bennie wrote:By the way, MW, I dug out the old Boxing News report of that Arguello-Ganigan war in 1982, and my memory had not played tricks about Graham Houston's blind spot to body shots. Get this! Houston doesn't even mention the body punch that ended the fight! No mention of it whatsoever. He says to introduce the report: "In a sensationally exciting fight, Arguello was dropped by a slamming left hook in the first and badly hurt in the third before he found the punches to flatten Ganigan in the fifth."
Then he goes into a brief round by round account of the brawl, and writes after the third round scare the champion suffered: "But Arguello, like the great champion he is, boxed his way back into the fight and in the fifth a left and a right to the head smashed into Ganigan and he dropped for the full count.
"It was a tremendous kayo with Ganigan out for some minutes before he left the ring."
I will double check his oversight by looking at the Fights of the Year he compiled for Boxing News later in 1982. Arguello-Ganigan was definitely one of the fights of the year and it will be interesting to see what he says about the end there.
I used to have that one on video bennie, ITV showed it the following Sat I think, as part of the build-up to the Pryor showdown.
Funny Houston doesn't mention it.
I think that brutal bodyshot was followed by a devastating left/right as poor Ganigan was about to drop - talk about making sure!
Arguello was such a mild mannered nice guy outside the ring. Showed utmost respect for everyone. But in the ring, my god he was a killer.
All that nice guy stuff with Ray Mancini - Ray's parents just loved him, almost like he was a favorite uncle, taking their son under his wing.
Then in the ring, he finishes Mancini off late in the fight, has him out on his feet - and as the ref steps in, he makes sure to get in two last brutal shots just for good measure. No mercy.
One of th best examples of Alexis outside the ring is when he was a commentator for ABC for the Pryor-Kameda fight a few months before their battle in Miami.
After he kayoed Kameda Pryor was being interviewed and started calling out Arguello with the usual innercity bad boy attitude:
-"This is nothing compared to what I'll do to Arguello!"
-"I'm hungry, he will regret the day he took this fight!"
And the pointing at Arguello who was a few feet away:
"I want you!!" "I want Arguello!!"
Next thing, Arguello comes along and gets in the cameras with Pryor and shakes his hand:
-"Aaron, you are a great champion and it will be an honor to share the ring with you, I wish you the best of lucks, God bless you"
Aaron Pryor instantly changed that bitter grin on his face (with those homeless crackhead teeth on him) and suddenly he was a humble kid from the Cincinnatti projects:
-"God bless you too Alexis, you are great champion too, Alexis. Thank you, Alexis"
Broncano wrote:One of th best examples of Alexis outside the ring is when he was a commentator for ABC for the Pryor-Kameda fight a few months before their battle in Miami.
After he kayoed Kameda Pryor was being interviewed and started calling out Arguello with the usual innercity bad boy attitude:
-"This is nothing compared to what I'll do to Arguello!"
-"I'm hungry, he will regret the day he took this fight!"
And the pointing at Arguello who was a few feet away:
"I want you!!" "I want Arguello!!"
Next thing, Arguello comes along and gets in the cameras with Pryor and shakes his hand:
-"Aaron, you are a great champion and it will be an honor to share the ring with you, I wish you the best of lucks, God bless you"
Aaron Pryor instantly changed that bitter grin on his face (with those homeless crackhead teeth on him) and suddenly he was a humble kid from the Cincinnatti projects:
-"God bless you too Alexis, you are great champion too, Alexis. Thank you, Alexis"
Yeah Bad Boy Pryor didn't know what to make of Alexis' nice guy attitude, really threw him off.
I remember that fight you mention Broncano, I think Kameda put him down, Pryor did a sort of forward roll, leapt up and clocked the Japanese fighter before the ref started the count.
A lot of people made Arguello the fav after that, saying Pryor goes down too easily.
In the days before their fight you could see him trying to work up some hate at the press conference, but Arguello just charmed him.
Didn't make a difference when they got in the ring though.
That was truly one of the best first rounds ( and fights) I've ever seen - up there with Hagler/Hearns.
Yes, the look on Kameda's face when Pryor leaps up and nails him is hilarious too. He was like "oh shit what did i just do?"
That wasnt the first time Pryor was down though. Cervantes and Dujuan Johnson had done it before. and it always was in the same fashion: he got caught in the middle of one of his barrages coming forward and from a right hand on his blind side.
Even then he was never hurt, it only fueled his rage and the animal inside of him.
Now, There's a fight in 1980 with a Colombian, Leonidas Asprilla, where Ive seen Pryor hurt and running for his life. That colombian lightweight had a tremendous right hand and he put Pryor walking on rubbery legs several times. Unfortunately, that was all he had going for him and was stopped in the final round.
Broncano wrote:
Now, There's a fight in 1980 with a Colombian, Leonidas Asprilla, where Ive seen Pryor hurt and running for his life. That colombian lightweight had a tremendous right hand and he put Pryor walking on rubbery legs several times. Unfortunately, that was all he had going for him and was stopped in the final round.
Never seen that one, must've been a helluva puncher to hurt Pryor. I know he was a lightweight for a few years, before moving up because no-one would give him a title shot.
