Alexis Argüello

Alexis Argüello
Statistics
Nickname(s)	El Flaco Explosivo ("Skinny the Explosive") El Caballero del Ring ("The Ring's Gentleman")
Rated at	Featherweight Super featherweight Lightweight Light welterweight
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Reach	72 in (183 cm)
Nationality	Nicaraguan
Born	(1952-04-19)April 19, 1952 Managua, Nicaragua
Died	July 1, 2009(2009-07-01) (aged 57) Managua, Nicaragua
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	96
Wins	88
Wins by KO	70
Losses	8

Alexis Argüello (April 19, 1952 – July 1, 2009), also known by the ring name El Flaco Explosivo (lit. "Skinny the Explosive"), was a Nicaraguan professional boxer and politician. As a boxer he was a three-weight world champion, having held the WBA featherweight title as well as the WBC super featherweight and lightweight titles. He has regularly been cited as one of the greatest fighters of his era, having never lost any of his world titles in the ring, instead relinquishing them each time in pursuit of titles in higher weight classes. After his retirement from boxing, Argüello became active in Nicaraguan politics and in November 2008 he was elected mayor of Managua, the nation's capital city.

Arguello is ranked 20th on The Ring magazine's list of "100 greatest punchers of all time" and was voted by the Associated Press in 1999 as the #1 junior lightweight of the 20th century.^[1]

Boxing 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 Rubén 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 expression of pain 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 successfully defended this title four 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 The Ring writers) consider one of the most brutal fights in history, Escalera had his eye, mouth and nose broken 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 and future world champion Bobby Chacon, future two time world champion Rafael "Bazooka" Limón, Ruben Castillo, future champion Rolando Navarrete, and Diego Alcalá, 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.

After eight successful title defenses, 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 Benítez 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 Mancini (known as "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. This fight was referenced in the Warren Zevon song "Boom Boom Mancini".

Battles with Aaron Pryor

Arguello successfully defended his lightweight title four times. 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. Argüello was stopped in the 14th round. The fight sparked controversy however, because Pryor's trainer, Panama Lewis, introduced a second water bottle which he described as "the bottle I mixed" after round 13, leading to speculation that the bottle was tainted. The Florida State Boxing Commission failed to administer a post-fight urinalysis, adding to speculation that the bottle contained an unsanctioned substance.^[2][3] It was later revealed in an interview with former Lewis-trained boxer Luis Resto that Lewis would break apart antihistamine pills used to treat asthma and pour the medicine into the water, giving Lewis's fighter greater lung capacity in the later rounds of a fight.^[4][5][6] Others say that there was a mixture of cocaine, honey and orange juice in the bottle. ^[7]

A rematch was ordered. This time, in Las Vegas, Arguello was KO-ed 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.

Comeback and post-retirement

During the 1980s Argüello briefly fought with the Contras in his native Nicaragua, but after a few months in the jungle he retired from the war.^[8] He then 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 for good in 1995 with a record of 82 wins, 8 losses, and 65 KO's, along with the recognition of being one of the sports most universally respected fighters among fans, experts, and boxers.

Argüello was elected to the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in 1992. In 2008 he was honored by being selected as Nicaragua's flag-bearer at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.^[9]

Argüello was an avid breeder of cats, and had several articles published in Cat Fancy magazine throughout the 1990s.

He remained very friendly with his old rival Aaron Pryor, and the pair saw each other several times a year until Argüello's death.

Alexis Arguello was voted as the Greatest Junior Lightweight Ever by the Houston Boxing Hall Of Fame in 2014. The HBHOF is a voting body composed entirely of current and former fighters.

Political career

Argüello was actively involved in Nicaraguan politics with the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)--the same party against whom he took up arms in the 1980s—and in 2004 was elected vice-mayor of Managua. Amid accusations of vote-rigging Argüello narrowly won the mayoral election in Managua on November 9, 2008^[10] elections against the candidate of the Constitutionalist Liberal Party, Eduardo Montealegre, who had come second to Daniel Ortega in the 2006 presidential election. Argüello's margin of victory was narrow as he attained just 51.30% of the vote.^[11]

Death

Memorial to Alexis Argüello in Managua

Argüello died around 1 a.m. local time on July 1, 2009, after allegedly shooting himself through the heart in Managua, according to a report from Channel 8 national television. Some reports at the time said there could have been some foul play involved, and he was killed by the highest echelons of the government.

