and nearly blew this one, too, on a foul. In Las Vegas, he lost a deciding point starting the 12th round when he hit Haugen when Haugen refused to participate in the traditional touching of gloves.

This time, after the bell ended the 11th round, which Haugen had won anyway, referee Bobby Ferrara deducted a point when Camacho hit Haugen with a soft but flagrantly foul left hook after the bell.

“I thought they was going to take it away from me again,” Camacho said, explaining why he stormed from the ring before learning he had won.

It was a fast-paced, intense fight, with no knockdowns but with non-stop action from bell to bell. Judge Burt Clements scored it 115-112 for Haugen, while Doug Tucker had it by the same score for Camacho. Dave Moretti had Camacho by a single point, 114-113. The Times had Camacho, 114-113.

Haugen, a 3-1 underdog, had the crowd behind him in the 12th. He unloaded on the exhausted Camacho, who fought with abandon in the final round. But now, in contrast to his early round accuracy, he missed more often than not and Haugen countered effectively.

Camacho, who weighed 138 1/2, won the first six rounds as he pleased. He boxed and moved with crispness, making Haugen look like a plodder. Then, as most expected, Camacho’s stamina began to ebb. One report had him weighing 151 pounds when he arrived in Reno 10 days ago. Haugen, a natural junior-welterweight who is now 28-4-1, weighed 139.

Both were fighting for a chance to take on Julio Cesar Chavez, and Camacho, who improved to 40-1, will get there first.

Camacho lost his strength in the seventh. There he was, suddenly sagging on the ropes, with Haugen pummeling him for the first time in the fight. Two of the three judges gave Haugen the seventh. One, Clements, gave Haugen five of the last six rounds.

Afterward, Camacho’s promoter, Dan Duva, said there were “four great fights out there” for Camacho, and he named Chavez, Pernell Whitaker, Meldrick Taylor and Loreto Garza.

Both fighters said they would welcome a third fight.

“I’ll tell you what, with the kind of money we’re getting, I’ll fight him every other month,” Camacho said.

But you have to wonder how much longer Camacho, who will turn 29 next week, can keep fighting at 140 pounds. Greg Haugen is no Chavez, yet Camacho needed a huge effort to stand up to him over the final rounds Saturday.

On the undercard, unbeaten super-bantamweight Richard Duran of Sacramento improved to 18-0 with a sixth-round TKO over Cesar Decena of Guadalajara, Mexico.

Boxing Notes

New York Post boxing writer Mike Marley alleges he was beaten up by Camacho adviser Pat Flannery and several other Camacho people at 5:30 a.m. Saturday in the lobby of the Clarion Hotel. Police said an investigation is underway. Marley was left with a split lip and facial cuts, Flannery in a wheelchair with an injured leg.