Alexis Arguello vs Billy Costello fight - 1986

That right hand was thrown so perfect and the one in the Rooney fight as,well. Precise,powerful, and straight.

 

Same with the fight with Andrew Ganigan,Ganigan was punching and pressuring good until Arguello finds a sweet spot to tumble him to he ground.

 

Solid stoppage. Both were coming off pretty recent losses and Arguello, if not shot, was on a vertical path downward. One perfectly timed right hand out of nowhere and she was all over, basically. Arguello has such a beautiful right hand.

 

I remember not feeling that positive about Arguello's performance. I liked Costello, and he'd been a decent champion at 140 for a little bit. Could box a little, but was very wooden and sort of stationary himself. Despite this, he was boxing circles around Arguello until he got caught and I was concerned about how slow and out of synch he looked. It also helped his cause that Costello had a VERY fragile chin, though that right hand would have taken out a lot of guys.

It was a nice scalp to have on one's resume, but at the time I thought it probably represented a high-water mark for Arguello at that stage of his dwindling career.

 

I remember watching this live on CBS. Arguello had fought only once in the over two years after the second Pryor fight. He had to return because of financial problems. I believe the Sandanistas had confiscated his property in Nicarauga and, in addition, he was having IRS problems in Miami. He was returning strictly for the money and at first blush it seemed like he would lose. However, Costello was damaged goods having been destroyed by Lonnie Smith in losing the WBC 140 lb title. Arguello was badly deteriorated but still had the right hand power. With the win, Arguello was back in the top 10 but then weirdly retired after the fight when it was revealed he had a heart problem. Costello retired after this fight, as well. He would return briefly in 1994 to fight Juan Laporte and Arguello would return around the same time, losing a decison to clubfighter Scott Walker.

 

When I think about it, if Arguello didn't quit after this fight I think he could have won a world title again. Rene Arrendondo beat Lonnie Smith who had beaten Costello. Arrendondo had a china chin. Arguello could have knocked him out.

 

There was a pretty good book written from the perspective of Billy Costello years ago. I believe he was in the same camp as Gerry Cooney then. I don't recall the name of it but definitley interesting.

 

The Black Lights

 

Black Lights was a good book.

 

Right

 

One of the greatest boxing books ever written in my opinion and Costello seemed like an honest stand up man.