BoxRec

Il Duce wrote:In their first bout at Estadio Roberto Clemente - Masaya, Nicaragua.

Alexis was not expecting the older, but 'undefeated' Oscar 'El Chico' Aparicio to be that tough.

Both Manager - Dr. Eduardo Roman , Head Trainer - Curro Dossman, and Assisstant Trainer - Luis Cortes
had expected Alexis to have no major difficulty with the El Salvador Featherweight. Despite a 30-0-0 {22 KO's}
record, the 27+ year-old 'El Chico' had built up his record in his home country by 'flattening' a steady assortment
of 'second-rate' Central American Featherweights.

But, despite lacking a high-skill level or top-notch boxing technique, Oscar was extremely durable, and had the
strength of a solid 140 lb. Light-Welterweight.

The Fight,

From the out-set the 'stronger' Oscar Aparacio put pressure on Alexis, and came straight at him. This forced Alexis
to box-and-move more than he had expected, as he could not find the punches to back 'El Chico' off of him.

Though Alexis laned some good punches and was scoring, they had no effect on the tough Salvadoran who continued
to dredge forward while tossing clubbing punches.

In either Round 5 or 6 (some discrepancy) - Alexis had leaned inside to deliver a double left hook underneath to the
body of 'El Chico', and he got caught by a short hard chopping right hand that dropped him. Up quickly, Alexis smartly
stayed outside and jabbed with his long left, while 'El Chico' pressed forward and threw short clubbing punches.

In Rounds 7 thru 9, Alexis had a hard time getting away from Oscar, as he kept marching forward and got inside the
Explosive Thin Man's long arms, and worked the body with short combinations. Alexis' cornermen were 'unsettled'
during the 9th Round, because the fight (despite being in Nicaragua) was very close.

Finally, in Round 10, Alexis was able to get some distance as 'El Chico' slowed down a bit, and Alexis scored with
several crisp '3-and-4' punch combinations, to the delight of the Estadio Roberto Clemente fans.

Alexis had good scoring Rounds in the 11th and 12th, as his left jab was 'pin-point accurate', and several uppercut-hooks
neutralized Oscar, and kept him from putting on any more pressure.

The 'only' scorecard I could find, had Alexis in front by a score of 115-112, which breaks down to
{8-4-0 in Rounds}, with Oscar 'El Chico' Aparicio scoring a 10-8 in Round 5 or 6.

Il Duce wrote:World Featherweight Rankings (July 1, 1974)

* WBC Champion - Alfredo Marcano

* WBA Champion - 'vacant'
#1... Zensuke Utagawa.......25-4-2 {(7 KO's}
#2... Ruben Olivares...........75-4-1 {67 KO's)
#3... Bobby Chacon............24-1-0 {22 KO's}
#4... Bernado Caraballo......75-10-4 {37 KO's}
#5... David Kotey...............27-2-1 {16 KO's}
#6... Alexis Arguello...........33-4-0 {28 KO's}
#7... Rigoberto Riasco.........15-4-4 {8 KO's}
#8... Leonel Hernandez........27-4-0 {14 KO's}
#9... Danny Lopez...............23-1-0 {22 KO's}
#10. Jesus Estrada..............34-3-0 {29 KO's}
#11. Art Hafey....................35-6-4 {25 KO's}
#12. Oscar Aparicio.............30-0-0 {22 KO's}
#13. Vicente Blanco.............27-6-1 {22 KO's}
#14. Rafael Ortega..............15-1-4 {4 KO's}
#14. Rodolfo Francis............12-0-0 {11 KO's}

Il Duce wrote:World WBA Featherweight Rankings (July 1, 1974)

* WBC Champion - 'vacant'

* WBA Champion - 'vacant'
#1... Zensuke Utagawa.......25-4-2 {(7 KO's}
#2... Ruben Olivares...........75-4-1 {67 KO's)
#3... Alfredo Marcano.........43-9-5 {28 KO's}
#4... Bobby Chacon............24-1-0 {22 KO's}
#5... Bernardo Caraballo.....75-10-4 {37 KO's}
#6... David Kotey...............27-2-1 {16 KO's}
#7... Alexis Arguello...........33-4-0 {28 KO's}
#8... Rigoberto Riasco.........15-4-4 {8 KO's}
#9... Leonel Hernandez........27-4-0 {14 KO's}
#10. Danny Lopez...............23-1-0 {22 KO's}
#11. Jesus Estrada..............34-3-0 {29 KO's}
#12. Oscar Aparicio.............30-0-0 {22 KO's}
#13. Art Hafey....................35-6-4 {25 KO's}
#14. Santos Luis Rivera........22-4-2 {17 KO's}
#15. Spider Nemoto.............13-4-1 {1 KO's}
#16. Oscar Aparicio.............30-0-0 {22 KO's}
#17. Vicente Blanco.............27-6-1 {22 KO's}
#18. Rafael Ortega..............15-1-4 {4 KO's}
#19. Rodolfo Francis............12-0-0 {11 KO's}

Il Duce wrote:

Il Duce wrote:

Il Duce wrote:World WBA Featherweight Rankings (July 1, 1974)

* WBC Champion - 'vacant'

