Alexis Arguello R.I.P. (1952-2009)

IN TRIBUTE: Excerpt from ‘Lords of the Ring’ by Steve Farhood (ROUND1 Winter ’07)

Unlike Ali, Alexis Arguello didn’t challenge our preconceived notions about champions. Instead, he embodied what a champion had always been. What separated Arguello from even his most accomplished colleagues was his class and consistency. The Nicaraguan viewed boxing as his profession and conducted himself like a world-class surgeon. There were smoother fighters and plenty of faster ones, but from late 1974 through 1982, Arguello won championships at three weights and compiled a title fight record of 18-0.

What illustrated Arguello’s character more than anything else was a choice he made in 1982. Having won world titles at featherweight, junior lightweight, and lightweight, Arguello attempted to become the first fighter in history to win championships in four different divisions. Rising yet again in weight, he opted to challenge undefeated superstar Aaron Pryor instead of the weaker titlist. “I wouldn’t have proved much if I had beaten one of the easier champions,” he told me in 1986. Arguello’s back-to-back losses to Pryor were thrilling battles that will live in boxing fans’ minds forever. The lesson he taught us? Being a champion is not only about winning.

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