The Hawk
The Hawk
Growing up I had lots of favourite fighters.
Being dragged about by Dad to follow Horace Notice and others.
UK wise I loved Bomber and Lloyd but from overseas I was amazed by Marvin, SRL, Duran, Rosario, Hearns, Camacho and Holmes.
But one I always go back to is the late Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor. Proper warrior. If you haven’t seen him v AA. You should.
Thoughts?
Being dragged about by Dad to follow Horace Notice and others.
UK wise I loved Bomber and Lloyd but from overseas I was amazed by Marvin, SRL, Duran, Rosario, Hearns, Camacho and Holmes.
But one I always go back to is the late Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor. Proper warrior. If you haven’t seen him v AA. You should.
Thoughts?
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JamesPhilips
- Super Bantamweight
- Posts: 6532
- Joined: 19 Mar 2021, 06:43
Re: The Hawk
He cheated in the Arguello fight by ingesting PEDs from a tainted water bottlesi7dog7 wrote: ↑03 Jan 2025, 11:05 Growing up I had lots of favourite fighters.
Being dragged about by Dad to follow Horace Notice and others.
UK wise I loved Bomber and Lloyd but from overseas I was amazed by Marvin, SRL, Duran, Rosario, Hearns, Camacho and Holmes.
But one I always go back to is the late Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor. Proper warrior. If you haven’t seen him v AA. You should.
Thoughts?
Re: The Hawk
Must have been magic beans James to work that quick. But yes, that is the legend. “The magic mix”.JamesPhilips wrote: ↑03 Jan 2025, 11:13He cheated in the Arguello fight by ingesting PEDs from a tainted water bottlesi7dog7 wrote: ↑03 Jan 2025, 11:05 Growing up I had lots of favourite fighters.
Being dragged about by Dad to follow Horace Notice and others.
UK wise I loved Bomber and Lloyd but from overseas I was amazed by Marvin, SRL, Duran, Rosario, Hearns, Camacho and Holmes.
But one I always go back to is the late Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor. Proper warrior. If you haven’t seen him v AA. You should.
Thoughts?
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JamesPhilips
- Super Bantamweight
- Posts: 6532
- Joined: 19 Mar 2021, 06:43
Re: The Hawk
Amphetamines come up quick but yeah that’s the storysi7dog7 wrote: ↑03 Jan 2025, 11:15Must have been magic beans James to work that quick. But yes, that is the legend. “The magic mix”.JamesPhilips wrote: ↑03 Jan 2025, 11:13He cheated in the Arguello fight by ingesting PEDs from a tainted water bottlesi7dog7 wrote: ↑03 Jan 2025, 11:05 Growing up I had lots of favourite fighters.
Being dragged about by Dad to follow Horace Notice and others.
UK wise I loved Bomber and Lloyd but from overseas I was amazed by Marvin, SRL, Duran, Rosario, Hearns, Camacho and Holmes.
But one I always go back to is the late Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor. Proper warrior. If you haven’t seen him v AA. You should.
Thoughts?
Re: The Hawk
I used to enjoy the north eastern Fight Night series on Tyne Tees tv. Used to look forward to the likes of Najib Daho, Dave Garside, John Davison and many others that appeared.
Re: The Hawk
Pryor's output was staggering...and high quality too. Anyone who could overwhelm Arguello with punch ratio is very special.
The "mixed" bottle has left a nasty pong around the validity of Aaron's win sadly.
The "mixed" bottle has left a nasty pong around the validity of Aaron's win sadly.
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Frostieballs
- Super Bantamweight
- Posts: 2020
- Joined: 15 Aug 2020, 17:38
Re: The Hawk
You can actually hear his trainer ask for the bottle he ‘mixed’ earlier between rounds.
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TheLeprechaun
- Super Middleweight
- Posts: 5164
- Joined: 27 Jun 2013, 20:42
Re: The Hawk
Even the times he was knocked down in his career he was up instantly and looked wired, going right at the opponent
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jameswilson
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 13411
- Joined: 08 Jan 2004, 18:01
Re: The Hawk
They did a documentary on another one of Panama Lewis’s scandals where Billy Collins Jr ended up killing himself after (I think) falling into depression after he was forced to retire because of his fight against Luis Resto where they took padding out of Resto’s gloves.