The national police confirmed the death shortly afterwards, and the death was ruled a suicide following the autopsy.^[12][13]

Those close to Argüello affirmed that he was becoming progressively disenchanted with the Orteguistas and the Sandinista government, and was planning an imminent departure from the Sandinista political party.^[14]

Professional boxing record

88 Wins (70 Knockouts), 8 Defeats (4 Knockout), 0 Draws[15]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	88–8	Scott Walker	UD	10	1995-01-21	Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	88–7	Jorge Palomares	MD	10	1994-08-27	Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida
Win	87–7	Billy Costello	TKO	4 (10), 1:42	1986-02-09	Lawlor Events Center, Reno, Nevada
Win	86–7	Pat Jefferson	TKO	5 (10), 2:47	1985-10-25	Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, Alaska
Loss	85–7	Aaron Pryor	KO	10 (15), 1:48	1983-09-09	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	For The Ring & WBA World Light Welterweight titles.
Win	85–6	Claude Noel	TKO	3 (10), 0:37	1983-04-24	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	84–6	Vilomar Fernandez	UD	10	1983-02-26	Freeman Coliseum San Antonio, Texas
Loss	83–6	Aaron Pryor	TKO	14 (15), 1:06	1982-11-12	Orange Bowl Stadium Miami, Florida	For The Ring & WBA World Light Welterweight titles. Proclaimed the "Fight of the Decade" by The Ring Magazine.
Win	83–5	Kevin Rooney	KO	2 (10), 3:07	1982-07-31	Bally's Atlantic City Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	82–5	Andrew Ganigan	KO	5 (15), 3:09	1982-05-22	The Aladdin Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained The Ring & WBC World Lightweight titles.
Win	81–5	James Busceme	TKO	6 (15), 2:35	1982-02-13	Beaumont Civic Center Beaumont, Texas	Retained The Ring & WBC World Lightweight titles.
Win	80–5	Roberto Elizondo	KO	7 (15), 3:07	1981-11-21	Bally's Atlantic City Atlantic City, New Jersey	Retained The Ring & WBC World Lightweight titles.
Win	79–5	Ray Mancini	TKO	14 (15), 1:44	1981-10-03	Showboat Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained The Ring & WBC World Lightweight titles.
Win	78–5	Jim Watt	UD	15	1981-06-20	Empire Pool Wembley, London	Won The Ring & WBC World Lightweight titles.
Win	77–5	Robert Vasquez	TKO	3 (10), 2:55	1981-02-07	Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida
Win	76–5	José Luis Ramírez	SD	10	1980-11-14	Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, Florida
Win	75–5	Cornelius Boza Edwards	TKO	8 (10)	1980-08-09	Superstar Theatre, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	74–5	Rolando Navarrete	TKO	5 (15)	1980-04-27	Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan	Retained WBC World Super Featherweight title.
Win	73–5	Gerald Hayes	UD	10	1980-03-31	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	72–5	Ruben Castillo	TKO	11 (15), 2:03	1980-01-20	Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, Arizona	Retained WBC World Super Featherweight title.
Win	71–5	Bobby Chacon	TKO	7 (15)	1979-11-16	Inglewood Forum, Inglewood, California	Retained WBC World Super Featherweight title.
Win	70–5	Rafael Limón	TKO	11 (15), 1:40	1979-07-08	Felt Forum, New York City, New York	Retained WBC World Super Featherweight title.
Win	69–5	Alfredo Escalera	KO	13 (15), 1:24	1979-02-04	Sports Palace, Rimini, Emilia Romagna	Retained WBC World Super Featherweight title.
Win	68–5	Arturo Leon	UD	15	1978-11-10	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC World Super Featherweight title.
