Aaron Pryor vs Alexis Arguello I: 35 Years Later

[elmersalsa]

It was probably the best fight of the 1980s decade. The great Alexis Arguello of Nicaragua, was attempting to become the first boxer in history to win 4 world crowns in 4 different weight classes. The Battle at the Orange Bowl was a brutal fight between two all time greats that went at it blow by blow for 14 unforgettable rounds.

The Cincinnati Hawk, Aaron Pryor, was making the 6th title defense of his WBA World Jr Welterweight crown. At 27, Pryor was a whirlwind non-stopping boxing machine hungry for world wide recognition. It seemed that the big fights were hard for him to come by. He was a complete boxer that could box and slug it out with the best of them. His biggest win up to that point, was a 4th round TKO win against aging champion Antonio Cervantes of Colombia, in which he became that day world champion. He has been a hungry fighter since losing to Howard Davis at the 1976 Olympic box offs. And from 1977, he had a winning knockout streak of 24 bouts! All of his 5 title defenses were won by knockout. A jump to welterweight was a natural and logical for bigger paydays since the great Sugar Ray Leonard, the world welterweight champion from Palmer Park, MD, was the sport's biggest superstar. But Leonard retired because he suffered a detached retina, and a fight with The Hawk never came to be. It never happened. There came the Explosive Thin Man Arguello. Who at 30, was fighting in his 4th weight class. He was already champion at featherweight, Jr lightweight and lightweight, and had won 19 title bouts in a row. He never lost his crowns. And the only time to that point that he lost a title fight, was in his first attempt in a points loss of trying to take the WBA featherweight crown from Ernesto Marcel of Panama. Already considered an all time great, can he pull it off one more time.

So the whole world was expecting a thrilling contest between two fighter's that could win big by stoppage. The question was in what round. Well, they threw blows in a terrific pace that amazed the 40,000 spectators at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL. It was a see saw battle from start to finish. None of the two greats gave an inch. Arguello hit Pryor with vicious shots to the chin that another Jr Welterweight would have been on the floor. But not Pryor. He was fighting the right of his life. Pryor also hit Arguello with tremendous shots, but Arguello wasn't going anywhere. Both men were in extraordinary shape.

By the end of the 13th round, and before the 14th, Pryor's chief trainer, Panama Ray Lewis came with a mysterious "black bottle". He was clearly heard through the HBO TV's microphone cameras telling someone in the corner to give him the black bottle, "The one I mixed". What liquid was inside that bottle? We will never know. But it seemed to give The Cincinnati Hawk the energy he needed it. He came out storming and punching the taller foe and eventually, The Explosive Thin Man, was in trouble. Pryor went for the kill and never let up, throwing around 15 unanswered blows to Arguello's face and suddenly, the South African referee, Stanley Christodoulu, had to stop the onslaught. Pryor retained his crown in the greatest victory of his boxing career.

It was a fight to remember for the ages! It was a Friday night, of November 12, 1982.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Second best fight I've seen in over 40 years watching. I was a fan of both guys, I ended up getting a friend $10 and that gave me Pryor. Great fight, great heart from both.

[Jaywheel]

Great fight. This fight and Castillo/Corrales are two amazing contests that are almost ruined by the way they ended.

Oh and:

The Cincinnati Hawk, Aaron Pryor, He was a complete boxer

[elmersalsa]

Great fight. This fight and Castillo/Corrales are two amazing contests that are almost ruined by the way they ended.

Oh and:

The Cincinnati Hawk, Aaron Pryor, He was a complete boxer

What was the laughing matter?

[Jaywheel]

You and your assertions as usual.

[elmersalsa]

You and your assertions as usual.

You don't think that Aaron Pryor was a complete boxer?

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I hope not, he was terrible defensively.

[Jaywheel]

Dude ate punches for beakfast, diner and lunch ffs

[elmersalsa]

Dude ate punches for beakfast, diner and lunch ffs

He took them. That means he had a great chin. Defense was not his thing. But he could box, fight inside and slug it out with the best. And he had great foot and hand speed with decent power.

[Jaywheel]

Never said he had no attributes and wasn't exciting to watch. He wasn't a complete boxer by any means and you just acknowledged it.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Never said he had no attributes and wasn't exciting to watch. He wasn't a complete boxer by any means and you just acknowledged it.

Yes he did, time for the squirm out. Elmer obviously has a different definition for a complete fighter than the rest if the planet.

[elmersalsa]

Never said he had no attributes and wasn't exciting to watch. He wasn't a complete boxer by any means and you just acknowledged it.

Yes he did, time for the squirm out. Elmer obviously has a different definition for a complete fighter than the rest if the planet.

If a guy can fight inside and also could box, has a great chin, speed of hands and feet, underrated punching power, heart, will and determination, ain't he a complete boxer? The Cincinnati Hawk had those attributes of a complete boxer. Let's give the guy his due.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Never said he had no attributes and wasn't exciting to watch. He wasn't a complete boxer by any means and you just acknowledged it.

Yes he did, time for the squirm out. Elmer obviously has a different definition for a complete fighter than the rest if the planet.

