Aaron Pryor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aaron Pryor
Statistics
Nickname(s)	The Hawk
Rated at	Light welterweight
Height	5 ft 6 in
Reach	69 in
Nationality	American
Born	(1955-10-20)October 20, 1955 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	October 9, 2016(2016-10-09) (aged 60) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	40
Wins	39
Wins by KO	35
Losses	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  United States Pan American Games Silver 1975 Mexico City Lightweight

Aaron Pryor (born October 20, 1955 – died October 9, 2016) was an American professional boxer. He competed from 1976 to 1990. He was known as "The Hawk" because of his aggressive fighting style.

Pryor was a two-time world champion in the light welterweight division. He held the WBA title from 1980 to 1983. Later, he held the IBF title from 1984 to 1985. He also held the Ring magazine title and the lineal title.

In 1982, boxing writers named Pryor their Fighter of the Year. He was added to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996. In 1999, he was voted the best light welterweight of the 20th century by the Associated Press.

Early Life and Amateur Boxing

Aaron Pryor was nicknamed "The Hawk" even when he was an amateur boxer. He had an amazing amateur record of 204 wins and only 16 losses.

In 1973, he won the National Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Lightweight Championship. He won it again in 1975. That same year, he won a silver medal at the Pan American Games. He lost in the final match to Chris Clarke from Canada.

Pryor also beat future boxing star Thomas Hearns in 1976. This was during the lightweight finals of the National Golden Gloves competition. He later lost a close fight to Howard Davis Jr. at the 1976 Olympic Trials. Pryor still went to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal as an alternate.

As an amateur, Pryor achieved something special in 1974. He defeated three future world champions from the USSR in one event: Vassily Solomin, Valery Lvov, and Valery Rachkov.

Becoming a Professional Boxer

Pryor started his professional boxing career on November 11, 1976. He won his first fight by knockout in the second round. He earned $400 for that fight.

He fought eight times in 1977, winning most of them by knockout. After those first two fights, Pryor went on a streak of 26 wins in a row by knockout. This was one of the longest knockout streaks in boxing history!

In 1979, Pryor fought his first former world champion, Alfonso Frazer. Pryor knocked out Frazer in the fifth round. This win helped him get ranked by the World Boxing Association.

World Champion Fights

On August 2, 1980, Aaron Pryor fought Antonio Cervantes for the WBA light-welterweight championship. The fight was in Pryor's hometown of Cincinnati. Pryor was knocked down in the first round, but he got back up. He then knocked out Cervantes in the fourth round to become the world champion!

He successfully defended his title for the first time on November 22, 1980. He knocked out Gaetan Hart in the sixth round.

Pryor was offered a lot of money to fight other big names like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Durán. However, these fights did not happen due to various reasons, including disagreements over money and issues with promoters.

He continued to defend his WBA title. On June 27, 1981, he knocked out Lennox Blackmore. He also beat Dujuan Johnson and Miguel Montilla in 1981 and 1982. On July 4, 1982, he fought Akio Kameda. Pryor was knocked down in the first round again, but he came back to win by knockout in the sixth round.

Pryor was supposed to fight Sugar Ray Leonard for a big championship match in 1982. But Leonard had a serious eye injury and had to retire. Pryor was very sad when he heard the news.

The Famous Fights with Alexis Arguello

On November 12, 1982, Aaron Pryor had one of his most famous fights. He defended his title against Alexis Arguello. This fight was called "The Battle of The Champions." It was a very exciting fight and was later named the Fight of the Decade by The Ring magazine.

Pryor won the fight in the fourteenth round by TKO (Technical Knockout). Arguello was a very tough opponent.

Pryor fought Arguello again on September 9, 1983, in Las Vegas, Nevada. This rematch was also a huge event. Pryor won this fight by knockout in the tenth round. After this fight, both Pryor and Arguello announced they were retiring from boxing.

Retirement and Comeback

Aaron Pryor's retirement did not last long. In March 1984, he announced he would fight again. He said he never truly retired, just rested. He had given up his WBA title because they wanted him to defend it every six months. The new IBF quickly recognized him as their world champion.

On June 22, 1984, Pryor defended his IBF title against Nick Furlano in Canada. Pryor won by a unanimous decision after fifteen rounds. Furlano was the first boxer in 27 fights to last the entire fight against Pryor.

Pryor defended his title one more time against Gary Hinton on March 2, 1985. He won by a split decision after fifteen rounds.

Professional Boxing Record

Later Life and Legacy

Aaron Pryor passed away on October 9, 2016. He was 60 years old and had been suffering from heart disease. He is remembered as one of the most exciting and powerful boxers of his time.

See also

In Spanish: Aaron Pryor para niños