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ATLANTIC CITY - Patrick Perez did not want to hurt Hector Camacho.

Neither did Shamone Alvarez.

The two local fighters threw their share of punches during their sparring session with Camacho on Wednesday. But both were clearly holding back against the legendary boxer.

"Hector 'Macho' Camacho is my idol," Perez said. "I wanted to show him the proper respect. He's the reason I started boxing in the first place."

Camacho sparred seven combined rounds at the Atlantic City Police Athletic League in front of a crowd that included New Jersey Athletic Control Board commissioner Aaron Davis and assistant commissioner Sylvester Cuyler.

Davis is trying to decide whether Camacho is capable of giving a competent performance against Yory Boy Campas in their scheduled fight at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort on May 9.

Davis had no problem giving the 36-year-old Campas a thumbs-up after watching him in action in Hackensack earlier in the week. But as of Thursday evening, he had yet to approve Camacho, who will turn 47 on May 24.

"I thought it was important to see them in the gym before I approved the fight," Davis said Wednesday before Camacho climbed into the ring. "I'm looking to see if they get tired in the ring, and I wanted to get a gauge of their skill level.

"I saw Campas spar eight rounds and he looked good."

Davis would not offer an opinion after watching Camacho fight.

Camacho's lack of activity is presumably a bigger cause for concern for Davis than his age. Camacho (79-5-2, 38 KOs) has won 16 of his last 17 bouts, but has fought just once in the last four years. He gained a seventh-round TKO over 41-year-old Perry Ballard, who was 20-1 at the time last July 18 in Houston. His last major victory was 12 years ago, when he scored a fifth-round TKO over Sugar Ray Leonard at Boardwalk Hall on March 1, 1997.

"I didn't spar him like I would spar someone like (Somers Point middleweight prospect) Patrick (Majewski)," said Alvarez, 32, whom Camacho later hired to be his sparring partner this weekend. "I mean, the man's got to eat. It is what it is. I did what I had to do, so he could show his stuff."

Alvarez (20-2, 11 KOs), a hard-hitting southpaw, worked the last three rounds against Camacho. He stuck mainly to jabs and an occasional straight left and had no problem evading Camacho's occasional counters.

Perez (25-5, 14 KOs), who is scheduled to fight on the undercard, repeatedly caught Camacho with his jab and connected with some body shots while Camacho retreated to the ropes.

"I opened up on him a little bit, but he was hard to hit," said the 36-year-old Perez. "He's got a couple of fights left in him. I sparred with Yory Boy about 10 years ago and I think this would be a decent fight. Hector is faster and has a good chin, but Yory Boy hits harder."

The sparring sessions were just part of a lengthy list of requirements that the Control Board instituted for the bout. Both Camacho and the 37-year-old Campas (92-14, 74 KOs) were required to undergo a battery of medical tests. They were also subject to random drug testing for the last two months.

Both fighters have passed the medical tests without problems. If Davis gives the go-ahead after the sparring sessions, the two fighters will be examined one more time by Dr. Dominic Coletta, chief physician for the Control Board, early next week.

"I've been a good boy," Camacho said with a laugh Wednesday evening. "If they let me fight, I'm going to set an example as an old man, just like George Foreman did when he was fighting.

"Look, I know what I am and I know who I am at this point of my life. I want people to know I'm not doing this for the money. I made a lot of money in my career and I squandered a lot, but I'm not doing bad, financially. And I've gained a lot in terms of wisdom and experience.

"I always find a way to surprise people in the ring. The 'Macho Man' always finds a way to be reborn."

Punchlines: Atlantic City junior-welterweight Linwood Hurd (2-1-3, 0 KOs) is scheduled to fight Victor Vasquez (8-3, 5 KOs) tonight at the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. Hurd suffered his first loss in his last outing, dropping a six-round, unanimous decision to Julius Edmonds three months ago at the same arena.

E-mail David Weinberg:

DWeinberg@pressofac.com

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