BoxRec

Aaron Pryor, the junior-welterweight who fought 2 memorable bouts with Alexis Arguello, died on Sunday, aged 60.

Pryor's family issued a statement saying the boxer died at his home in Cincinnati after a long battle with heart disease.

The “The Hawk, was a crowd favorite who fought with a frenetic style, rarely taking a step backward. His fights in the early 1980s with Arguello , the great Nicaraguan champion, were both classics.

But Pryor was a troubled champion, and his career would unravel because of an addiction to cocaine.

“He was very unorthodox and could throw punches from all kinds of angles with great hand speed,” said former Associated Press boxing writer Ed Schuyler Jr. “He was a great fighter, it's too bad he didn't have more fights.”

That sucks. Another legend of the sport gone. RIP.

RIP Champ. Guy was a great fighter. I think he died clean sober as I know he had along period of being clean after a tough bout with addiction.
Saw a clip of him fighting Tommy Hearns as an amateur on youtube. Man those guys where great fighters.

it's possible that the Hawk's prolific drug use (that pretty much derailed his career) sadly contributed to the early-onset heart disease.

Long term cocaine use can mess pretty badly with the heart.

Still, one of the 80s most exciting warriors.

It's sad, as a kid I saw guys like him as such Giants, and they were
But by middle age they're so often broken down or worse.

Rip Aaron Pryor. A champion and legend.

RING tribute that is well worth a look :

http://www.ringtv.com/467735-tribute-hawk-aaron-pryor/?

Like a Boss wrote:RING tribute that is well worth a look :

http://www.ringtv.com/467735-tribute-hawk-aaron-pryor/?

Really good tribute.

Met him at maidana/ Alexander card.
Great and funny guy

rip champ

Off topic but it reminded me a little of Pryors situation later on in life health wise; I still think this is the most well written boxing piece I've read but at the same time, very sad - https://www.athletesquarterly.com/athle ... -man-down/

lefty wrote:

Like a Boss wrote:RING tribute that is well worth a look :

http://www.ringtv.com/467735-tribute-hawk-aaron-pryor/?

Really good tribute.

Hope everyone has a look

R.I.P.

One of the best grinders all-time... great finisher... often got dropped early to come back and stop late... drama... entertainment...

He fought one of my top3 fav all-time Kid Pambele in a classic!!


I made an homage thread for him reviewing all his recorded fights from amateur to pro here:
http://www.the13thround.com/phpBB2/view ... 5&t=101939

ENJOY in his memory!!

Heartbreaking loss. Such an underrated fighter that died too soon. Coke really did him, and his career, in. Leonard-Pryor will always be one of those megafights that should've, but didn't, happen. Now both Pryor and Arguello are gone, both much too soon. WHAT TIME IS IT?

RIP to the true Hawk.

Aaron Pryor was the quintessential American street scrapper. I loved to watch him fight. The best part was when he (fairly regularly) got knocked down early. It was almost it took a kd to wake him up. He would bounce up like a weeble wobble. Once he literally could have been penalized for bouncing up and immediately attacking his opponent without getting the ref go ahead.

He was like a street scrapper who they pulled off the street to fight, although he had huge amateur experience.

Tanzio wrote:RIP to the true Hawk.

Aaron Pryor was the quintessential American street scrapper. I loved to watch him fight. The best part was when he (fairly regularly) got knocked down early. It was almost it took a kd to wake him up. He would bounce up like a weeble wobble. Once he literally could have been penalized for bouncing up and immediately attacking his opponent without getting the ref go ahead.

He was like a street scrapper who they pulled off the street to fight, although he had huge amateur experience.

Yep, he was for sure being "exposed" as hitable in almost every fight. RIP.

boxing_rocks wrote:

Tanzio wrote:RIP to the true Hawk.

Aaron Pryor was the quintessential American street scrapper. I loved to watch him fight. The best part was when he (fairly regularly) got knocked down early. It was almost it took a kd to wake him up. He would bounce up like a weeble wobble. Once he literally could have been penalized for bouncing up and immediately attacking his opponent without getting the ref go ahead.

He was like a street scrapper who they pulled off the street to fight, although he had huge amateur experience.

Yep, he was for sure being "exposed" as hitable in almost every fight. RIP.

Defense was not his primary interest.