Alexis Arguello
Alexis Arguello (born April 19, 1952, Managua, Nic.—died July 1, 2009, Managua) was a Nicaraguan professional boxer who was world featherweight, junior lightweight, and lightweight champion between 1974 and 1982.
(Read Gene Tunney’s 1929 Britannica essay on boxing.)
Arguello, who became a professional fighter in 1968, fought only in his homeland until 1974, when he went to Panama to seek the World Boxing Association’s featherweight title. Arguello lost this match in a 15-round decision to Ernesto Marcel. Later that year, however, he claimed the WBA title by virtue of his 13th-round knockout of Ruben Olivares. After four successful title defenses at featherweight, Arguello moved up to junior lightweight and knocked out Alfredo Escalera in the 13th round of their 1978 match to gain the World Boxing Council’s (WBC’s) championship title in that division.
At the peak of Arguello’s boxing career, political issues in Nicaragua came to a head. In 1979 civil war in Nicaragua culminated in the overthrow of the Somoza family, and the Sandinista regime took over the country; Arguello’s property and bank account were seized. One of his brothers was killed fighting the Sandinistas, and Arguello, who was living in the United States, went to Nicaragua and fought briefly on the side of the Contras.
He returned to the United States to continue his boxing career and, after eight junior lightweight title defenses, moved up to the next weight division; by defeating Jim Watt on a 15-round decision in 1981, he became WBC lightweight champion. Following four victories by knockout in 1981 and 1982, matches with his title on the line, Arguello next tried to win the WBA’s version of the junior welterweight title, but he failed, losing championship matches by knockout to Aaron Pryor in 1982 and again in 1983. Arguello retired after the second Pryor fight but came back several times for brief periods, finally quitting boxing for good in 1995. In 90 bouts he compiled a record of 82 victories (64 by knockout) and 8 losses. Arguello was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastoa, N.Y., in 1992.
Arguello retired to Nicaragua but had difficulty in adapting to life outside the ring. After his career ended, he battled both depression and drug addiction before turning to politics and becoming mayor of Managua in 2008.