Alexis Argüello Found Dead | Suicide Suspected

The heart of a champion

Sadly, recent weeks have brought what seems like a flood of celebrity deaths to the public eye. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays – and the list goes on. Understand that death comes to the human race every day of the year; it just seems like more is occurring of late because these deaths make the headlines rather than just the obituaries. I don’t think it’s a matter of fairness. No, it is simply the way the public interest works. People die, and those who remain take pay day loans for quick cash to fund the funerals and memorials.

Some people in life are fighters. In the case of Nicaraguan Alexis Argüello, this was literally true. Born in 1952, this Hall of Fame boxer became the sixth man to hold the title belt in three separate weight classes – featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight. He was known at “The Explosive Thin Man.” Now Alexis Argüello, former mayor of Managua, Nicaragua, is dead. He was 57 years old.

Shot to the heart

Filadelfo Aleman reports for the Associated Press at http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jB3fyKo1sweIvu7NmkBbaUm_PDjwD995N0D80 that the three-time world boxing champion was discovered dead in his Nicaragua home. The news was initially reported by his Sandinista Party’s Radio Ya. Interestingly, Argüello took issue with the Sandinistas during the 1980s after the party had gobbled up his property and bank accounts. Perhaps the best way to beat them is truly to join them. Sure, the opposing party made claims that Argüello’s election stemmed from a fraudulent vote, but it was never proven. Considering that Argüello held the Nicaraguan flag during the opening ceremonies of a recent Olympic Games, he may just have been popular with the Nicaraguan people.

According to Radio Ya, coroners are currently conducting an autopsy of Alexis Argüello’s body. Unfortunately, it appears at first inspection that the cause of death is suicide. Local newspaper La Prensa reported that there was a gunshot wound in Argüello’s chest. The bullet pierced his heart.

A warrior in and out of the ring

Considered by numerous boxing authorities to be one of the greatest (if not the greatest) lightweight boxer in the 20th century, Alexis Arguello complied a career record of 82 wins against only 8 losses. Of his wins, 65 came as the result of a knockout. After suffering a technical knockout in his first professional fight in 1968, he raced back with wins in 36 of his next 38 fights.

In one of his most notable fights, Argüello defeated Alfredo Escalera in a brutal 13-round slugfest. Many boxing experts consider it to be one of the most brutal fights in history, as Escalera’s eye, mouth and nose were cut, bruised and busted early in the fight. Argüello himself suffered numerous facial cuts. The ring doctor advised Argüello to go to the hospital for treatment, but Argüello was on a tight schedule to get back to Nicaragua, so the doctor performed plastic surgery on Argüello’s face while they were traveling via train. Argüello was awake during the surgery.

“Champion of the poor”

News of Alexis Argüello’s death kept Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega at home. He had planned to travel to Panama to attend President-elect Ricardo Martinelli’s inaugural ceremony.

“We are upset,” said Rosario Murillo, a presidential spokeswoman. “This is a heartbreaking announcement. He was the champion of the poor, an example of forgiveness and reconciliation.”

Ortega’s office has declined to discuss the details of Alexis Argüello’s death with the media. It is also unclear as to whether money needs to be raised for Argüello’s funeral service. In a capitalist nation, pay day loans would always be available for quick cash…

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