If a guy can fight inside and also could box, has a great chin, speed of hands and feet, underrated punching power, heart, will and determination, ain't he a complete boxer? The Cincinnati Hawk had those attributes of a complete boxer. Let's give the guy his due.

Got it, defense is irrelevant to the sport.

[Counter-puncher]

The great Oscar De La Hoya was a MORE COMPLETE fighter than the great Aaron Pryor.

For what that's worth

[Counter-puncher]

Second best fight I've seen in over 40 years watching. I was a fan of both guys, I ended up getting a friend $10 and that gave me Pryor. Great fight, great heart from both.

It's strange, for a fight THAT good I have only seen it maybe three times. I'm easily into double figures on most fights that level. I guess I just don't like watching Arguello getting beat up.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

The great Oscar De La Hoya was a MORE COMPLETE fighter than the great Aaron Pryor.

For what that's worth

greater career too.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Second best fight I've seen in over 40 years watching. I was a fan of both guys, I ended up getting a friend $10 and that gave me Pryor. Great fight, great heart from both.

It's strange, for a fight THAT good I have only seen it maybe three times. I'm easily into double figures on most fights that level. I guess I just don't like watching Arguello getting beat up.

I've only watched Castillo/corrales twice. Can't stand the scewjob, I've watched the rematch at least 6 or 7 times.

[Counter-puncher]

Second best fight I've seen in over 40 years watching. I was a fan of both guys, I ended up getting a friend $10 and that gave me Pryor. Great fight, great heart from both.

It's strange, for a fight THAT good I have only seen it maybe three times. I'm easily into double figures on most fights that level. I guess I just don't like watching Arguello getting beat up.

I've only watched Castillo/corrales twice. Can't stand the scewjob, I've watched the rematch at least 6 or 7 times.

Lol, I pretend the screw job never happened.
As soon as Chico gets up from the KD I'm just focussing on his counter left hook and gaying out over it. I was never hugely a fan of either man so having no dog in the fight can help sometimes.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

It's strange, for a fight THAT good I have only seen it maybe three times. I'm easily into double figures on most fights that level. I guess I just don't like watching Arguello getting beat up.

I've only watched Castillo/corrales twice. Can't stand the scewjob, I've watched the rematch at least 6 or 7 times.

Lol, I pretend the screw job never happened.
As soon as Chico gets up from the KD I'm just focussing on his counter left hook and gaying out over it. I was never hugely a fan of either man so having no dog in the fight can help sometimes.

I think it does, I liked both of them going in. Dragged my buddy from an all day drinking festival by my place and we bet $20, he took chico and from that point on I loved Castillo and hated corrales. I loved both of these guys. I think only hearns/Duran put more of my manlove in the same ring.

[Counter-puncher]

I've only watched Castillo/corrales twice. Can't stand the scewjob, I've watched the rematch at least 6 or 7 times.

Lol, I pretend the screw job never happened.
As soon as Chico gets up from the KD I'm just focussing on his counter left hook and gaying out over it. I was never hugely a fan of either man so having no dog in the fight can help sometimes.

I think it does, I liked both of them going in. Dragged my buddy from an all day drinking festival by my place and we bet $20, he took chico and from that point on I loved Castillo and hated corrales. I loved both of these guys. I think only hearns/Duran put more of my manlove in the same ring.

The Benn/Watson/Eubank triangle was mine, I really liked all of them in different ways.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Lol, I pretend the screw job never happened.
As soon as Chico gets up from the KD I'm just focussing on his counter left hook and gaying out over it. I was never hugely a fan of either man so having no dog in the fight can help sometimes.

I think it does, I liked both of them going in. Dragged my buddy from an all day drinking festival by my place and we bet $20, he took chico and from that point on I loved Castillo and hated corrales. I loved both of these guys. I think only hearns/Duran put more of my manlove in the same ring.

The Benn/Watson/Eubank triangle was mine, I really liked all of them in different ways.

I picked up an extra $10 on this fight from my first post!

[elmersalsa]

The great Oscar De La Hoya was a MORE COMPLETE fighter than the great Aaron Pryor.

For what that's worth

greater career too.

Bullshit.

[elmersalsa]

Yes he did, time for the squirm out. Elmer obviously has a different definition for a complete fighter than the rest if the planet.

If a guy can fight inside and also could box, has a great chin, speed of hands and feet, underrated punching power, heart, will and determination, ain't he a complete boxer? The Cincinnati Hawk had those attributes of a complete boxer. Let's give the guy his due.

Got it, defense is irrelevant to the sport.

His defense wasn't all that bad, because he was always on the offensive mode most of his fights. But, when he had to box, like in the Arguello fight, he showed his boxing skills.

[elmersalsa]

The great Oscar De La Hoya was a MORE COMPLETE fighter than the great Aaron Pryor.

For what that's worth

In the biggest fight of his career, Oscar De La Hoya, flunked BIG TIME.

[Counter-puncher]

The great Oscar De La Hoya was a MORE COMPLETE fighter than the great Aaron Pryor.

For what that's worth

greater career too.

Bullshit.

'triggered' as the kids nowadays would say