Remembering The Hawk
2016 has not been kind to boxing. We’ve lost a number of great fighters, not to mention the colossal living legend that was Muhammad Ali. But most recently, Aaron Pryor succumbed to heart disease last week and far too soon. His death came as a shock to almost everyone in boxing and the good folks at Top Men Boxing Radio decided a tribute to “The Hawk” was in order. After all, if Pryor’s time at the top was relatively short, that didn’t stop him from etching his name in the history books as one of boxing’s most formidable champions.
As Robert Portis wrote last week: “It is testament to the sheer athleticism and energy of his performances between 1980 and 84 that Aaron Pryor is regarded as an all-time great talent. His huge wins over Arguello will never be forgotten and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.” Suffice to say, Pryor was a one-of-a-kind pugilist and one of the best ever at 140 pounds. A TMBR tribute is definitely appropriate.
Author and boxing historian Lee Groves joined Patrick Connor and Aris Pina for a look back at Pryor’s life and legacy. And as always, it’s an entertaining and enlightening talk when TMBR takes to the digital air. Check it out:
“Pryor’s two wins over Arguello dwarf everything else on “The Hawk’s” record. So impressive are those two performances that they forever sealed his reputation as an extraordinary talent, despite the fact he was never really tested by anyone else. Arguello was favoured to win their first great battle but it was Pryor who dictated the terms, forcing Alexis to brawl at a savage pace as opposed to trying to methodically break Pryor down. Arguello came on strong in the late rounds, repeatedly landing his most powerful weapon, the straight right hand, stunning and staggering “The Hawk” more than once. But Pryor took the blows and kept battling back, finally conquering an exhausted Arguello in round 14.” — From “Remembering ‘The Hawk’: Aaron Pryor: 1955-2016” by Robert Portis