* WBA Champion - 'vacant'
#1... Zensuke Utagawa.......25-4-2 {(7 KO's}
#2... Ruben Olivares...........75-4-1 {67 KO's)
#3... Alfredo Marcano.........43-9-5 {28 KO's}
#4... Bobby Chacon............24-1-0 {22 KO's}
#5... Bernardo Caraballo.....75-10-4 {37 KO's}
#6... David Kotey...............27-2-1 {16 KO's}
#7... Alexis Arguello...........33-4-0 {28 KO's}
#8... Rigoberto Riasco.........15-4-4 {8 KO's}
#9... Leonel Hernandez........27-4-0 {14 KO's}
#10. Danny Lopez...............23-1-0 {22 KO's}
#11. Jesus Estrada..............34-3-0 {29 KO's}
#12. Oscar Aparicio.............30-0-0 {22 KO's}
#13. Art Hafey....................35-6-4 {25 KO's}
#14. Santos Luis Rivera........22-4-2 {17 KO's}
#15. Spider Nemoto.............13-4-1 {1 KO's}
#16. Vicente Blanco.............27-6-1 {22 KO's}
#17. Rafael Ortega..............15-1-4 {4 KO's}
#18. Rodolfo Francis............12-0-0 {11 KO's}

Corrected Update

Il Duce wrote:By August 24, 1974

July 6, 1974
#5 Bernardo Caraballo was KO'd (L KO 3) by #18 Rodoflo Francis

July 9, 1974
#2 Ruben Olivares won the 'vacant' WBA Featherweight Championship by (KO 7) over #1 Zensuke Utagawa.

Alexis Arguello was moved up from #7 to #4.

Oscar Aparicio was moved up from #12 to #9.

Both Zensuke Utagawa and Bernardo Caraballo dropped out of the WBA Top 10.

WBC Featherweight Champion - Eder Jofre was stripped of his Title on June 17, 1974 - when he refused to fight
#1 WBC - Alfredo Marcano - and he retired when he was not listed in the WBA Featherweight rankings.

Il Duce wrote:Saturday - February 8, 1975

Nuevo Poliedro - San Salvador, El Salvador

Capacity; 17,500 (Attendance; 9000)

Alexis Arguello vs. Oscar Aparicio 'II'

'Non-Title Bout'

** WBA Featherweight Champion - Alexis Arguello ~ 36-4-0 (30 KO's) ~ Age, 22 years, 11 months ~ 128 lbs.
vs.
# 11 WBA Featherweight - Oscar Aparicio ~ 31-2-0 (23 KO's) ~ Age; 28 years, 1 months ~ 127 lbs.

WBA Featherweight Champion - Alexis Arguello takes on El Salvador Featherweight - Oscar Aparacio
in a 'non-title' rematch. Alexis who won the WBA Championhsip in November 1974, this will be his
'fisrt' bout (2 1/2 months) since winning the Championship. Suprisingly, he is fighting in El Salvador and
not his home-country of Nicaragua.

'El Chico' Aparicio, after giving Alexis a good 'tough' battle in August 1974, has gone 1-1-0 (1 KO) in his 2-Bouts
since. A win (October 1974 - KO 9) over Ernesto Davis - and an 'upset loss' (November 1974 - L Dec 10) to
Panamanian - Rodolfo Francis in Panama.

Oscar has dropped out of the Top 10, so this bout will not be a what was hoped for - a World Championship.

The Fight,

In virtually an identical start from their 'first bout' - Oscar Aparicio starts out by driving forward, while Alexis
jabs-and-boxes from the outside. Again, Alexis lands, but 'El Chico' still presses with medium-power clubbing punches.

Thru 3-Rounds, Alexis is scoring with regularity, but his rapid punches do not hurt Oscar. The strong and durable
5' 7" Salvadoran inches closer to the 5' 10" 'bean-pole' Arguello, but Alexis is out-hitting him 5-to-1.

'El Chico' is able to 'bull' Alexis in Rounds 4 and 5, and scores with his 'clubbing' punches, while Alexis
backs off and sticks to counter-punching. 'Oscar pushed Alexis into the ropes with his strength, and mauls
the 'thin-rail' Arguello with busy body punches and clubbing right-hands to the shoulders and head.

In Round 6, Alexis picks up the pace, and starts opening up with crisp left hands that bounce off of Aparicio's head.
But 'El Chico' has some good moments late in the Round, when he lands 'two' good right hands off of Alexis' chin
that rattles the Nicaraguan.

In Rounds 7 and 8, Alexis opens up fast, and dishes out an enormous amount of punches, and though Aparicio is
limited in his skills, he is resilient - and continues to move forward while still trying to club Alexis.

In Round 9, Alexis continues to unload, but again - Oscar is still forcing the action and moves Alexis backwards with
a hard clubbing right hand to the jaw. But that was the only effective punch he could land, as Alexis comes back
with several good body punches to stall 'El Chico' from landing other good punches.

In Round 10, Alexis left jabs from the outside - where he is finally able to keep 'El Chico' at a safe distance.

Scorecards,
* 98-93
* 98-94
* 98-93

Newspaper Account had - Alexis winning Rounds (1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 10) - Oscar Aparicio winning Rounds (4 and 5), and
Rounds (6 and 9) 'Even'.