Marvin Camel facts for kids

Marvin Camel (born December 24, 1951) is an American former professional boxer. He competed from 1974 to 1990. He made history as the very first world champion in the cruiserweight boxing division. He held the WBC title in 1980 and the IBF title from 1983 to 1984.

Marvin Camel's Boxing Journey

Marvin Camel was part of a big moment in boxing history. He fought Bill Sharkey on June 5, 1979. This was the first-ever fight for the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) cruiserweight title. Camel won this important match.

His win led to the World Boxing Council (WBC) creating a new world title for the cruiserweight division. Marvin Camel then faced Mate Parlov on December 8, 1979, in Yugoslavia. This was the first world title fight for the cruiserweight division, and it ended in a draw.

In a rematch held in Las Vegas, Camel defeated Parlov in 1980. This made him the first-ever WBC world Cruiserweight champion! He later lost this title to Carlos De León.

In 1983, Marvin Camel became a world champion for the second time. He won the first-ever IBF world title by beating Roddy McDonald. This made him a two-time world cruiserweight champion. He later lost this title to Lee Roy Murphy.

Marvin Camel's professional boxing career ended in June 1990. His last fight was against Eddie “Young Joe Louis” Taylor in Minneapolis. He finished his career with a record of 45 wins, 13 losses, and 5 draws.

Camel traveled a lot during his boxing career. He fought in 13 different states in the U.S. and in seven other countries across three continents.

In 2015, Camel shared his thoughts about his career, saying, “I’ve had a good life, as far as boxing is concerned, winning two world titles, losing world titles, seeing the world. Some things people only dream about having, I did it. I’ve been there. I’ve been to the top of the mountain.”

A book about his life, called 'Warrior in the Ring' by Brian D'Ambrosio, was released in December 2014. The book was nominated for several awards. In December 2014, D'Ambrosio and Camel attended the 52nd Annual World Boxing Convention together.

Honors and Recognition

In 2006, Marvin Camel received a special honor. At the World Boxing Council's 44th yearly meeting, WBC President José Sulaimán gave Camel the status of "honorary champion." This was to recognize his important role in boxing history.

Images for kids

• 

  Brian D'Ambrosio, the author, with Marvin Camel.

See also

• List of cruiserweight boxing champions