I've always actually considered it his No. 1 attribute, a large part going in hand with the blunt force trauma he was able to get out of his punches. Kind of funny to see you heaping so much praise on him; felt just like yesterday I was debating for him against SRL and RJJ with you, although the topic wasn't limited to punching alone but resumes and stuff like that. He certainly wasn't the prime of example of textbook punching, but his instinctiveness, creativity and the fluidity of his combinations are really something to behold. He looks so damn far ahead of his time in terms of how he was able to apply his athletic gifts into his technique. It had to be a pretty hopeless endeavour for a lot of his opponents, and we're just touching on punching ability alone. As a side, he's also got a lengthy and impressive list of victims. That's because you're a cool and very educated cat.
Roinson? With me? 'Cause I have him ahead of both SRL and RJJ in terms of greatness by a comfortable margin. He can be a overrated as a MW at times, but a truly fantastic fighter and my p4p nr 1.
in the lower weight classes, I recall that Arguello blossomed into the SRR of his time. That's how respected he was. Definitely a cut above the Chavez', Camachos & DLH's of the world
Huge compliments especially if coming from rooster. Despite having d better wins, I personally rank him below them because he also had d worse losses, being stopped more than 1ce, and I do not count his "losses" 2 Pryor against him, losing decisions, receiving a gift vs Ramirez whom beat him, and avoiding rematches with both Ramirez and Chacon. That may still b d SRR of his time, but not a cut above Chavez& Camacho. I tend 2 rank Olivares p4p above Arguello as well, he outdid him against 2 of their mutual opponents, and was smaller and older when he gave him a difficult fight. I think that he is somewhere close 2 Hearns p4p (b it either above or below). But 4 sure he must b ranked far above d likes of Ricardo Lopez, Carlos Zarate, RJJ and "even" above Wilfredo Gomez & Ray Leonard (whom merely has a few credible wins 2 his credit b/c I do not count his manufactured wins over drained Lalonde, drained Duran, drained Hearns & Benitez , old and possibly drained Hagler, drained Kalule, even if Kalule was Leonard's most credible win out of this list)
A tall, rangy boxer/PUNCHER. Nice sharp jab whcih he use to set up his power shots, and get his distance. Heavy, heavy hands, left hook or right hand. Had a great combo of right uppecut followed immediately by the overhand right. For a tall fighter he was a brutal body puncher, devastating left hook to the body. Patient when stalking a foe, slow starter. Would take a few rounds to warm up, and put in consistent bodywork to slow down his opponent. You could not stand right in front of Arguello, because you were in trouble if he consistently got his hand on you. Sharp punishing blows alomst ripped of Alfedo Escalera`s upper lip. And a brutal finisher once he had his man in trouble. Tough, supremely conditoned,great chin with a huge fighting heart. His weakness was he was slow of foot, he could be outboxed. Truly a Champ for the ages ... And on another note... he ws without a doubt, one of THE classiest fighters to ever don the gloves. ALL the fighters could take a lesson from the truly dignifed Arguello, on how to be generous in victory. His post fight pep talk with Mancini was epic. ! When you see guys like Rios, Floyd opening their mouth , and you think back to Arguello. No wonder we long for the 70`s and 80`s ...Arguello was class personified ...
You're definitely on target Frank. Those farces with lalonde were just a shame. a pity such talent (so-called fighter of the 80s) was wasted on infeerior opponents when matches with nunn, Jackson, McCallum awaited. Is it any wonder he was thrashed by the more deserving & the much more accomplished Norris? I mean Leonard's opposition was This content is protected asking Leonard to fight live opposition at that time wouldve been like asking him to fight Hagler late 1982. I give Arguello much more credit. Here was a guy who was clearly winding down yet when asked why he didnt opt for the more safer and inferior WBC champ Leroy Haley, Arguello replied that he didnt want to cheapen the accomplishment by fighting a guy he knew wasn't legitimate, which we all wouldve been Leonard's first and only choice (Sugar openly ducked Pryor out of fear at the post Hearns press conference)
Arguello`s performance vs Mancini was professional, complete and clinical. It was Alexis at his best.
That Mancini-Arguello post fight stuff is amazing. Fleaman does a great impression of it, and Arguellos political talk at the end of Latin Legends. 'Just love one another.'
Yeh its really really good. Just goes abit surreal at the end with Arguello doing a political speech and Duran preaching against drugs, was hilarious like.