He had to fight on the streets as a child to earn money, and became the WBA world Featherweight champion by defeating Rubén Olivares by a thirteenth-round knockout in Los Angeles.

Because he defended his Featherweight crown successfully each time he was challenged for the title, Arguello became a mainstream star both in Latin America and the United States.

Much like Arguello, he learned since he was a child to box and he was a member of a group of boxers from the area, like Wilfred Benítez, Wilfredo Gómez and Esteban De Jesús, to reach international fame status.

He was crowned WBC world Jr. Lightweight champion on July 5, 1975 when he knocked Kuniaki Shibata out in the second round in Japan.

As a consequence, boxing fans beyond Nicaragua and Puerto Rico became interested as well, and television networks from several countries bought the rights to broadcast the bout.

Escalera, as was typical of him, made his entrance to the sounds of salsa music and took a snake wrapped around his neck to the ring.

By the eighth round, however, Escalera had suffered various injuries, such as a broken nose, ear, and teeth, a closed eye and a cut on his tongue.

Escalera began to bleed profusely again from his injuries, and referee Arthur Mercante stopped the fight, with Arguello winning the WBC world Jr. Lightweight title by a thirteenth-round knockout.

He currently lives comfortably in Puerto Rico off the money he made as a fighter, and, despite losing his sight for some time due to his retinal problems, he was able to recover it after a successful eye surgery.