BoxRec

Pryors downfall was due mostly to drugs but its worth knowing that he fought the Arguello rematch with basically just one eye as he suffered a detached retina in his left eye while sparring a couple of day before the fight. After beating Arguello the 2nd time Pryor decended into drugs... his life outside the ring had always been chaotic ( to put it mildly!!!) but it became really mad when he started using crack and this plus the eyeinjury is what caused his long layoff. He came back against Hinton and Furlano but wasn't the same fighter (though he was still damn good) then really succumbed to drugs totally... at one point he went down to about 7 or 8 stone. He made a few comebacks over the years but really between the drugs and eye problems (detached retina and cataracs) it was all over for him. Pryor probably is a top 30 all timer pound for pound... style simular to Armstrong... but also much better boxer than he was given credit for... unfortunately we didn't see him at his peak for long enougth because of the life he led.
I'd reccomend you try and get hold of Aarons biography 'Flight of the hawk'.... it is an amazing read and when reading it you realise that its amazing Pryor was able to achieve what he did when coming from a background like he did... to call his upbringing dysfunctional is a understatement!.

undisputedly_pat wrote:How good was he and where should he be ranked when discussing p4p all-time rankings?

I know little of Pryor except that he twice knocked out the legendary Alexis Arguello, but examining his record in the boxrec database I was surprised to find out he only suffered one career loss, and it was in a higher weight division after a 2 year layoff. Is it possible Pryor is/was the best 140 pound fighter ever?

Also, I know stories of Pryor are often shrouded in a screen of drugs, alcohol, and other controversial stuff, but can anybody kindly inform me what, giving details, actually spawned the ultimate downfall in his career, and why did he leave undefeated and go for 2 years without a fight in the first place?

Kostya Tszyu is the only lightwelterweight who even comes close to Aaron Pryor,IMO.

I think he was the best 140 pounder ever.

Grimm wrote: Kostya Tszyu is the only lightwelterweight who even comes close to Aaron Pryor,IMO.

I think he was the best 140 pounder ever.

Julio Cesar Chavez circa 88-93 would have any version of Tszyu for breakfast. Now Chavez vs. Pryor would be a lot closer..Still I would favor the man from Culiacan in a memorable battle.

post edit: BTW, Aaron Pryor Jr. had his pro debut last night, trained by who else but THE HAWK himself. He won TKO 1
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=325334

Broncano wrote:

Grimm wrote: Kostya Tszyu is the only lightwelterweight who even comes close to Aaron Pryor,IMO.

I think he was the best 140 pounder ever.

Julio Cesar Chavez circa 88-93 would have any version of Tszyu for breakfast. Now Chavez vs. Pryor would be a lot closer..Still I would favor the man from Culiacan in a memorable battle.

post edit: BTW, Aaron Pryor Jr. had his pro debut last night, trained by who else but THE HAWK himself. He won TKO 1
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=325334

Yeah theres Chavez, I didn't even think of him for some reason. Forget anything that I said in that first post.

Also, Pat for all of the "official" info on Pryor (None of the murky drug stuff youre interested in) check out his website: http://www.hawktime.com/index.html

Other great 140 pounders include... Jack kid Berg, Tony Canzoneri, Carlos Ortiz, Barney Ross, Nino Loche, Antonio Cervantes, and Wilfredo Benitez.... I'd put pryor round about the top of there... Tysu would come pretty much down the list imo.

Pryor is the #2 140'er of all time, second only to Chavez. That only being because Chavez's career and legacy lasted longer. Pryor ruined his shot at all time greatness with drugs.

IMO,
TBE

silkov wrote:Other great 140 pounders include... Jack kid Berg, Tony Canzoneri, Carlos Ortiz, Barney Ross, Nino Loche, Antonio Cervantes, and Wilfredo Benitez.... I'd put pryor round about the top of there... Tysu would come pretty much down the list imo.

