HAWK TIME [RECYCLED]

Aaron Pryor was one of the USA's greatest amateurs with over 200 wins but he was upset by Howard Davis for a spot on the legendary 1976 Olympic Team. So he turned pro instead. Let's go through the early years. Pryor knocked out 24 consecutive journeymen and trial horses, but hadn't even fought a top ten contender when he went into the lion's den.

Antonio Cervantes-The future HOFer Kid Pambele is on his second title run and is now one of the great champions of the sport. He has more than 80 wins and a total of 15 title defenses. Since he began competing at the championship level, his only losses over nine years are to all-time great Nicolino Locche (avenged) and the all-time great Wilfredo Benitez. He has wins over Locche, Alfonso Frazier, Esteban DeJesus, Hector Thompson and Miguel Montilla. He comes to Pryor's Cincinatti home. For three rounds he schools Pryor, knocking him down in the first round. In the fourth Pryor imposes his will, traps Cervantes in a corner and with one magic right hand he is champion. Pryor KO4.

Gaetan Hart-The Canadian lightweight champion had six months before stopped Cleveland Denny on the under-card of the first Leonard-Duran fight. Denny had died of his injuries. Pryor toys with him. Pryor TKO6.

Lennox Blackmoore-The #3 challenger just doesn't have the firepower to slow down Pryor. TKO2.

DuJuan Johnson-The #3 challenger is a hard punching fighter with a win over Miguel Montilla. He fights hard and valiantly and drops Pryor in the first round. Pryor TKO7.

Miguel Montilla-The #3 ranked Dominican has been in the top ten of the division for five years but lost two title shots to Cervantes. He KO's #3 ranked Domingo Ayala to earn this shot. Pryor's toughest test to date. TKO12.

Akio Kameda-The unbeaten 5'11' Japanese welterweight champion drops down to face Pryor. Same old story, Pryor down in the first, then TKO6. Now come the fights that forever secure The Hawk's legacy.

Alexis Arguello-One cannot overstate just how highly thought of Alexis Arguello is in the boxing world at this time. He has won belts in three divisions and never lost any of those titles. He has knocked out HOFers. He has been in wars. He has gotten off the canvas to win. He has dealt with slippery, slick boxers and legendary punchers. He has done all this while exhibiting a personal grace and style that has made him a beloved figure. El Flaco Explosivo. While he is 32 and the whispers of a slide are around, Arguello is the betting favorite going in. He is trying to become the first fighter in the history of the sport to win a belt in a fourth division. In the Orange Bowl in November 1982 Pryor and Arguello put on a fight one must see to believe. In the first round they threw 238 punches...and it got better. Both men show ATG skill, desire, technique, power and chins. The Hawk sometimes looks like Linda Blair in the Exorcist his head is twisted around so far by Arguello's right hand. Pryor is ahead when early in the fourteenth round he stuns Arguello and unleashes a fusillade of 19 punches. By the time the referee steps in Arguello is unconscious and slumps to the canvas.

I am the biggest Arguello fan there ever will be. I have watched this fight until my eyes have bled. I am convinced that Alexis was through at the end of the 13th round. He walks very flatfooted and uncertainly to his corner. This is the moment where Panama Lewis forever raises the issue when he asks for "the bottle I mixed." In my view it is unlikely anything orally ingested like that could have made an impact in the 45 seconds it took him to KO Arguello and it is my view that Arguello was finished anyway. There is no way to measure the magnificence of this win.

Sang Hyun Kim-The #5 ranked challenger and former 140 strapholder is no match. Pryor TKO3.

Arguello II-Alexis has defeated old nemesis Vilomar Fernandez and seems to have recovered when he meets the Hawk five months later. Pryor knocks Alexis down twice and Arguello keeps coming. Finally in the tenth, Pryor drops him again and Alexis elects to watch thr referee count to ten before he stands up. He would later say "When I hit Pryor, instead of hurting him, it just p*ssed him off." TKO10.

The Hawk is 27 and unbeaten. One division up are McCrory, Curry and Starling. One division down are Mancini and Rosario.He is hoping to fight Mancini next when Ray is upset by Livingstone Bramble. Pryor retires briefly. This seems to be where his flamboyant lifestyle begins to have a serious impact. Pryor will comeback but never defeat a fighter of note and will lose for the only time to Bobby Joe Young by TKO. He ends up 39-1.

The Hawk is one of the most unique fighters I have ever seen. His pre-fight in ring routine was the only one I ever saw that I really found intimidating. When his name was announced he'd step forward, ignore the crowd and instead stare across the ring, raise his right arm and lower it like the hand of doom until it pointed as his challenger where it stayed for several seconds. When he attacked he threw windmills of punches, every one hard, from all angles. When he did this his chin was in the air and he could be hit. Didn't often matter. When he boxed he was beautiful, Balanced, slick and swift. But in his heart Aaron Pryor was a warrior and he fought with bravado, passion, fire and with a chip on his shoulder the size of a boulder.. As he once said in an interview "I'm not an angry man. But I'm an angry fighter."

WHAT TIME IS IT??????

pryor was one i loved to watch fight.outside of the 2 arguello fights i never rooted against him..a shame he got messed up with drugs and stupidity..he had several great years ahead of him..none the less a great fighter .one that comes on the sceen once every 8 -10 years or so..

dmar5143 wrote:pryor was one i loved to watch fight.outside of the 2 arguello fights i never rooted against him..a shame he got messed up with drugs and stupidity..he had several great years ahead of him..none the less a great fighter .one that comes on the sceen once every 8 -10 years or so..

It really is too bad. He had some great opportunities in front of him.