Alexis Argüello v Julio César Chávez @ 135lbs

In order to beat Chavez in his prime, you had to fight a perfect fight. Speed and movement would have to be part of the plan and Arguello did not have that.
Remember Arguello struggled with Mancini and Ramirez, and neither of them were Chavez.
I see Alexis taking a beating the more the fight goes on. I don't see Julio having a problem getting inside on him, and even if Alexis gets the punching room, he's not going to hurt him.

Chavez by stoppage.

 

Arguello on points

 

Looking at some of these comments I can't help but think some members are forgetting what a wicked body puncher Arguello was and even with his long frame how comfortable he was on the inside. I also don't understand comparing Chaves to Joe Louis ahead of Arguello. Just my take

 

I struggle to see anyone at 135 beating the version of Chavez who surgically dismantled and violently battered Rosario. He fought like a man possessed that night, certainly one of the most superlative displays of boxing in history in my humble opinion. If Rosario couldn't dent Chavez then I'd have a hard time seeing Arguello doing so, especially when Chavez would be on his chest all night pummelling his ribs and ripping hooks and uppercuts to head and body with the shorter arms and the denser frame.

 

It's an interesting one. Both have various performances that we could dissect to find flaws, as well as some scary ones. I probably favour JCC more often than now because of his better defence, he's quicker (though not by a big amount) and he's versatile and tough enough to weather bad periods. Arguello was also losing a step in speed of hand, foot, and reflex.

I don't know how much the Rosario fight would factor in beyond showcasing Chavez's durability, as Rosario by that point had long abandoned the more versatile, sophisticated boxer-puncher style he briefly showed early in his career in favour of 90% of the time being a pretty one-dimensional stalking wrecking ball. He was not much of an infighter, or too durable a fighter (even true featherfist Howard Davis had his legs turning to jelly!), and often struggled to recover after getting hurt. A glass cannon really, unlike the dangerous at all ranges sturdy, stoic rock that was Arguello.

Both struggled with the steady ruggedness of JLR...Arguello obviously more so, but I thought Chavez' performance against a fading version was uninspiring. Then there's the Laporte and Lockridge fights, two of the sturdiest, most talented fighters Chavez fought, who were both capable of making him look far less of an implacable machine and forced him to display other skills to win...those were at 130, but they're worth considering here. Arguello may very well be tough enough, strong enough, and a deadly enough offensive fighter to stop Chavez in his tracks and make things more of a fencing/turning and probing game.

Arguello got hit a lot in most of his fights against better opponents; Chavez had better slip and counter abilities and didn't become slower/more hittable until 140.

Both great chins. Arguello clearly the more powerful puncher to head and body by a good distance. The amount of frontrunning that Chavez showed later in his career when the punches were starting to land regularly on him does give me some pause when I consider him against other true greats that can really put it on him. What happens when he's having to take brutal bodyshots regularly to get inside, and stay constantly focused against the brick-handed sharpshooting of Arguello if he doesn't manage to be the one controlling distance...does he really quite have the will to go through hell that Pryor or an Armstrong had? I personally don't discount it being him that is the one that starts flagging and fading from the body beating as the fight gets into the later rounds, or that gets badly hurt and dropped. Arguello is the stronger of the two mentally, imo.

I think Chavez can probably outfinesse and speed arguello in a mid-range boxer-puncher sort of fight, for a competitive 9-6/10-5'ish kind of fight if he keeps things methodical and fairly cautious...trying to steamroll or continually walk in on Alexis is flirting with disaster and brutality. I don't think he succeeds at that over fifteen. He finds his durability limit here after both mangle each others bodies as Arguello retains his deadly power late.

 

My thoughts exactly.
If any fighter in history was a carbon copy of Joe Louis, it's Alexis Arguello...

 

Chavez close UD.

 

For me it's Arguello at super featherweight or lightweight.
( At Jr. Welterweight, Chavez)
For me , Arguello at the lighter weights would be one of the very few fighters in history that could make Chavez Sr. Change his attack mode.
What Chavez Sr. Did so well, make a boxing ring into a phone booth, Arguello was equally proficient.
Plus he carried pure dynamite in both hands. Arguello had an excellent jab, height and reach advantages, and wouldn't need to chase Chavez.
After a rough fight early on , I see Chavez slowing his attack, becoming more defensive minded.
Arguello's height and reach would become an advantage as the fight became long distance.
Arguello eventually winning a hard fought dec.

 

I’d personally say if Louis was an archetype Alexis is closer but they’re both in that “class” if that makes sense? Both were masters of there respective styles, Arguello like Louis had the book down on everything.

 

@greynotsoold this is obviously one of your dream fights what say you?

 

100% my pal

 

It’s an insane fight. I actually would make it at 130. Both were prime. Alexis was a bit past it at 135 . Alexis was a harder hitter, both were monsters to the body. Maybe Chavez a bit quicker. I really don’t know.

 

Louis' lethal handspeed is what separates him from Arguello, though it should be noted, Arguello's handspeed is underrated i would say. Not on par with Louis though.

 

but Would you say that Arguello had more power in both gloves on a p4p basis , ,just a bit more than Louis did ?? if so, it would even out

 

No, Joe Louis is considered the greatest puncher in boxing history for a reason.