Boxing Classics. Pryor vs. Arguello 1. - kensoldtimeboxingchat.com

When Aaron Pryor met Alexis Arguello on November 12, 1982 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, it was for Pryor’s WBA junior welterweight title. Arguello was attempting to become the first boxer to win titles in 4 different weight classes and since it was on HBO, I had no means to see it live. I had to settle for newspaper clippings and snippets on tv sports reports to find out what happened.

Of course, I’ve seen the bout many times since, first on VHS tape for years and now on YouTube tv whenever I feel like seeing it again. Pryor was aggressive from the start and his whirlwind, non-stop style was what had made him successful. Alexis counted well and fought at more of a measured pace, and as the fight entered the championship rounds of 10-15, it was anyone’s fight. Between the 13th and 14th round, Pryor’s cornerman Panama Lewis asked one of his aides to “Give me the other bottle. The one that I mixed.” Aaron came out energized in the 14th, hurt Arguello badly and knocked him out. It ended a historic battle on controversial terms that are still talked about to this day.

In 1996, while selling my boxing collages that I made at a collector’s show, I had the opportunity to meet and chat with Aaron Pryor for about 45 minutes. He told me that there was peppermint schnapps in the bottle, and the illegal liquid cooled his chest and helped him to recover from fatigue. It settled any questions I had, but meeting Aaron Pryor was still one of the most pleasant experiences I ever had talking to a famous athlete. He was transparent and honest and he signed his autobiography that I bought that day. Sadly, Aaron died in 2016 of heart attack, but found peace later in his life in Christianity after having struggled with drug addiction for years. Alexis Arguello also died too young in 2009, but his was more tragic since his death was a suicide. He had struggled with depression for years, but unfortunately succeeded in his final attempt on July 1, 2009. I also had the pleasure of meeting Alexis in the fall of 1983 while he was promoting the Hagler-Duran closed-circuit broadcast in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He was gracious and a total gentlemen, and when I learned of his death, it affected me for days.

On November 12, 1982, both fighters left their all in the ring at the Orange Bowl in Miami, leaving boxing fans with memories that still are vivid more than 40 years later. Both men are deserved members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canasota, New York and remain two of my favorite fighters of the 1980’s.