I seem to recall he went down against Cervantes too..
The Johnson knockdown was when he was circling the ring with his hands down. That turned into a real war, and poor old Dujuan was shot dead a few years later.
Pryor-Arguello I is probably THE greatest fight of all time. I can't think of another fight that saw more quality shots thrown and had such a dramatic finish. Pryor's final barrage was fantastic.
I remember reading about that fight Aaron had with Asprilla. It was Pryor's first world class opponent and a big test for a man who had only been a pro just over three years. It was a test he passed in typical fashion: refusing to be beaten and eventually outwilling his opponent. He did the same thing against Cervantes in the same year (Cervantes floored Aaron in the first) and also with Arguello. "The Explosive Thin Man" hit Pryor with right hands that would have finished any other light-welter of the day, but not Pryor. He just gave him a kind of sickly grin.
Emanuel Steward said that Pryor used to get beaten up in sparring at Kronk, but when the action was for real, simply refused to be beaten.
Pryor v Arguello is a great mesh of styles but Alexis was just the wrong side of his peak when they fought. A year or three earlier I think he'd have had too much for Pryor, especially at lightweight.
Arguello was a special fighter and Pryor one of the great comeback stories of all time. Shame that Alexis spiralled into near oblivion too but the poor guy had all he fought for taken away from him during the Nicuaraguan civil war. I think he's okay now, I surely hope so.
These fighters don't half come from some seriously fcked up backgrounds. It pains me to see them work so hard and then lose it all. I mean, they were paid serious money for their fights but I bet they haven't a single penny to show from it.
Arguello is one of my favourite fighters he fought all the great fighters of his era bar Duran. I think a peak Duran would have been too fast and strong for Arguello, but it would have been a great fight, simular in intensity to Pryorr vs Arguello. Three great fights I have of Alexis are his fight with Ruben Olivares and his two wars with Escalera (a very good much overlooked champ in his own right) all three are great fights.
One dream fight I have involving Arguello would be him vs Gatti...great fight....I'd pick Arguello at Junior lightweight and Lightweight but Gatti perhaps at light-welter....but its a tough call.
Yes, Arguello-Escalera I under a downpour in San Juan was also a classic. Escalera nailed Arguello with the best in his arsenal and dirty tactics but Arguello just kept his coolness throughout until the fight was stopped on cuts.
The rematch in Italy wasn't that close, but it still took Arguello 13 rounds to knock him out.
The Escalera fights with Arguello were brutal affairs. Arguello says he couldn't keep Escalera off him, but both times he held his boxing together and found the winning punches in the 13th round. The left hook that ended the second fight was one of the best single shots I've ever seen.
Came across a good article on the man who refereed the famous Arguello-Pryor I masterpiece...
Stanley Christodoulou still remembers his first big fight. It wasn't at Caesars Palace, Madison Square Garden or even Orlando Stadium. It was outside the old Roxy on the west side of Johannesburg. He, the Greek outsider, and an Afrikaans bully boy rolled up their sleeves for an old-fashioned neighbourhood scrap. The blood poured and the fight soon spilled from the sidewalk onto the street, where passing municipal buses screeched to a halt to watch the action.
"Wrong side of the tracks, you know. Us boys were brought up tough in that part of town," he says of those wild days growing up as the son of Cypriot immigrants.
More recently, Christodoulou was involved in another big fight - only this time he wasn't throwing the punches. He was refereeing his 100th world championship bout as one of the most accomplished referees in the world. As usual, his handling of the fight between Vuyani Bungu and Victor Llerena bore his hallmarks - quiet efficiency, control and professionalism.
Christodoulou has always had an element of coolness about him. He believes it has something to do with the fierce resolve and discipline boxing demands of its participants. "It's the passion and my love for boxing that keeps me going. Hell, what other sport could give you such thrills?"
Ah, thrills - Christodoulou has known a few. He's been an official for great fights involving Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Emile Griffith, Evander Holyfield, Tommy Hearns, Barry McGuigan, Ken Buchanan, Victor Galindez, Eusebio Pedroza and a whole lot more.
Ironically, his first world championship remains arguably the best, the Arnold Taylor-Romeo Anaya bout in 1973. It was both brutal and beautiful, capturing the very essence of the fight game. Taylor, his lips cut and his face bruised, miles behind on points, found a right hand in the fourteenth round to end the contest.
"I felt I had been blessed," remarked Christodoulou. "A fight like that will never happen again - it was too brutal and would never be allowed to go on today."
Christodoulou was indeed blessed. The referee originally assigned to the fight, Harry Gibbs, couldn't make the trip. Moreover, three weeks before, Christodoulou had sprained his ankle ligaments and was in agony. "I wasn't going to miss it for the world. When the fight started there was no pain - boxing does that to you."
