Art Aragon, the charismatic "Golden Boy" boxer who steadily drew standing-room-only crowds at Los Angeles and Hollywood venues in the 1940s and '50s, died Tuesday at Northridge Hospital Medical Center after his family removed him from life support. He was 80.
He suffered a stroke March 15, his son Brad said.
Aragon never won a world title, but he was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 with a 90-20-6 record that included several major bouts at the Olympic Auditorium, the old Wrigley Field and Hollywood's Legion Stadium.
Longtime boxing publicist Bill Caplan said Aragon, who memorably entered the ring wearing a gold robe and gold trunks, will be remembered as "the top drawing card in L.A. boxing history.
"He was so colorful, and his fights were so exciting. He was a kill-or-be-killed kind of guy."
His life outside the ring was also unforgettable. A native of Belen, N.M., who grew up in East Los Angeles, Aragon was married four times and engaged for a fifth wedding. He was also romantically linked to actress Mamie Van Doren, and had friendships with starlets Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Sophia Loren and Betty Martin, the ex-wife of Dean Martin, among several others, friends and associates said.
Van Doren, reached at her Newport Beach home, said she first met Aragon when she was 18 and held the title of Miss Palm Springs. She watched him fight at ringside, had dinner with him afterward and said she quickly fell in love.
"The 'Golden Boy' was a perfect title for him," Van Doren said. "His smile turned everyone on. His skin was golden. His floppy hair bounced so perfectly. He was just so sexy."
Aragon's outstanding left hook made him a top-ranked lightweight. He started boxing in 1944 and his popularity grew in 1950 after he twice scored technical knockout victories over Angeleno favorite Enrique Bolanos of Mexico at the Olympic.
"The crowd loved Bolanos and booed Artie when it was over, but he thumbed his nose at them," Caplan said. "It then became a tradition to boo Aragon."
Reflecting on his career years ago in The Times, Aragon said he craved the treatment.
"Walking into the ring at the Olympic, 10,000 people there, wearing that gold robe, hearing all those boos, yeah I miss that," he told writer Earl Gustkey. "You ever get booed by 10,000 people? It's exciting. I liked it even better when I beat . . . some guy the crowd loved and then I'd look out at 'em, give 'em a big smile, and the boos would be even louder. I loved that."
