Erie boxing promoter Mike Acri, whose clients included Roberto Duran and Hector “Macho” Camacho, died Sunday in Erie at age 63 following a 2½-year bout with pancreatic cancer.
Acri, a top national promoter, also worked with boxer Paul “The Pittsburgh Kid” Spadafora.
Acri was well known for arranging popular boxing cards that used to be a Thanksgiving eve staple at the Avalon Hotel in downtown Erie during the 1990s and 2000s.
The Erie native in 2018 was inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame in Philadelphia.
Acri’s death occurred just over a month after a documentary he co-produced on Camacho’s life debuted on Showtime. Acri served as an executive producer with the project.
The documentary, titled “Macho: The Hector Camacho Story,” also included brief segments of an interview with Acri. He promoted Camacho’s fights from 1994-2000, which included Camacho’s technical knockout of Rusty Derouen at the then-Erie Civic Center on Nov. 15, 1994.
In October 2013, Acri visited New York City to attend the premiere of the documentary, “No Mas,” which was broadcast on ESPN.
Acri served as a consultant on the documentary, which chronicled the three fights between Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard. Acri spent 10 years as Duran’s promoter.
Burton Quinn-Scott Cremation & Funeral Services in Erie is handling Acri’s funeral arrangements. There are no public calling hours scheduled, according to a Burton official.
