Marvin Camel (born December 24, 1951) is a Native American former professional boxer who competed from 1974 to 1990. He was the first cruiserweight world champion, having held the WBC title in 1980 and the IBF title from 1983 to 1984.[1] He is also the first Native American to become a major world boxing champion.[2]
Camel grew up in a house with a wood stove and no running water. He had 13 siblings, including one half-sibling from a different man. The elder Camel, who worked as a ranch hand 12 hours a day every day, was a strict disciplinarian who would beat Marvin with a belt. Marvin and most of his siblings were bullied on the reservation due to their partial African-American heritage, and they got into a lot of fights growing up; his half-sibling was the only one who wasn't black.[4]
In high school, Camel was a star athlete, having set a school record in track and being all-conference in football and basketball, as well as a stint at baseball. He took up boxing at 15 and became a local AAU and Golden Gloves champion and made the national finals of both a combined 15 times.[4]
Professional boxing career
Marvin Camel fought Bill Sharkey in the first cruiserweight title fight ever when the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) sanctioned a bout for its continental title on June 5, 1979.[5] Camel won the match, which led to the World Boxing Council (WBC) sanctioning a cruiserweight title fight between Marvin Camel and Mate Parlov on December 8, 1979. Camel fought Parlov in Yugoslavia to a draw in the first ever cruiserweight world title bout. In the rematch, in Las Vegas, Camel beat Parlov for the vacant WBC world Cruiserweight title in 1980, losing the title in his first defense, to Carlos De León who replaced David Pearce. After losing in a rematch to De Leon, he became, in 1983, the IBF's first world champion, by beating Roddy McDonald who also replaced David Pearce after the BBBoC would not sanction the Cruiserweight division in the UK and thus becoming world Cruiserweight champion for the second time when he claimed that organization's title. He later lost the title to Lee Roy Murphy.
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 him 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.” [6]
He is the subject of a biography released in December 2014, titled 'Warrior in the Ring' by Brian D'Ambrosio.[7][8] The book was nominated for a High Plains Book Award and several other awards.
In December 2014, D'Ambrosio and Camel attended the 52nd Annual World Boxing Convention.[9]
Brian D'Ambrosio, with Marvin Camel, "Warrior in the Ring"
Honors
In 2006 at the World Boxing Council's 44th annual convention WBC President José Sulaimán awarded Camel honorary champion status.
