Alexis Arguello, R.I.P.
posted by Large
Gentleman – here’s my Alexis Arguello piece from over at The Sporting Blog. A more beautiful fighter, a sweeter scientist, there never has been. It’s a sad day in Boxiana. Needless to say, Arguello is a no-doubt, hands-down, first-ballot No Mas Hall-of-Famer. I invite you to share your memories of him here – I’m sure the Masian faithful have many great Arguello memories. Mine are primarily of the two Pryor fights and the Mancini fight, where I admit I was rooting against him, and yet came to be awestruck by his greatness by the end of the evening (like so many, I rooted for him against Pryor – I couldn’t win with this guy). Anyway, for the second time today I write – may he rest in peace. He was something else.
Alexis Arguello, 1952-2009
“What most Americans will remember of Arguello is the beautiful and courageous boxer, the man who won titles in three weight divisions and fought some of the most memorable battles of his era, with defining victories over some of the great names of the 70′s and 80′s, like Olivares, Alfredo Escalera, Rafael Limon, Bobby Chacon and Boom Boom Mancini. Boxing experts generally rank Arguello as the greatest 130-pounder who ever lived, and among the greats at 135.”
July 1st, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Large my worst memories of Arguello is the second fight with Pryor and of course the Scott “The Pink Cat” Walker defeat which I have neither time or heart to get into on this sad day. The best memories were his fights with Alfredo Escalera and the way Alexis Arguelo conducted himself.
The Escalera fights were bloody and brutal. I remember Alfredo Escalera use to come into the ring with a boa constrictor. He was a Puerto Rican bad-ass. He was bad mouthing Alexis. They went to war. I also remember that the week earlier on CBS, Duran fought DeJesus on CBS in their third fight, then the next week Arguello-Escalera ( I know you’ve heard it before youngsters and are sick of it, but those were very good days to be a boxing fan). They fought that first fight in Puerto Rico and the fans there were still upset about one of their hero’s, DeJesus, going down to Duran. They badly wanted Escalera to win. Escalera was cut badly in the fight and bleed most of the fight. I remember blood being in his mouth and all over his face most of the fight.It was ugly. I also remember the announcer saying that if the fight wasn’t in Puerto Rico they would have stopped it. Mercante was the referee and he kept bringing Escalera over to have the ring doctor to look at him. It was weird how many times he did it. It was like he wanted the fight to be stopped because of the blood but didn’t want to be the one to do it in front of Escalera’s fans. Or couldn’t, I don’t recall if the referee had the right to stop it or if it was up to the ring doctor. They finally did in the 13 or 14th round. Duran was my guy and Alexis talked afterward about a lightweight fight with Roberto. Duran, however, was off to take on bigger fish (Leonard,Hearns,Hagler) after the DeJesus fight so it never happened. That might have been a good one.
The second Escalera fight was just as brutal. Alexis won late in that one also and was just as classy after the fight. He never said a mean or cruel thing about Escalera. He was a true great.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I remember Arguello well. I think the first fight of his that I saw live was his rematch with Alfredo Escalera (“the Snake Man” who always brought those big hideous snakes into the ring with him) on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Arguello had won the 130 lb. title from Escalera and he pretty much controlled him all the way and stopped him late.
I remember AA most for being a dominant lightweight. The shot he knocked WBC champ Jim Watt down with was a thing of beauty. He was just showing him the left hook to set up the right hand but the hook landed so flush that Watt went down before the right hand got there. Watt held his hands high and I remember Arguello cleverly throwing a left and cuffing the hands down and popping a quick right over top. Really smart fighter, really beautiful to watch – smooth as a mutha and deadly as all get out.
