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By T.K. Stewart - He won and lost with class and grace. But it was the inner spirit that defined Alexis Arguello.
He was left with nothing at least four times in his life, but each time he battled back. The first time it was a devastating earthquake that leveled his home in Managua, Nicaragua and caused the walls to come crumbling down. He was left with nothing but a pile of dust and rocks. The second time it was the Sandinista guerrillas that plundered his property and raided his bank accounts, leaving him a penniless exile. The third time it was a host of hangers-on and bad business deals that helped themselves to what was left of a rebuilt fortune. The fourth time it was drugs and alcohol that reduced a once proud man to a hollow-eyed addict looking for his next high.
His early life was defined by extreme poverty and he was forced by his father to quit school in the fifth grade in order to help contribute to the family finances. He first laced on a pair of boxing gloves as a 15-year-old boy and the sport eventually provided him wealth and status beyond anything he could have ever imagined as a child growing up on the dusty streets of Central America.
“I used to fight in the streets and I never thought I would become a fighter,” he said. “I was born into poverty and I thank God that I found something that gave me hope. I always loved boxing and I enjoyed it. And you know something? Once I found boxing that was the end of me being poor.” [details]
He was left with nothing at least four times in his life, but each time he battled back. The first time it was a devastating earthquake that leveled his home in Managua, Nicaragua and caused the walls to come crumbling down. He was left with nothing but a pile of dust and rocks. The second time it was the Sandinista guerrillas that plundered his property and raided his bank accounts, leaving him a penniless exile. The third time it was a host of hangers-on and bad business deals that helped themselves to what was left of a rebuilt fortune. The fourth time it was drugs and alcohol that reduced a once proud man to a hollow-eyed addict looking for his next high.
His early life was defined by extreme poverty and he was forced by his father to quit school in the fifth grade in order to help contribute to the family finances. He first laced on a pair of boxing gloves as a 15-year-old boy and the sport eventually provided him wealth and status beyond anything he could have ever imagined as a child growing up on the dusty streets of Central America.
“I used to fight in the streets and I never thought I would become a fighter,” he said. “I was born into poverty and I thank God that I found something that gave me hope. I always loved boxing and I enjoyed it. And you know something? Once I found boxing that was the end of me being poor.” [details]
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