Alexis Arguello Dead at 57

Mayor of Nicaragua Takes Own Life

Boxing legend and Mayor of Managua, Nicaragua, Alexis Arguello, apparently took his own life by gun shot early Wednesday morning (July 1) after reports of financial indiscretions began to surface surrounding his political responsibilities.

Arguello's Boxing Career

Nicknamed "The Explosive Thin Man," Arguello ran up an impressive 82-8 professional record, with 65 of those wins coming by knockout. Considered a feared puncher, Arguello was a three-division champion, holding title belts in the featherweight, super-featherweight and lightweight divisions, including being recognized by Ring magazine as the legitimate lightweight champion during his title reign from 1981-1983 (Ring magazine at the time was a group of independent journalists who recognized one true champion per weight class - Ring Magazine is now co-owned by Yahoo! and Oscar De La Hoya's company, Golden Boy Promotions).

Inside the ring, Arguello is probably best remembered for his scintillating two-fight series with fellow Hall of Famer Aaron Pryor. Arguello lost both highly competitive bouts by knockout, the first being marred by trainer Panama Lewis' apparent tampering of Pryor's water bottle prior to the 14th round.

Arguello was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.

Arguello's Political Life

After a failed comeback to the ring, mainly for financial reasons, Arguello entered politics back in his home country of Nicaragua. Arguello was heavily involved with the Sandinista National Liberation Front, ironically the same group he campaigned heavily against in the 1980s, and was elected vice-mayor of Managua in 2004.

In 2008 Arguello became the mayor of Nicaragua's capital, winning just over 50% of the vote. Considered a national treasure, Arguello was selected flag-bearer for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, China.

Arguello was 57 years old.