He beat Andy Ganigan right after Ganigan had ruined Sean O’Grady. Funny story. O’Grady won the WBA title from Hilmer Kenty in a memorable slugfest (this after getting robbed in the UK against Watt for the WBC belt, Watt clearly intentionally butted him to win on cuts) but Sean then relinquished the WBA title because he didn’t want to face the mandatory – Claude Noel, who no one gave a shit about. So O’Grady and his Dad form a new world organization, the WAA. Sean is going to be the flag holder and they decide to make a first defense against tough Hawaiian Ganigan. Of course, Ganigan then proceeds to drill O’Grady out in two rounds and end his dreams of superstardom (and also the fledgling WAA). Arguello then fought Ganigan shortly after, survived an early knockdown to stop him in 5 and essentially unify the lightweight titles (I’ll forgive Arguello for not fighting Claude Noel).
I thought he’d be too much for Pryor when he moved up in weight, mostly due to Pryor’s proclivity to get hit flush with punches. I didn’t think he’d survive getting hit flush by Arguello. I was wrong. One of my great memories of that first fight was that I was so excited before the first bell that my legs started shaking. Never happened before and it’s never happened since. I knew it would be amazing and it’s a wonder that the torrid first round didn’t give me a coronary. I think both guys threw over one hundred punches – mostly power shots. Amazing round – amazing fight.
I actually thought the 2nd Pryor-Arguello fight was better action-wise. Pryor slugged more and it was a pier six brawl. I also thought Arguello did a lot better in the rematch. The problem was that everytime he was about to seize control, Pryor would land a bomb and hurt him or drop him. Pryor was an amazing fighter. It’s hard not to think of Pryor when you think of Arguello. I’ll never forget both guys crying in the ring after their rematch – Arguello crying because he didn’t have it anymore and Pryor crying because he hated to see Arguello so broken up. They were good friends – like Gatti and Ward (but much better fighters) – after that. Two of the best of the 80′s – it’s profoundly sad to see one of them go so soon.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Geez…I remember watching AA with my old man. I remember my father saying, look how he digs that hook down low and comes back up top with the same shot. It was AA way of breaking a man down. Yet, that right he had for a lanky man reminds me much of The Motor City King Cobra…yes, Tommy Herns.
I guess the sad thing for many reasons. One, all the refs back then were as big as the fights. Two, we will never see great fights like that on regular T.V. anymore. I would love to see one fighter buck the system and say, I want to fight on CBS or something. Three, I miss watching those fights with my old man and him walking me through the fights and the strategy they were using…Pure Gold.
In closing, a very fucken sad day for me. I informed my Dad of his passing and there was silence on the other end. Nuff said.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:35 pm
My big memory of Arguello was watching Arguello/Pryor II, I was 10 years old. It was a fight I remember because when my mother came in and saw what I was watching, it started a big arguement in the house. My dad backed me and let me watch the brutal fight, much to my mother’s chagrin. My dad had told me about the “mixed bottle” of the 1st fight and I spent my youth feeling sorry for Arguello, believing that Pryor cheated to beat him. Needless to say, I was disappointed he lost the 2nd fight.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Great article Large. I really enjoyed it. I am simply going to re-post my comments that I put up under the last post in case they were missed (not that I said anything significant, just because the article I linked to is amazing). I would also like to add that his nickname “El Flaco Explosivo” (The Explosive Thin Man) is fucking incredible. Lastly, if anyone has ESPN insider, Dan Rafael has a nice blog post up about Arguello:
Wow, sad news. I am only 27 and wasn’ around for Arguello’s great career, but I have read a lot about him and understand his significance to the sport. I actually just last week read Gary Smith’s incredible story about him from 1985 called “Adrift on a Sea of Choicesâ€. After reading it, I am not surprised to hear that his death may be a suicide, as he clearly had demons chasing him his whole life.
