Desert Horse: A Life of Marvin Camel

 

By Brian D’Ambrosio

One of the most colorful boxers to arrive in the heavier weight classes in recent times, “Indian” Marvin arrived for his fights in full Indian regalia right down to an impressively long headdress. Just as impressive had been his list of victims, which at one point numbered 36 in 40 fights, including 16 KO’s. When he retired in 1990, Camel’s record was 45-13-4.

Camel, 60, has a legacy which includes the distinction of being the first Native American world-boxing champion, the first Montanan to win a world boxing title, and the first cruiserweight champion ever.

Camel Cruises to Championship

Camel took the newly created cruiserweight title on March 31, 1980 from Mate Parlov in 15 rounds, the same night Larry Holmes stopped LeRoy Jones in a heavyweight title defense. The title was a long time coming for Camel who had fought the former Olympic Champion Parlov to a draw in the Yugoslavian’s home country earlier in December. The cruiserweight division was created for fighters considered too heavy to compete in the light-heavyweight division but not big enough to face the 200-pound plus heavyweights.

With a small trickle of blood oozing from the cut above his right eye, newly crowned World Boxing Council cruiserweight champion Marvin Camel perfected a strategy he discovered in his previous fight with Parlov. “When I fought Parlov in Yugoslavia, I went into a crouch in the seventh round and found he couldn’t hit down,” said Camel.

Camel waited until the 11th round to go into the crouch but when he did, he was able to labor Parlov at will and went on to win a unanimous decision, with all three judges putting him ahead by margins ranging from three to nine points.

Robbed in Billings

He lost the IBF title to Detroit’s Lee Roy Murphy October 6, 1984, in Billings. Camel protested the outcome of the fight, which was stopped by referee Dan Jancic before the 15th round. Jancic would not allow Camel to continue because he had cuts over both eyes. But ring doctor H.D. Cabrira said Camel could have fought the last round. Two of the judges had Camel ahead by four points entering the final round while the third official had him up three. A Billings-based group called Concerned Montanans for Marvin Camel initiated a write-in protest.

“Montana finally had a legitimate champion,” says Camel. “And the title was then taken away like a thief in the night.”

Camel is still troubled by controversial decisions that had gone against him and the managers and promoters who, he says, ripped him off, and cynical about those former supporters who jumped off the Marvin Camel bandwagon at the first sign of trouble. Camel had been on a rollercoaster throughout his 25 years in boxing, but in spite of all the regrets, he says, that given the choice, he would do it all again.

 “I still have the brains and can talk to friends. I know of some former boxers who can’t hold a conversation for more than two minutes, who can’t speak at all. As far as the money goes, financially, I’ve got nothing left from boxing. I had two world titles, but not the money to go with it. But I do have my respect and my memories – and those are things I can be proud of.

“I’ve enjoyed my life and seen a lot of the world most people never see. If I had it to do again, I would still be a boxer.”

Brian D’Ambrosio is the author of Desert Horse: A Life of Marvin Camel, Riverbend Publishing, due out 2013.