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‘The Crank’ retires from MMA
The Marianas’ pride Frank “The Crank” Camacho is retiring from mixed martial arts competition, according to Trench Tech Gym president Justis “Cuki” Alvarez.
Camacho
“It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform all of you that I have received a message from Frank ‘The Crank’ Camacho via e-mail last night. In it, he shared with me that he plans on announcing his retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts,” he said.
Alvarez said Camacho’s impending retirement is probably caused by his loss to Japan’s Yusuke Kasuya in PXC 47 in Guam last March 13.
“He stated that after his heartbreaking loss to Yusuke Kasuya at last month’s PXC event in Guam, despite mentioning that he definitely wanted to come back stronger than ever, he started expressing doubt about his future as a fighter and has since been battling intermittent bouts of depression at times since his submission defeat.”
Alvarez even quoted Camacho as saying that his passion for MMA has simply been extinguished.
“As much as I feel deep down I am a champion, I feel as if the fire has been either lost its light, or might be snuffed out altogether. And rather than deal with the thought of trying to fight back after this, and just end up on the short end of the stick, I would rather quit while I’m ahead,” Alvarez quoted Camacho.
Alvarez said that although his many fans around the region and around the world will be devastated, Camacho wanted to express his appreciation and love for nearly a decade of support that has seen him grow both physically as a dominant warrior, mentally as a person, and spiritually as a role model for many young people here in the islands.
“He plans on telling those very fans those sentiments, as well as making his decision official this Wednesday,” said Alvarez.
Camacho, who was born in Guam but raised on Saipan, is retiring with a win-loss record of 15-3. He made his debut in Nov. 26, 2005, with a first round submission victory against Bernie Neth in Trench Warz 1: Fight Night. (POISSON D’AVRIL / Correspondent)
Editor’s note: Poisson D’Avril is April Fools in French.
