El Flaco Explosivo – Remembering Alexis Arguello

Growing up as children, one of the hardest things we learn to deal with is reality. It just baffles our little minds when we find out Santa Claus is not real, that Superman is just a cartoon and our favorite athletes put on their pants one leg at a time, just like everyone else.

The only thing that seems unreal when finding these things out is the fact that they are the truth. But, in time we learn to deal with it and though at the moment we feel our world has come to an end, we eventually accept these truths.

As adults, the truth, while we have learned to accept it at times, does not make it any easier. The news that broke on Wednesday, July 1st that Alexis Arguello was dead was one of those times.

As a kid growing up, Alexis, to me, was every hero one could ever imagine all rolled up into one small 135lb package.

Alexis’ televised fights were events in my house. My parents, uncles, aunts and cousins all gathered around the TV to watch our our man Arguello conquer opponent after opponent in a fashion that only he could.

We would scream at every punch landed and celebrate in between rounds, even before the bout was finished, confident that the champion from Managua, Nicaragua would rise up victorious before the night was through.

Bobby Chacon, Ruben Olivares, Rafael Limon, Cornelius Boza Edwards and Ray Mancini all fell into unconsciousness a the hands of our mighty “Thin Man” and the higher his knockout percentage rose, the more we loved him for it.

Even in defeat, Arguello commanded your respect; his losses to Aaron Pryor were two of the biggest displays of heart you will ever witness. We walked away disappointed to see the end of a career, but at the same time, proud that Arguello went out on his shield like a true warrior.

Growing up, I knew Alexis put his pants on one leg at a time, I knew he wasn’t a Superhero without his cape yet when the ring announcer would say his name, even Superman stood in his shadow.

He was Alexis “El Flaco Explosivo” Arguello and that was all the truth I needed to know.