The great Alexis Arguello dies

In a tragic event, the great Alexis Arguello died on Wednesday in his home country of Nicaragua.

Arguello was one of the greatest fighters of any era. He won 82 of his 90 bouts, 65 of them via knockout. He was a great fighter at both junior lightweight and lightweight. He was involved in two great fights with Aaron Pryor in addition to his wars with Ruben Olivares, Bobby "Schoolboy" Chacon and Ray "Boom Boom Mancini".

He also won titles in three weight classes. Arguello was a great champion, he was a great tactician in the ring and he always fought the best of the best. To beat fighters like Chacon and Olivares was a true accomplishment because those two guys were great fighters. He also beat a game Cornelius Boza-Edwards in his career.

Arguello was a hero not only to his many fans in Nicaragua, but he was a hero hispanics and fight fans all over the world. He was a gentlemen and he respected people. I met him one time several years ago at a fight card and he was gracious as ever with people.

When Arguello fought, it was time to stop and enjoy watching a tremendous fighter, whose skill level was as good as anyone at the time.

- Felix

Lobos do it again

Well, well, well, what a shocker, the University of New Mexico lands a commitment from an in-state football recruit. The most recent commit was Onate High's Zach Daugherty, who will be a senior in the fall at OHS. Daugherty plays middle linebacker for the Knights and he could very well play there in college. He's a good athlete, who plays the game with a great motor and with great passion. Daugherty joins several New Mexico players, including several Las Cruces kids, who have decided to make the trek up north.

Once again, New Mexico State fails to make the right connection with a local in-town kid for whatever reason. The school can give whatever reasons it wants to, but again the Lobos prove they have the better attraction, the better football program and what ever it does in terms of recruiting in-state kids continues to work.

Daugherty has a chance to make waves down the road as a player because of his abilty to be a play-maker. But first up is his senior season at OHS, where he has a chance to put the Knights on the map in Class 5A.

- Felix

Trout wins, now 18-0

TORONTO — Las Cruces junior middleweight prospect Austin Trout improved to 18-0 in his career with a win against Shawn Garnett on Friday night.
Garnett falls to 11-6-2 in his career.
Trout won the eight-round fight by scores of 80-72, 78-74 and 78-73 according to the Trout team.
“Austin started slower than usual,” trainer Louie Burke said. “But he picked things up as the fight went on and started landing solid combinations. He was fighting a tough fighter. It was a good win for Austin.”
Burke said he hopes to have Trout back in the ring by early September if not sooner.

Mine That Bird update

I talked to Mine That Bird trainer Chip Woolley today. Mine That Bird is slated to run in the West Virginia Derby, followed by the Travers before the end of the year Breeders' Cup.

- Felix

Preseason High School Football Top 10 for NM

Just for the heck of it, here's a preseason Top 10 football poll for NM high school in Class 5A only.

1. La Cueva
2. Mayfield
3. Eldorado
4. Las Cruces
5. Clovis
6. Onate
7. Sandia
8. Cibola
9. Rio Rancho
10. Highland

Sept. 6 boxing show

Las Cruces boxing folks are trying to put together a Sept. 6 boxing show in Las Cruces involving Austin Trout, Sammy DiPace, Ricky Vasquez and perphaps Abie Han. Stay tuned for more on that.

Also, the junior middleweight and unbeaten Trout fights next Friday in Toronto against Shawn Garnett.

- Felix

Onate High makes solid hire

Onate High School lost a solid coach in Adrian Ortega, but late last week picked up a solid coach in now former Gadsden assistant coach Saul Perez.

Perez has learned under the tutelage of Gadsden head coach Mike Harper for many years.

Perez is a solid basketball guy and he's helped overlook the improvement of the Panthers program. He inherits an Onate team which went 17-13 last year and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 5A state basketball tournament.

Onate will have to replace several key players, but does return guard Tim Jacobs and forward Zach Daugherty among others.

Perez will have tough shoes to follow in Ortega, but again he's a solid x's and o's type of guy and it's great to see him get rewarded for his hard work as an assistant.

He won't have much time to work with his charges this summer, but he knows the district 3-5A well and he should have a good idea of what the Knights have in terms of personnel.

Perez' hiring means two of the five teams in 3-5A have new coaches. William Benjamin was hired recently to replace Mike Smith after several years as Smith's assistant.

- Felix