While most casual boxing fans know of/remember Ray Leonard and his deeds, far fewer remember his friend and contemporary Aaron Pryor. They have a few parallels in their careers, both had drug problems, both came back from detached retina’s and during the early 80s, they were vying for the title ‘Best Fighter in Boxing’. Then how comes Leonard is a legend and Pryor an afterthought? Well…
Aaron was born into tragedy, his half black/half Japanese mother Sara Shelery, was an alcoholic and her mother (Aaron’s Grandmother) had been shot and killed by a boyfriend. The man of the house was Ted Pryor (hence Aaron’s surname), but his real father was Ike Graves, Sara’s best friends husband…
Graves did not know of his relationship to Aaron until it was revealed to him when Aaron was 16. This caused an argument between him and his wife during which Ike pulled a pistol and accidentally shot his son Ronnie (Aaron’s half brother) in the back, whilst Ronnie was trying to protect his Mother. Ronnie was paralysed for life, Ike imprisoned for three years.
Aaron himself was sexually assaulted by a Baptist Minster when he was seven, and was a slow learner, being put in a class for the handicapped, and becoming the object of ridicule by school mates.
Too small and slow to get on the Basketball, American Football or Athletics teams, Pryor walked into the Emanuel Community Centre Gym aged 13, and within three months was boxing for titles, and he won his first Golden Gloves tournament aged 15.
Aged 16 Pryor entered his first National Golden Gloves competition, only losing to a 1972 Olympic representative, Norman Goins. When the 72 Olympic boxing team turned pro, Pryor became the leading American amateur, building a 20-1 record fighting for the USA.
Pryor fathered a child age 17, and when he once again failed to get into the Olympic team (1976), he decided to turn pro after a superb amateur career that saw him win 204 of 220 contests. Meanwhile Pryor’s mother had emptied a pistol of six bullets at her new partner; he lived, but was paralysed.
Aaron turned pro in November 1976, knocking out Larry Smith in two, and was paid $200, and married his girlfriend Carol, on the strength of now being a professional boxer.
As the 70s went on Carol gave birth to Aaron Jr (Pryor’s second son), but their marriage was becoming strained.
In early 1979 Pryor sacked his trainer Jimmy Brown and replaced him with Carlos ‘Panama’ Lewis. Pryor beat his old amateur foe Norman Goins and as 1979 ended Pryor was in the top 5 in the world at Lightweight.
