An audit of the heartbreaking life of Alexis Arguello
You made boxing gleam,
you make it shine.
You made it safe;
you make it divine,
you made it perfect,
you make it pure,
all of the time.
A great boxer and an amazing legend, Alexis Arguello was a Nicaraguan professional boxer and politician. In his boxing career, he was a three-time world champion. He was at 20th position on Ring magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.
He was nicknamed as, El Flaco Explosivo (The Explosive Thin Man) and El Caballero del Ring, (The Ring's Gentleman.)
No one can ignore the fact that what a fighter he was and beside all that he was a great person. Two of his fights with Aaron Pryor were memorable in the eighties. The intensity in both fights was unbelievable and the bouts were very exciting.
He was a pure and a perfect person not only in the boxing ring but otherwise as well. He was an intelligent and articulate man with a European style of boxing. He was known for his upright stance, high defence, and steady jab.
Among all his fights, the most thrilling one and the most memorable one was his fight against Aaron Pryor in 1982. His opponent, Aaron was World Boxing Association (WBA) junior-welterweight champion. The fight was a mega event and it was the biggest in the
history of the junior-welterweight division at that time.
The time came and both of the great fighters of that time were in the boxing ring with full spirit. In the initial stage, Pryor dominated the fight but later on Arguello made a great come back. In the thirteenth round of the game, Arguello provided Pryor
with the powerful punch of the fight. The punch was boomed straight right that rocked Pryor´s head so far back, but even then, Pryor proved to be great competitor as he still stayed on his feet.
Pryor´s trainer was smart enough, before the fourteenth round, Panama Lewis, did something that went down in the annals of the great ring controversies and rejected the bottle of water he had been using in his fight. Second bottle of water was ordered for
him. The bottle of water was brought to Pryor and a miracle happened. He accelerated himself after the drink beyond the expectations. He ordered his second for another by saying, “give me the other one! The one I made up!”
The bottle changed the whole scenario of the game and one minute later, he provided Arguello with an unanswered volley of 24 powerful punches. He stamped all the 24 punches on the head of Arguello. From here onwards, the great “black bottle” theory took
place.
That bottle of Pryor was none other than a “magic bottle” as two dozens of powerful punches were beyond the fans, referee, Arguello’s trainer, and Arguello’s imagination. The referee finally stopped the contest from continuing on.
The fantastic Arguello had finished on his feet, but now slumped to the floor. If ever a man had given his very last ounce for the cause, it was Alexis Arguello that night. That loss was unbearable for him and he never really got over that loss, both as
a boxer and even as a man.
The rematch of the fight was conducted one year later. It was another huge event and a very packed one. Arguello entered the ring with a hope to take the revenge of the previous unfair fight but again it seemed that luck was not favouring him as Pryor defeated
him for the second time in the tenth round. A spark of hope for Arguello to prove himself to the world ended.
From that defeat onwards, he turned his back on boxing; he had compiled an 82-8 record with 65 kilos. After retirement, he had been a part of the news world primarily for being involved in booze, cocaine, and women. There have been many stories in the air
after his retirement. He was the one who was tired of himself as he told a reporter that he had contemplated suicide. Indeed, in the same interview he described how his father had been an alcoholic who had attempted suicide.
Amazingly, he turned his life around. He regained his self-respect, and then the respect of others as it is well sad that “respect begets respect” and as a result, he was been elected as a Major of his nation’s capitol, Managua.
After being through the ups and down of boxing career, the great boxer Alexis Argüello died on July 1, 2009.
You are in our prayers, may God grant you peace, as you did not have it in your lifetime.
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