That vivid battle defined Christodoulou as much as it did the fighters. Three championship fights later, Christodoulou's judgment and coolness again contributed to one of the greatest bloodfests of all time - the Victor Galindez-Richie Kates light-heavyweight confrontation in Johannesburg in 1976. Galindez, his eye mangled from the third, fought gallantly as Christodoulou's white shirt turned crimson. The bout was temporarily halted and chaos reigned as people swarmed the ring, mistakenly thinking Kates had won. It was the break Galindez needed. "Night of the Animal", trumpeted the South African Sunday Times after the rugged Argentine continued to stalk Kates and eventually knocked him out. Christodoulou leaned over Kates and began counting. When he reached 10, there was one second remaining of the 15-rounder.
Boxing's unique drama had unfolded yet again.
Stanley has refereed title fights on all six continents and in more than 20 countries, among them Papua New Guinea. "I was a little bit concerned if the local fighter lost, especially because of the rumours about cannibalism and head-hunters." Fortunately, Stan's problems were solved when the local hero tripped over his own feet and knocked himself out (Johnny Aba in a losing WBA featherwight title challenge to Eusebio Pedroza).
As upheavals go, Christodoulou has been involved in a few. In 1979, in Thailand, 7000 fans went on the rampage and set fire to the ring after an announcement that the main fight had been called off. Christodoulou was to have refereed Ricardo Cardona's title bout against Vichit Muangroei-Et, but the promoter failed to produce the purse monies.
Another fight involving Cardona nearly saw physical harm done to Christodoulou when a cornerman of Cardona's opponent, Soon-Hyun Chung, lunged at him and tried to stab him with a pair of scissors at the start of the 12th round. The attacker was dragged off by police.
Boxing's lusty capacity for drama and underhand dealing was further experienced by Christodoulou in a championship fight involving Antonio Cervantes in South Korea 20 years ago. Two Korean men knocked on his hotel door and asked to be let in. One man went to use the toilet, although Christodoulou believes he was checking no one else was there. The other fidgeted nervously and then pulled out an envelope containing $10,000.
Christodoulou was the scoring referee for Kwang-Min Kim's challenge and the men demanded he take the bribe in return for a favourable scorecard. Furious, Christodoulou chased them out. He then called the fight supervisor and declared the attempted bribe. The supervisor had no qualms in allowing Stan to judge the fight still. Cervantes won a split decision - and by nine points on Christodoulou's card. The corrupt Korean pair were presumably successful with the local official, who had sided with the hometown fighter.
That honourable reputation secured him the third man spot for Marvin Hagler's defence against Roberto Duran in 1983. It was a confrontation between two all-time legends and Christodoulou again drew praise for his handling of the terrific 15-rounder. That contest unquestionably remains the biggest of his career, but the Alexis Arguello-Aaron Pryor and Tommy Hearns-Pipino Cuevas fights, both of which Christodoulou refereed, were also in the league of 'superbouts'. Pryor-Arguello was 1982's Fight of the Year and again Christodoulou was lauded for his perfectly timed late-round stoppage.
Because of his South African connection, Stanley had to battle to maintain his inital appointment as referee for these fights and ultimately it was down to Pryor, the champion and a black man, to decide. "I judge a man on his reputation," said Pryor. "I want Stan."
"I never look at colour," says Christodoulou himself. "I look at boxers."
But that philosophy didn't help when he was assigned to referee the Davey Moore-Roberto Duran showdown in 1983. It was another superbout at the most famous boxing venue of them all, Madison Square Garden. As Christodoulou sat in front of Muhammad Ali, who was teasing him by blowing into his hair, the excitement mounted. Then he was told that there were demonstrations outside. Despite Moore's insistence that Christodoulou officiate, he was ruled out with 20 minutes to go. What should have been an extraordinary moment in his life became his greatest disappointment, even more so as the ref who replaced him nearly got Moore killed.
"It was," he says, "the lowest point of my career."
No matter. Many more big fights came Christodoulou's way. The most memorable of recent years was the Jorge Castro-John David Jackson thriller - voted Fight of the Year in 1994. The crowd was baying for Christodoulou to stop it after Jackson tore into Castro, but he let it continue. Finally, he was vindicated when Castro threw a desperate left hook that knocked Jackson flat on his back. "Miracle in Monterrey", blared the headlines the following day.
Then there was Barry McGuigan's rousing fight against the great Eusebio Pedroza for the WBA featherweight title. Twenty-five thousand Irish packed into Loftus Road Football Ground cheering on the fighting Irishman with chants of "Here we go, here we go". It was, says Christodoulou, the best atmosphere he can recall in his century of world championship fights, with McGuigan crowned to roaring acclaim.
Christodoulou's rigid authority might well have saved us from another unforgettable fight - the vicious "dockside brawl" involving Gerrie Coetzee and Mike Schutte in Durban in 1976 - in which referee Bob Mazzoni lost control. In one of the filthiest bouts ever seen in a South African ring, Coetzee and Schutte bit, kicked and elbowed one another to such a degree that both should have been thrown out. Instead, Mazzoni let the chaos continue and only in the sixth round did he disqualify Schutte, which earned Coetzee the national heavyweight championship.
"The best compliment you can pay a referee is to say you didn't notice him. Being unobtrusive, but in control, is utterly important. There has been controversy, sure, but I'm proud of my track record. Getting to a hundred big ones is great - now I'd like to go another 100."