Loss	67–5	Vilomar Fernandez	MD	10	1978-07-26	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Win	67–4	Diego Alcala	KO	1 (15), 1:56	1978-06-03	Roberto Clemente Coliseum, Hato Rey	Retained WBC World Super Featherweight title.
Win	66–4	Rey Tam	TKO	5 (15), 1:54	1978-04-29	Inglewood Forum, Inglewood, California	Retained WBC World Super Featherweight title.
Win	65–4	Mario Mendez	TKO	3 (10)	1978-03-25	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	64–4	Alfredo Escalera	TKO	13 (15), 2:56	1978-01-28	Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, San Juan	Won WBC World Super Featherweight title.
Win	63–4	Enrique Solis	KO	5	1977-12-18	Managua
Win	62–4	Jerome Artis	TKO	2 (10)	1977-09-29	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Win	61–4	Benjamin Ortiz	UD	10	1977-08-27	Roberto Clemente Coliseum, Hato Rey
Win	60–4	José Fernández	TKO	1 (10), 2:06	1977-08-03	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Win	59–4	Ezequiel Cocoa Sanchez	TKO	4 (10)	1977-06-22	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Win	58–4	Alberto Herrera	KO	1 (10)	1977-05-14	Managua
Win	57–4	Godfrey Stevens	KO	2 (10)	1977-02-19	Managua
Win	56–4	Salvador Torres	KO	3 (15), 1:25	1976-06-19	Inglewood Forum, Inglewood, California	Retained The Ring & WBA World Featherweight titles.
Win	55–4	Modesto Concepcion	KO	2 (10)	1976-04-10	Managua
Win	54–4	José Torres	SD	10	1976-02-01	Mexicali, Baja California
Win	53–4	Saul Montana	KO	3	1975-12-20	Managua
Win	52–4	Royal Kobayashi	KO	5 (15), 2:47	1975-10-12	Kokugikan, Tokyo	Retained The Ring & WBA World Featherweight titles.
Win	51–4	Rosalio Muro	KO	2 (10), 2:54	1975-07-18	Cow Palace, Daly City, California
Win	50–4	Rigoberto Riasco	TKO	2 (15), 2:00	1975-05-31	Estadio Flor de Cana, Granada	Retained WBA & Won vacant The Ring World Featherweight titles.
Win	49–4	Leonel Hernández	TKO	8 (15)	1975-03-15	Poliedro de Caracas, Caracas	Retained WBA World Featherweight title.
Win	48–4	Oscar Aparicio	UD	10	1975-02-08	Nuevo Poliedro, San Salvador
Win	47–4	Rubén Olivares	KO	13 (15), 1:20	1974-11-23	Inglewood Forum, Inglewood, California	Won WBA World Featherweight title.
Win	46–4	Otoniel Martinez	KO	1	1974-09-21	Estadio Roberto Clemente, Masaya
Win	45–4	Oscar Aparicio	UD	12	1974-08-24	Estadio Roberto Clemente, Masaya
Win	44–4	Art Hafey	UD	12	1974-05-18	Estadio Roberto Clemente, Masaya
Win	43–4	Enrique Garcia	KO	3	1974-04-27	Arena Kennedy, Managua
Loss	42–4	Ernesto Marcel	UD	15	1974-02-16	Gimnasio Nuevo Panama,, Panama City	For WBA World Featherweight title.
Win	42–3	Raul Martinez Mora	KO	1	1974-01-12	Estadio Roberto Clemente, Masaya
Win	41–3	José Legrá	KO	1 (10)	1973-11-24	Estadio Roberto Clemente, Masaya

See also

• List of lightweight boxing champions
• List of WBC world champions
• List of boxing triple champions

References

External links

• Professional boxing record for Alexis Argüello from BoxRec
• BoxingInsider.com Biofile interview with Alexis Arguello
• Aladdin Freeman's BraggingRights Interview With Arguello 2004
• On June 26, 2009 in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Argúello placed flowers at a monument for Roberto Clemente to honor the late baseball great. Video on YouTube
• La Prensa - police statement
• https://web.archive.org/web/20090903082047/http://lisa-olson.fanhouse.com/2009/08/31/son-in-fight-of-alexis-arguellos-life
• http://nicaraguadispatch.com/2013/07/4-years-on-still-no-answers-about-death-of-alexis-arguello/

Obituaries

• Daily Telegraph