Alexis Argüello
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| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Name | Alexis Argüello |
| Nickname | El Flaco Explosivo, The Explosive Thin Man |
| Height | 5'10" |
| Weight divisions | Featherweight, Super Featherweight, Lightweight |
| Nationality |  Nicaraguan |
| Ethnicity | Latino |
| Birth date | April 19, 1952 |
| Birth place | Managua, Nicaragua |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Reach | 72" |
| Trainer | Lupe Sanchez |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 90 |
| Wins | 82 |
| Wins by KO | 65 |
| Losses | 8 |
| Draws | 0 |
Alexis "The Explosive Thin Man" Argüello (born April 19, 1952 in in Managua, Nicaragua), is a former professional Nicaraguan boxer and three time World champion.
Contents |
[edit] Pro career
"The Explosive Thin Man" suffered an unavenged first round TKO loss in his 1968 professional debut, but then won 36 of his next 38 bouts, which then led him to a world Featherweight championship bout against experienced WBA champion Ernesto Marcel of Panama in Panama. The young challenger lost a 15-round unanimous decision in Marcel's retirement bout.
Undaunted, Argüello began another streak of wins, and found himself in the ring with a world champion again, this time challenging Marcel's successor to the throne, Mexican world champion Ruben Olivares in Los Angeles. After Olivares built a small lead on the judges' scorecards, Argüello and Olivares landed simultaneous left hooks in round thirteen. Olivares's left hand caused a visible pain expression on Argüello's face, but Argüello's left hand caused Olivares to crash hard against the canvas. A few seconds later, Argüello was the new Featherweight champion of the world.
Argüello defended this title a few times, then moved up in weight to challenge world Junior Lightweight champion Alfredo Escalera in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, in what has been nicknamed The Bloody Battle of Bayamon by many. Escalera had been a busy champion with ten defenses, and he had dethroned Kuniaki Shibata in 2 rounds in Tokyo. In what some experts (including Ring Magazine writers) consider one of the most brutal fights in history, Escalera had his eye, mouth and nose busted early, but was rallying back in the scorecards when Argüello finished him, once again in the thirteenth round.
His reign at Junior Lightweight saw him fend off the challenges of Escalera in a rematch held at Rimini, Italy, as well as former world champion Bobby Chacon, former world champion Rafael 'Bazooka' Limon, Ruben Castillo, and Diego Alcala, beaten in only one round.
Argüello suffered many cuts around his face during his second victory against Escalera. The on-site doctor wanted him hospitalized, but Argüello had a flight to catch from Rome the next day to return to Nicaragua, and he boarded a train from Rimini. The doctor decided to travel with Argüello, and performed plastic surgery on Argüello's cuts with Argüello awake.
Argüello then moved up in weight again, and this time he had to go to London, England, to challenge world Lightweight champion Jim Watt. Watt lasted fifteen rounds, but the judges gave Argüello a unanimous 15-round decision, thus making him only the sixth boxer to win world titles in 3 divisions, and the second Latin American (after Wilfred Benitez had become the first by beating Maurice Hope one month before) to do it. He had to face some less known challengers in this division, one exception being the famous prospect Ray 'Boom-Boom' Mancini, who would later be the subject of a made for television movie. Mancini and Argüello engaged in a fight that was later showcased in a boxing video of the best fights of the 1980s, with Argüello prevailing by stoppage when he decked Mancini in round 14.
[edit] Battles with Aaron Pryor
After defeating James 'Bubba' Busceme by sixth round stoppage, Argüello decided to move up in weight class time again, and on November 12, 1982, he tried to become the first world champion in 4 different categories, meeting the heavier and future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Pryor, in what was billed as The Battle of the Champions in Miami, Florida. He was stopped in 14. A controversy erupted over a specific water bottle requested by trainer Panama Lewis which Pryor drank from before the start of the fourteenth. Because the newly created Miami Boxing Commission had neglected to perform a post-fight urinalysis, a rematch was ordered. This time, in Las Vegas, Arguello was kayoed in the tenth, and stated after the fight "I'm not going to fight anymore. I quit." But he later returned to the ring for financial reasons.
[edit] Comeback
He attempted several comebacks into boxing during the late 1980s and early 1990s and had some success, most notably a fourth round stoppage of former World Junior Welterweight Champion Billy Costello in a 1986 televised bout that put him in a position for another shot at the Junior Welterweight title. He retired in 1995 with 82 wins, 8 losses, and 65 kayos after a ten round decision loss to Scott Walker.
[edit] Arguello Now Running For Mayor of Managua
Argüello later joined the Contras in his native Nicaragua but after a few months in the jungle he retired from the war.
Alexis Argüello is now involved in Nicaraguan politics, and, in 2004, he was elected Managua Vice-Mayor. He remains very friendly today with his old rival Aaron Pryor, and they still see each other several times a year. On March 6, 2008, Arguello was nominated by the Sandanista Party of Nicaragua to run for Mayor of capital city Managua in upcoming open elections. Arguello will run for the mayoral office in the upcoming November 2008 elections against Eduardo Montealegre, the conservative candidate of the Liberal Alliance Party who lost the election for President of Nicaragua in 2006 to Daniel Ortega.
[edit] Trivia
Argüello is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame.
He is referenced in the Warren Zevon song "Boom Boom Mancini."
| Preceded by Ruben Olivares |
WBA Featherweight boxing champion 23 Nov 1974– 1977 Vacates |
Succeeded by Rafael Ortega |
| Preceded by Alfredo Escalera |
WBC Super Featherweight boxing champion 28 Jan 1978– 1980 Vacates |
Succeeded by Rafael Limon |
| Preceded by Jim Watt |
WBC Lightweight Champion 20 Jun 1981– 1983 Vacates |
Succeeded by Edwin Rosario |
[edit] See also
- List of lightweight boxing champions
- List of male boxers
- List of WBC world champions
- List of boxing triple champions
[edit] External links
- Professional boxing record for Alexis Argüello from Boxrec
- Ian Palmer's TigerBoxing article on Argüello
Aladdin Freeman's BraggingRights Interview With Arguello 2004 http://www.braggingrightscorner.com/freemanarguello.html
Arguello Reference: Running For Mayor in 2008
Latin Legends Profile Arguello Historical Film Clip on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeiZHmRiaUs
Highlights of Alexis Arguello's 1986 Comeback Bout Against Bily Costello on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10WuorTAcK8
