Remembering Latino Boxing Legend Alexis Arguello

Being the father of three, half-Hispanic children, I always stress to my children the importance of knowing their roots and those of the numerous trailblazers of the same ethnicity who helped to pave the way for them in various professions.

Having said that, I must say that it is important to remember - and research - the distinctive careers and achievements of these legendary pioneers, no matter what field they have accomplished their achievements in.

One Hispanic athlete whose accomplishments are definitely worth remembering, is beloved boxing champion, Alexis Arguello.

I know that I still remember many of Arguello's memorable performances as though they had only occured yesterday. However, time does fog the memory many times, which is why I am writing this piece on Arguello inn the first place.

Having said that, here is everything you've ever wnted to know about Arguello, one of the world's greatest fighters - not to mention one of his sport's classiest competitors of all-time.

Argüello was born on April 19, 1952 in Nicaragua and although his career got off to a rocky start when "The Explosive Thin Man" suffered a first round knockout loss early in his career he quickly avenged that loss and compiled an impressive string of wins that led him to a world Featherweight championship challenge against experienced veteran Ernesto Marcel in Marcel's home country of Panama.

Although the young challenger lost a 15-round unanimous decision, Argüello began another streak of wins, and found himself in the ring with another world champion once 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 hooksagainst each other in the 13th round. Olivares's left hand caused a visible pain expression on Argüello's face, but Argüello's left hand caused Olivares to hit the canvas, making Argüello the new Featherweight champion of the world.

After Argüello defended this title a few times, he moved up in weight to challenge world Junior Lightweight champion Alfredo Escalera in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, in what was then nicknamed The Bloody Battle of Bayamon.

Escalera had been a busy champion with ten defenses, and he had dethroned Kuniaki Shibata in two rounds in Tokyo in what some experts 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 off, once again in the thirteenth round.

Argüello's reign at Junior Lightweight saw him fend off the challenges of Escalera in a rematch held at Rimini, Italy, as well as boxers with names like two-time world champion, Bobby Chacon, two-time world champ Rafael 'Bazooka' Limon, Ruben Castillo, and Diego Alcala, whom he beat in only one round.

Arguello suffered numerous cuts on his face during his second victory against Escalera, prompting the on-site doctor to suggest hospitalization, but Arguello had a flight to catch from Rome the next day to return to Nicaragua, and he boarded a train from Rimini. The doctor, undeterred, decided to travel with Arguello, and incredibly, performed plastic surgery on Arguello's cuts with Arguello still awake.

Argüello then moved up in weight again, and this time, went to London, England, to challenge world Lightweight champion Jim Watt. Watt lasted fifteen rounds, but the judges gave Argüello a unanimous 15-round decision, making him only the sixth boxer to win world titles in 3 divisions, and the only 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 go on to be the subject of a made for television movie himself. Mancini and Argüello engaged in a fight that was showcased on a boxing video about some of the best fights of the 1980s, with Argüello prevailing after 14 rounds.

After defeating James 'Bubba' Busceme by a knockout in 6 rounds, Argüello decided it was time to change weight clas again, and on November 12, 1982, before 23,800 fans at Miami's Orange Bowl, he tried to make history by becoming the first ever world champion in four different weight classes, meeting the heavier future Hall-of-Famer, Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor, in what was billed as The Battle of The Champions in Miami, Florida.

A little known fact about this fight is that, with no police personnel near Argüello's dressing room before the fight, a tragedy was just prevented when an armed man approached Argüello's locker, intent on killing Argüello. Argüello was rushed into a shower by his handlers and the man got arrested.

It was an extremely controversial contest, that I remember vividly to this very day, Argüello was left helpless against the ropes in the 14th round, prompting referee Stanley Christodoulou to step in and stop the fight, whihch would casue Argüello to be hospitalized immediately after the fight.

It was discovered months after the fight, and with the help of a video tape, that Pryor's corner had gotten a mysterious bottle into the ring and given it to their fighter after the 12th round, during which Pryor was hurt by Argüello's punches and seemed to be in bad condition. What that bottle contained is anybody's guess, but it became the grounds for the WBA to grant a rematch, which was fought on September 10, 1983.

Argüello and Pryor again fought another famous fight, but Arguello would lose for a second time to the WBA's World Jr. Weltwerweight champion, this time by a knockout in the 10th round. Incredibly, both fighters announced their retirement after the epic rematch.

Argüello later joined the Contras in his native Nicaragua but after a few months in the jungle he retired from the war and attempted several comebacks during the late 1980s and early 1990s but had little success. He finally retired with a record of 80 wins and 8 losses.

When Argüello's possessions in Nicaragua were taken by the Sandinista government in 1980, Argüello moved to Miami, Florida. Because of his public criticism of the Sandinista government, Argüello was admired by many Cuban residents of the area who wree intimidated by Fidel Castro's immense figure. Those very same Cubans saw Argüello as a person who could publicly speak out against Communism for them.

Argüello is now a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame and, simply put, is the greatest Junior Lightweight boxing champion of all time.