Aaron Pryor was born on October 20, 1955 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He had a tremendous amateur career record of 204 wins and 16 losses, and was a two time NAAU Lightweight Champion, both in 1973 and 1975. In the 1976 Olympic Trials, Aaron lost to Howard Davis Jr., but participated in the Games as an alternate.
His first professional bout was on November 11, 1976 at the Convention Center in Cincinnati. He signed contract with a local pizzeria owner named Buddy LaRosa to be his manager to begin the new year of 1977.
Nicknamed ‘The Hawk’, Aaron would fight eight times in that calendar year, and won six by knockout. He continued that winning streak in 1978, winning all six of his bouts by knockout. He fought most of his bouts in Cincinnati , but was climbing the rankings as 1979 progressed. He won all six of his bouts by knockout that year again, and as the new decade of the 80’s approached.
Aaron won his first four bouts of 1980 between February and June, all four by knockout. He finally got a shot at the WBA Junior Lightweight title against Antonio Cervantes on August 2, 1980 in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Despite being knocked down in opening round, he got up and stopped Cervantes three rounds later to win his first professional title.
Three months later he had a non-title bout against Danny Myers in Dayton on November 1, and knocked him out in the third round. Just three weeks later, he made his first title defense against Gaetan Hart on November 22 at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, and won via a sixth round TKO.
Late in 1980 he turned down two offers from Sugar Ray Leonard to fight him, the first being for $500.000, and the second for $750,000. No one can ever say that Ray Leonard was afraid of Pryor, as for years he alluded to.
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