Alexis Argüello was a Nicaraguan professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 1995, and later became a politician. He was a three-weight world champion, having held the WBA featherweight title from 1974 to 1976; the WBC super featherweight title from 1978 to 1980; and the WBC lightweight title from 1981 to 1982. Additionally, he held the Ring magazine and lineal featherweight titles from 1975 to 1977; the Ring lightweight title from 1981 to 1982; and the lineal lightweight title in 1982. In his later career he challenged twice for light welterweight world titles, both times in famous fights against Aaron Pryor.
Argüello has regularly been cited as one of the greatest boxers of his era, having never lost any of his world titles in the ring, instead relinquishing them each time in pursuit of titles in higher weight classes. After his retirement from boxing, he became active in Nicaraguan politics and in November 2008 was elected mayor of his native Managua, the nation's capital city.
References in Hajime no Ippo[]
- In Round 537, during the Mamoru Takamura vs. David Eagle WBC middleweight title match, after Eagle was blocking with his arms and parrying punches, then blocking with only his shoulders, Genji Kamogawa was reminded of something Argüello used to say, "Observe your opponent in the first round, and understand his speed and timing during the second. Once that study is done, there will be more than enough time for you to defeat him."
- Argüello would also utilise the shoulder block as a tool to study his opponents as well.
- In Round 1333, Ichirō Miyata mentioned how the weight class barrier has been faced by many champions who wanted to conquer multiple weight classes such as Argüello, Wilfredo Gómez, Carlos Zárate Serna, and Rubén Olivares.
Trivia[]
- In the Kamogawa's Diary in the fourth Bunkō, it is stated that Ippo Makunouchi is not good against types like Argüello, whom Ray Mancini, someone who Ippo is modelled from, took his first loss to.