Lewis got asked about the Pryor ‘give me the one I mixed’ comment and asked what was in the bottle and he said ‘2 things, Perrier water and tap water.’
I mean he seems an honest guy so I believe him.
Lewis got asked about the Pryor ‘give me the one I mixed’ comment and asked what was in the bottle and he said ‘2 things, Perrier water and tap water.’
I mean he seems an honest guy so I believe him.
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Bigdogsnose
- Middleweight
- Posts: 1471
- Joined: 02 Dec 2013, 08:36
Re: The Hawk
That documentary was great. Resto admitted he knew the padding had been removed and that he had did it in other fights. He also dipped his wraps and put asthma tablets in his water.
Panama was a piece of shite. Resto you sort of felt for, as his life went to pieces. Still he he was 28 so knew the score.
Panama was a piece of shite. Resto you sort of felt for, as his life went to pieces. Still he he was 28 so knew the score.
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SeanBrennan
- Bantamweight
- Posts: 9916
- Joined: 12 Feb 2022, 12:45
Re: The Hawk
Watched some bits on him thanks to this thread. Enjoyable watching it all
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forcefraser
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 5447
- Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 06:15
Re: The Hawk
The Hawk v Sugar Ray at a catch weight late 70's early 80's would have been interesting.
I'd favour Leonard, but there are a few that thought Pryor had the dead eye over Leonard
I'd favour Leonard, but there are a few that thought Pryor had the dead eye over Leonard
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jameswilson
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 13411
- Joined: 08 Jan 2004, 18:01
Re: The Hawk
Pryor beat Tommy Hearns as an amateur.
Re: The Hawk
The four kings could have easily been expanded if you would have seen Benetiz, Curry and Pryor more in the mix.
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margaret thatcher
- Super Featherweight
- Posts: 39324
- Joined: 22 Jul 2019, 15:43
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margaret thatcher
- Super Featherweight
- Posts: 39324
- Joined: 22 Jul 2019, 15:43
Re: The Hawk
panama lewis was dirty as hell and i have no doubt it was an illegal substance in the bottle, but how fast could you realistically expect it to work?
Re: The Hawk
I think the same re: Curry
His peak was very short lived.
Mind you Lloyd was pretty special that night!
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jameswilson
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 13411
- Joined: 08 Jan 2004, 18:01
Re: The Hawk
Yeah I always thought Benitez was worthy of being talked about alongside the '4 kings' altho I knwo the reason they were the 4 kings was because all of them fought each other.
Benitez was 15 when he made his debut ffs. Absolute different breed.
Benitez was 15 when he made his debut ffs. Absolute different breed.
Re: The Hawk
and he was only 21 when he lost to Leonard. Crazy to think he was done for good 2 years later. Youngest 3 weight champ in history, although with all the titles around now someone has probably beaten that.
Old. old SI article:
https://vault.si.com/vault/1982/01/25/n ... w-you-dont
Old. old SI article:
https://vault.si.com/vault/1982/01/25/n ... w-you-dont
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MightyWarrior
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 13285
- Joined: 23 Jan 2003, 14:01
Re: The Hawk
An amazing fighter, you’d say a once in a generation talent , but then you look around the other fighters in the 80s. It was just wild.
None of the lightweight champs wanted to fight the Cincinnati hawk, the Uncrowned champion
He had to move up to light welter to get a shot, and took out the great Kid Pambele Cervantes.
I would’ve given the Hawk a chance with anybody. I think Duran/Pryor would’ve been one for the ages - a wild crazy man. incredible chin. This guy had it all.
The first round of the first Arguello fight was one of the greatest ever seen.
His fight with the terrific late lamented detroit KO artist Dujuan Johnson was brilliant too.
None of the lightweight champs wanted to fight the Cincinnati hawk, the Uncrowned champion
He had to move up to light welter to get a shot, and took out the great Kid Pambele Cervantes.
I would’ve given the Hawk a chance with anybody. I think Duran/Pryor would’ve been one for the ages - a wild crazy man. incredible chin. This guy had it all.
The first round of the first Arguello fight was one of the greatest ever seen.
His fight with the terrific late lamented detroit KO artist Dujuan Johnson was brilliant too.