Aaron Pryor vs Richard Tomcyzk - Amateur Bout - Muhammad Ali guest and color commentator

Aaron Pryor was one of the top U.S. amateurs. He was very successful internationally. He was considered a 'lock' for the 1976 Olympic team. All he had to do to make the team was win the U.S. Olympic Trials and the Box-Offs, and he'd already beaten most of the participants. Unfortunately for him, Pryor lost in the finals of the Olympic Trials to Howard Davis Jr. They rematched at the Box-Offs, and Howard Davis beat him again.

Howard Davis then won the Olympic Gold medal and was named the outstanding boxer at the Games. And Davis signed a big television contract with the help of Gerry Cooney's management team and became a regular on network television.

Meanwhile, Pryor turned pro with no deals. He ended up agreeing to be Howard Davis' chief sparring partner in order to make regular money. No one gave him the time of day for a couple reasons. One being he was a dangerous opponent who people could avoid because he had no pull. People thought Pryor had peaked as an amateur.

Over the next three years or so, Pryor became a top lightweight contender, but none of the champs were interested in fighting him. So Pryor had to move up to junior welterweight in order to get a title shot. (But he was really a natural lightweight at the time.)

Pryor's story isn't that unique. There were a lot of guys who were considered "locks" for the Olympic team, failed to make the team, and then people tended to ignore or dismiss them when they turned pro.

Michael Bentt was the top American amateur heavyweight for YEARS! But Bentt lost to Ray Mercer in the Trials and the Box-Offs, then Bentt turned pro and lost his pro debut by first round KO. And he was all but forgotten until he wasted Tommy Morrison.

But, if you go back and watch old amateur boxing from 1986 and 1987, Michael Bentt was "the man."

 

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Even fought the Hitman.

 

Wow, great amateur brawl I 4got how good it was!

 

It is interesting to note that Pryor got a title shot about the same time Davis did.

Buddy LaRosa was a good manager. He may have ripped him off $$ wise but he was good at matching him and moved him well.

 

Pryor's fighting style is a carbon copy from his amateur to his pro days. Its so rare for a young fighter to have a complete package like that.

 

No. I had never seen it.

Pryor looked pretty slick