Alexis
Arguello (1952 – 2009) was a Nicaraguan professional boxer who held
several world championship titles. He became mayor of Managua in 2008.
Alexis
Arguello was born on April 19, 1952 in Managua, Nicaragua. He became
a professional fighter in 1968, and claimed the WBA featherweight
title after a 13th round knockout of Ruben Olivares. When the Sandinistas
took over Nicaragua, Arguello fought for the Contras. He was inducted
into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992 and became mayor
of Managua in 2008. He died in 2009.
May 5, 2010
Managua, Nicaragua
- - Alexis Arguello, who fought in one of boxing’s most classic brawls
and reigned supreme at 130 pounds, was found dead at his home early
Wednesday.
Coroners were conducting an autopsy to determine
the cause of death. Saninista Party’s Radio Ya and other local media
were reporting it appeared to be a suicide.
The La Presna newspaper
reported that Arguello, elected mayor of Nicaragua’s capital last
year, was found with a gunshot wound to the chest.
The 57 year
old Arguello retired in 1995 with a record of 82-8 and 65 knockouts
and was a champion in three weight divisions. He was perhaps best
known for two thrilling battles with Aaron Pryor and fights with Ray
Mancini, Bobby Chacon and Ruben Olivares.
“I’m kind of in a daze
right now,” Pryor told The Associated Press. “Those were great fights
we had. This was a great champion.”
Nicknamed “The Explosive
Thin Man,” Arguello was inducted in 1992 into the International Boxing
Hall of Fame, where flags were flying at half staff in his honor Wednesday.
Hundreds of people lined up to say goodbye to Arguello Wednesday
night at a memorial service at the Palace of Culture in the capital
of Nicaragua.
Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega canceled a trip
to Panama for the inauguration of President elect Ricardo Martinelli
and attended the service. Ortega described Arguello as “an extraordingary
human being full of truth.”
In 1999, a panel of experts assembled
by the AP voted Arguello the best junior lightweight and sixth best
lightweight of the 20th century. Arguello never lost a fight at 130
pounds.
His popularity in his own country was so great that
he carried the flag for Nicaragua at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and
led to his decision to seek public office.
“Not only was he
one of the greatest fighters I’ve ever seen, he was the most intelligent
fighter,” Bob Arum, who promoted some of his biggest fights, told
the AP. “He was a ring tactician. Every move was thought out. And
he was a wonderful, wonderful person.”
Battles with Aaron
Pryor
Arguello successfully defended his lightweight title four times.
After defeating James 'Bubba' Busceme by sixth round stoppage, Arguello
decided to move up in weight class 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 AAaron Pryor, in what
was billed as The Battle of the Champions in Miami, Florida. Arguello
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 the bottle contained an unsanctioned substance. Lewis
claimed at various times that the bottle was filled with peppermint
schnapps or Perrier to help Pryor deal with an upset stomach. 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. Others say that
there was a mixture of cocaine, honey and orange juice in the bottle.