07.08.04 – Like a certain Caesar used to say, “We came, we saw, we conquered.” The script was written, the pages set and the plan hatched. Juan Urango, the undefeated knockout artist, was to add a fellow undefeated prospect to list of victims. A star was to be born in South Florida on the evening of August 5th, 2004, and a national audience would be watching on the ShowTime network. Everything was in place, and the stage was set for a walkover.
But somebody forgot to tell Mighty Mike Arnaoutis. You know what they say about the “best laid plans.” And a star was born that evening, but it wasn’t the star they expected.
Instead, the spotlight was grabbed by the scrappy kid from Greece. Using brilliant technical savvy, incomparable handspeed and a ring presence that speaks for itself, Mighty Mike was able to take on and neutralize the giant from Colombia, and box his way to a disputed draw many felt should have been a victory for Cestus Management’s 140 pound sensation.
Says advisor Mike Michael, “Plain and simple, we shattered Juan Urango’s invincibility. We took his best shots, and then we took his heart, his fight plan and his fans right out from under him.”
Mr. Michael has a point. The crowd on hand in Hollywood, Florida came to cheer for the local boy, not the kid fighting out of Atlantic City, New Jersey. They showed up intending to root for Juan Urango, but they left as die-hard fans of Mighty Mike. Through the later rounds of the fight, the Championship rounds, rounds dominated by Mighty Mike, the chants of “Go Mike go” rang out through the arena, and the crowd spoke in one voice to signify their Champion, the people’s Champion, Mighty Mike Arnaoutis.
“It was a great honor for me that the fans were on my side,” says Mighty Mike. “They didn’t come here to root for me, but they saw what I brought to the fight and they appreciated it, and that’s because they are great fans. I feel like I have a second home now in Florida, and I’d be honored to fight again in front of these spectacular fans. I won the fight. I won the fight, and it would have been great to take home those belts. But to me, to gain the fans I gained both in Florida and from television, to know that they enjoyed the show that I put on, that’s worth more than any belt they can give me.”
Advisor Mike Michael weighs in: “We fought the kid no one else would fight. We fought the ‘Iron Man’, the invincible Juan Urango, and we beat him. Mighty Mike’s speed was dazzling, his intelligence was extraordinary and his showmanship and style left everyone talking. Our fighter’s stock has gone through the roof because of this fight. Hey, we understand politics. We understand the decision, and we’re not going to complain. But everybody, and I mean everybody, saw who won that fight, and that winner’s trunks say ‘Mighty Mike.'”
Back to Mighty Mike for final words: “I’d like to thank my trainer, Mr. Bill Johnson, my close advisor, Mike Michael, and my manager, Gina Iacovou and Cestus Management, because without them this fight wouldn’t have happened. Warriors Boxing, Chico Rivas, everyone that helped me take this opportunity and make the most of it. Of course I’m disappointed in the result, but I know I did enough to win that fight, the fans know, and Urango knows it as well. You know, I’m from the same area of Greece that the Spartans were from. Just like them, you’ll have to kill me to defeat me. I will never, ever let my fans down.”
The skills, heart, courage and acumen showed by the young Arnaoutis will resonate for some time in boxing circles, reminding us never to count out the kind of fighter that just doesn’t quit. The future is bright for Mighty Mike, and there are no limits in sight. As the undefeated prospect himself often says, “Anyone, anytime, anywhere!”