Comebacks Not for All Old Fighters: Arguello, 43, Loses

Alexis Arguello’s mind was willing, but his reflexes acted their age.

Arguello, looking much like the 43-year-old fighter he is, took a detour on his comeback road Saturday night by dropping a unanimous 10-round decision to Scott Walker.

The former three-time champion simply didn’t have the reflexes to fight a shifty 25-year-old opponent, who landed punches in flurries while taking only one or two at a time in return.

Against a fighter who had gone 10 rounds only one time before, Arguello lost most of the early rounds before rallying in the 10th round to hurt his younger opponent.

Arguello, 142, earned $20,000 for the fight, which he planned as the first of a series of bouts that would culminate in a title shot by the end of the year. He has fought only twice since 1986. He said he broke his left hand in the fourth round.

“He was a great fighter; I remember watching him as a kid,” Walker said. “He’s still a good fighter but he’s not what he used to be.”