Alexis Arguello vs Kevin Rooney

Huge mismatch lol, literally nothing Rooney could’ve done to win

 

Yep. Rooney brought a lollipop to a gun fight here.

 

Argeuello must be the nicest killer that ever laced them up.

 

Might be the best. He could knock you out with one shot from either hand, to the body or to the head. In the first round or the 15th, no matter the score card.

 

Total class act.

As great a sportsman and gent as he was a fighter ie one of the very best. Sadly missed to this day.

 

If you watch the fight it’s had to overstate how brutal the body punching clinic was prior to the KO.

 

That was a beautiful round of boxing and technique. Arguello was throwing effortless, hard punches in combination and mixing them up and down. He only really turned on two punches in the round.

Early in the second round Arguello was having success with the left uppercut, right hand combination. It looks like he thought that he would knock Rooney out with that. But when he really fired the right behind the uppercut, Rooney blocked it. And he didn't use that combination again.

What he did was move his left foot closer to Rooney's left foot, to give himself an angle to slip outside Rooney's jab, then come back with a right hand. He got the line he wanted pretty quickly after that and really turned on the punch that ended the fight. And the turn, the extra violence, was all in his hips, he didn't telegraph it at all.

 

We also have to remember that Rooney was hopelessly outgunned in there. On top of this Kevin had never fought as low as 140 in the pro's.

Arguello certainly got the job done tho.

 

One of my favorite fighters back then. True definition of a "Champion" - RIP Alexis

 

Additionally, what made him so effective was how he'd mix his punches up not just in form but in substance too, laying off on some, throwing a few as rangefinders, using some to establish distance, and then BOOM! When he decided to put a little hair on one, few could bring it like him.

 

My favorite fighter.
I love his change in gears here. He parries effortsly mixes in some softer stuff then lays the hammer down. Amazing fighter.

 

Amazing Arguello lost I think twice in his first 10 fights and then went on to a hall of fame career! I really need to watch more of his fights. I’ve only watched a handful and remember his last fight on ESPN. He also was a villain on Miami Vice. He really blasted Rooney out of there.

 

Watch the Mancini fight and how he gradually dissects the younger, fresher opponent. Boxing science at its best.

 

Arguello was an artist. Simply a joy to watch. Few, if any, threw better looking punches than him.