Here is the link to the story:
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1120040/index.htm
July 1st, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Kurt I almost forgot about Andy Ganigan. Alexis also blew out Kevin Rooney with that wicked straight right hand. That I remember. Both those fights were on CBS. Great days. Tim Ryan, Gil Clancey on CBS. Howard Cosell on ABC, Marv Albert and Fredie Pacheco on NBC…all the time. Man. I still can’t get over the memory of that first Argeullo-Escalera fight. I don’t have that one in my collection. A boxing buddy I just talked to reminded me that Cosell did the call on ABC of that fight. I don’t know why I didn’t remember that. Cosell always stood out. Not bad. One weekend Duran-DeJesus 3 on a Saturday afternoon on CBS then next week Alexis Arguello-Escalera on ABC. The other thing I remember about those days was cable hadn’t really took off yet and there were no personal computers so everyone watched the fights or whatever else was on network tv. We’d be at high school house parties and all the guys would be around the keg (Oly kegs!!) drinking talking about Arguello, Duran, DeJesus or whoever was fight earlier that day on tv. Fun times man.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Brad – remember James “Bubba” Busceme from Texas. He was a lefty cutie who had been on the 1972 US Olympic team. Some rich Texan got behind his career and got him a shot at Arguello. I remember Busceme giving Arguello problems until AA caught him and Busceme’s hands going down and the ref jumping in. Busceme lost a close one to Livingstone Bramble after that and then disappeared. Can’t say as I know of a better Bubba who boxed.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Can’t say much about Arguello, was long before my time as a boxing fan. I’ve seen the Pryor fight on the net, not much more. RIP.
@Brad:
This link should be a download of Arguello-Escalara 1, haven’t testet it yet:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZM1P5610
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:53 am
Large, the anchor on ESPNEWS reporting on Arguello death’s ripped his opening lines on the story straight from the first sentence of the piece you did over at the Sporting Blog and didn’t attribute you at all. I was like, “I know they didn’t get that from Large’s piece and just roll with it” but they damn sure did.
July 2nd, 2009 at 4:33 am
LOL…Kurt you’re really pulling some names out that I haven’t thought about in 20 plus years. First Andy Ganigan now James “Bubba” Busceme!!! From Beaumont, Texas! They fought in Beaumont. Yeah, I remember him. In all the boxing conversations I’ve had since the early 80′s, and there has been hundreds, that’s the first time James “Bubba” Busceme name came up. Awesome.
July 2nd, 2009 at 4:55 am
Thanks Trickster. I’ll check out the link. It’s a fight I watched in January of 1978 and haven’t seen since. I only hope it’s half as good as I remember it.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:24 am
The best name dropped so far in this thread has been Livingston Bramble…I loved the hair and the trunks that guy use to wear.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:41 am
You mean Ras-I-Bramble?….yeah, he actually reached a pretty high level. I totally remember old Livingstone. He beat Mancini a couple of times and got crushed by Edwin Rosario but Livingstone was big time. Ganigan and Busceme were guys that never quite made it, but the network were pushing them real hard, hoping they would be stars. The networks held real power in those days and could make you a star cause everyone watched. Sugar Ray Leonard’s first fight was on national tv. The powers that be decided he had star quality and pushed him in front of us. In Leonard’s case they were correct, he had the “right stuff”. In Ganigan and Busceme’s they were not. Kind of like Victor Ortiz, only on network tv.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:15 am
I know a few of the young guys might feel left out of this conversation but they shouldn’t. One, you can see tape and one day you will be able to bring up AA.
But don’t fret, you have had your AA v. Pryor fight. It came in the form of Corrales v. Castillo. So as you can see…those fights come around once every 10 to 20 years. But back in the day these brawls happened a lot and for free on National TV. Plus, there was the whole 15 round thing going back then. Sorry to sound so old…LOL! But as I was saying, those goose bumps you had when you watched Corrales v. Castillo…well that is what many of us here felt when we seen AA v. Pryor.
RIP Chico and AA
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Joaquin – no worries. I love to hear the memories of older fans. that’s how we keep alive the memories of all times greats like the wonderful Arguello. It’s also how we find out about an era when you gave your opponents respect and dignity, and honoured them before and after the fight.
July 25th, 2009 at 9:26 am
his boxing ability was overshadowed by his humanity, this man cared , he was so contrary to his sport.a viscious two fisted killer with a conscience. ive seldom seen a more compassionate assasin.his ability to generate power from a rail thin body was truly remarkable.mike tyson once said alexis seemed to want to kill a man then almost regret it ,as his opponent lie unconscious from the onslaught…k.s.