Locche and Benitez at their devastating defensive best could have handled Pryor. Cervantes (in his hometown in '72) I would also give a good shot at beating Pryor - though Pambele was not just a slow starter, but a bad starter, so you have to take that into account. I've been saying for ages on this website that Cervantes is one of the most accurate figher's I have seen, and the reason for that is because I have never saw anyone play target practice with Locche like that - unbelievable.

Arguello a few years before at lightweight (in a tamper free fight) may also have been interesting. Alexis was a fighter who came into his own in the championship rounds, but his age and the higher weight (coupled with Pryor's drug-enhanced energy) meant he couldn't last the pace.

I rate Aaron in the top 10 140lbers of all time (along with Tsyzu), but the division does not begin and end with him as many would have you believe nowadays (for some reason).

Manos de Oro wrote:

silkov wrote:Other great 140 pounders include... Jack kid Berg, Tony Canzoneri, Carlos Ortiz, Barney Ross, Nino Loche, Antonio Cervantes, and Wilfredo Benitez.... I'd put pryor round about the top of there... Tysu would come pretty much down the list imo.

Locche and Benitez at their devastating defensive best could have handled Pryor. Cervantes (in his hometown in '72) I would also give a good shot at beating Pryor - though Pambele was not just a slow starter, but a bad starter, so you have to take that into account. I've been saying for ages on this website that Cervantes is one of the most accurate figher's I have seen, and the reason for that is because I have never saw anyone play target practice with Locche like that - unbelievable.

Arguello a few years before at lightweight (in a tamper free fight) may also have been interesting. Alexis was a fighter who came into his own in the championship rounds, but his age and the higher weight (coupled with Pryor's drug-enhanced energy) meant he couldn't last the pace.

I rate Aaron in the top 10 140lbers of all time (along with Tsyzu), but the division does not begin and end with him as many would have you believe nowadays (for some reason).

Yes the 140 division has seen some great fighters and I think its fair to say that Pryor got Cervantes when Antonio was past his best. Pryor vs a peak Cervantes or a peak Benitez would have been something to see. One thing about Pryor was that he was really a Lightweight but moved up becuase he couldn't get a shot at the 135 title... I think he would have been even more impressive at 135 pounds!...

Manos de Oro wrote:

silkov wrote:Other great 140 pounders include... Jack kid Berg, Tony Canzoneri, Carlos Ortiz, Barney Ross, Nino Loche, Antonio Cervantes, and Wilfredo Benitez.... I'd put pryor round about the top of there... Tysu would come pretty much down the list imo.

Locche and Benitez at their devastating defensive best could have handled Pryor. Cervantes (in his hometown in '72) I would also give a good shot at beating Pryor - though Pambele was not just a slow starter, but a bad starter, so you have to take that into account. I've been saying for ages on this website that Cervantes is one of the most accurate figher's I have seen, and the reason for that is because I have never saw anyone play target practice with Locche like that - unbelievable.

Arguello a few years before at lightweight (in a tamper free fight) may also have been interesting. Alexis was a fighter who came into his own in the championship rounds, but his age and the higher weight (coupled with Pryor's drug-enhanced energy) meant he couldn't last the pace.

I rate Aaron in the top 10 140lbers of all time (along with Tsyzu), but the division does not begin and end with him as many would have you believe nowadays (for some reason).

I have been basically saying this for years,Pryor gets WAY more credit for beating Arguello than he should.Arguello,a truly great fighter in his prime,was none the less slowing down at 31,getting dropped at 135 by Ramirez and Ganigan,two unremarkable fighters(anyone know when Alexis was dropped at 126 or 130,I sure don't),after 80 something fights they were taking their toll.I'm not saying Pryor wasn't good,of course he was,but his abbreviated career leaves more questions than answers,answers we would have gotten had he moved up to 147 and fought Leonard,Hearns,or Duran,fighters SOME people seem to think were scared to death of Pryor,an opinion I find pretty funny.

I read that Aaron Pryors sister had 10 kids by 10 different men and his brother was insane....they say his family was just bad, no wonder he was as wold as he was.