It's Hawk's Time!

[SimonH]

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.

[SimonH]

Still having to work outside of boxing, Pryor met Theresa Adams, and was immediately smitten by the former Bunny Girl. Six years older, Adams was a lot wiser and smarter than Pryor, and she started to manipulate Pryor in his boxing career.

Pryor was 24-0 (22) when he contacted Promoter Harold Smith and asked him to get him a title fight. Smith offered Pryor a fight against long reigning WBA Light Welterweight Champion Antonio Cervantes.

Pryor agreed to fight the grizzled Colombian, despite having to move up in weight. He was paid $50,000 in suitcase before the fight by Smith and another $50,000 after the fight. Pryor was amazing in the ring destroying the Colombian in four rounds.

Pryor was a World titleholder and rich, a bad combination for Aaron. His marriage to Carol was ended, as he could not conceal his relationship with Theresa any longer. And on top of this an entourage formed around Pryor, led by his two bodyguards, who were both serious drug dealers, who would end up serving long prison sentences.

One person who never manipulated Pryor fully was Don King. When Smith went to prison for his part $21 Million embezzlement, King offered Pryor a four-fight $1 Million dollar deal. Pryor accepted, but when King tried to renew the contract, Pryor resisted everything King threw at him, eventually winning a court case against King!

In the mean time Pryor’s personal life was as crazy as ever Theresa had shot him in an argument, the bullet going though his left forearm and lodging in his chest, less than an inch from his heart. Pryor refused to press charges against Theresa who smartly committed herself to a mental institution for treatment.

When Theresa returned she took over as Pryor’s manager, and help build up Pryor’s biggest ever bout, with the Great Alexis Arguello.

In November 1982 in front of 23,800 spectators at the Miami Orange Bowl, and Millions watching on TV, Pryor and Arguello delivered a classic. Pryor threw 130 punches in the first round alone! Arguello responded by rocking Pryor in round two with two huge rights. The fight continued at a hectic pace and was evenly matched going into the championship rounds. In the 13th Arguello once again stunned Pryor with a right hand. At the end of the round Panama Lewis called for his black bottle, and Pryor took the contents. In the 14th Pryor came out unleashing an assault that left Arguello limp on the ropes and causing the ref to stop the bout in Pryor’s favour…

When it was found out Pryor had avoided giving a urine sample post fight, many people wondered what was actually in the black bottle. The corner stated it was Peppermint Schnapps, which was used to cool the throat.

Pryor made $1.6 Million for the fight and married Theresa, and set about arranging a rematch with Arguello. Pryor refused to let Theresa near him during the training camp for the Arguello rematch, so Theresa went to drown her sorrows with Pryor’s new co-promoter Sylvester Stallone in Malibu. Rumours began that Theresa and Stallone were having an affair. Pryor believed them and put up a restraining order against his wife, and filed for divorce; Theresa was given $500,000 in the settlement.

[SimonH]

In the meantime Pryor had eye trouble whilst preparing for the Arguello rematch, it was diagnosed as a detached retina, it was decided to conceal this in order for the fight to go ahead.

The rematch was another classic with neither fighter giving an inch for nine rounds until Pryor eventually made Arguello yield, knocking out Alexis in the tenth. In December of 1983 Pryor announced his retirement due to the eye damage.

Despite the restraining order Pryor went back to Miami to try and make it up with Theresa. What he found when he got Miami was that Theresa was smoking crack with a friend. Within weeks Pryor was a hopeless addict himself blowing thousands on his addiction. The police caught Pryor with the drug in his possession; but lawyers got him off any charges.

Pryor was running out of money, so despite having a damaged eye and a drug addiction, he announced a comeback. Although he had vacated his WBA crown, the IBF proclaimed him champ, and he beat Nick Furlano in June 1984. His next defence was against Gary Hinton, who was nowhere near Pryor’s class, but such was Pryor’s problems, Hinton was unlucky to drop a split decision.

Pryor had a breakdown and admitted his drug addiction in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Pryor was a broken man, and once again retired.

Aaron came back two and a half years later, and fought journeyman Bobby Joe Young. Pryor was counted out in the seventh whilst on his feet, making the sign of the cross. Pryor stated after the fight the reason he did this was the manifeststation of the drugs he was taking. Pryor fought once again in 1988, and twice more in 1990 despite being legally blind in one eye. It later was discovered Pryor had fought a friend in Daryl Jones in one of the 1990 bouts, and had fixed the fight. Pryor also admitted to using cocaine in the dressing room after both his 1990 bouts.

In 1990 he also took a third wife, Jeannie Ellis, but the marriage lasted less than a year, as Ellis could not get Pryor off the drugs. In 1991 he was convicted for trafficking and sentenced to six months in prison. He would serve four, whilst in prison he had a relationship with a girl from rehabilitation classes, Frankie Wagner; within months Wagner was hopelessly addicted to crack herself.

In April 1993 Pryor was smoking crack in a doorway of an old abandon crack house in Cincinnati when he collapsed with severe stomach pain. Pryor lost more than a 100lbs in hospital, and nearly his life, but recovered and turned to the church. Pryor is now an ordained minister and can be often seen at IBHOF events.

Credit: Peter Arnold

[El Gamo]

Great read Britkid,CC.Where did you find the article? I don't know much about Pryor apart from the odd few albeit great fights I have of his with Arguello. DId he fight anyother A grade fighters? The main thing I liked about himwas that he seemed impervious to pain,and if he got knocked down,he would just get back up,and knock you out!!

[SimonH]

Great read Britkid,CC.Where did you find the article? I don't know much about Pryor apart from the odd few albeit great fights I have of his with Arguello. DId he fight anyother A grade fighters? The main thing I liked about himwas that he seemed impervious to pain,and if he got knocked down,he would just get back up,and knock you out!!

I wrote it myself, the A grade opposition Pryor fought was Arguello and Cervantes. Aaron's career was more what could of been, rather than what was, not that the two Arguello fights were anything other than amazing.

[El Gamo]

Wow,excellent read man!!!! Yeah,I have that fight too,but I did not know Cervantes was A grade!!!! OUt of all the current fighters,who do you think will leave us a great legacy so you can write another fascinating article?

[SimonH]

Although not quite as good as Pryor, Johnny Tapia has led a fascinating life in and out of the ring.

I suspect the Floyd Jr story will be fun in the end, his family are pretty crazy!