Well, assuming round 12 was scored 10-8 on all three cards, Chavez would have still lost on a split decision.
Not sure about Norton because Garcia could crack .. in their rematch he was past it .. Norton did get knocked down two or three other times very early in his career and came back to win but the competition was extremely modest .. I think w Norton was the way he froze up and collapsed against both Foreman and Shavers , especially Shavers who was a murderous puncher but not an overall championship caliber fighter ..
I know who was in his corner, I know what he was PROVEN to have done (Billy Collins vs Luis Resto) and I know how a lot of you assume that makes him guilty of cheating in the Pryor vs Arguello fight. As if as I said earlier Pryor was LOSING this fight. I love Arguello, and I actually wanted, and thought he would ko Pryor,,,,, EARLY! Pryor , being as reckless and undisciplined as he was , and the many knock downs he suffered during his career, I thought I'd be going home early from the Orange Bowl . But. Pryor was winning the fight, and though he aggressively attacked, he attacked with discipline. Everyone mentions Lewis but was Lewis in Pryors corner the 2nd fight? All of you "Magic Bottle " believers simply omit their was a 2nd fight. As if it didn't take place. Or, the fact of Pryor was WINNING the 1st fight, but of course Arguello had his moments. Funny, after all these years and all the corner people and hype men I saw around Pryor that night, not one has said their was something Lewis did that increased Pryors stamina. Sure Pryor may have been on Cocaine, But Arguello could've been also, because that's Miami 1980' s and both men had their addictions. But was it proven? Luis Resto said Lewis put antihistamines in his water when he fought. But no science yet has proven that actually does anything good or bad,And that amounts only to an "Old wife's tale ". If someone comes with some good evidence that suggest their was something Lewis did that increased Pryors stamina I'll be the 1st to listen and jump on that Band wagon. But other than "speculation "their was something shady, no proof or real evidence has ever been found, all the corner men and groupies there, but yet no witnesses. In a court of law, Pryor would be found not guilty. And the evidence is merely hearsay. Passed down for almost 40yrs now. Give credit where credit is due. Pryor fooled all of us. And could really fight And when one looks back on his career , all the way back to his amateur days it should've been obvious. He didn't need a "magic bottle ". Let the man rest in peace with his biggest win. And stop with the " magic bottle " scenario because that's what " You want to believe happened ".
Oh, you get no argument from me about Lewis. Personally, I thought he should have gone to prison for a long stretch for Aggravated Assault, along with Resto. But where's the proof anything he did made a difference in Pryor vs Arguello?
I think you're missing the point friend. It doesn't matter WHAT has been proven to help or not help. All that matters is, what the rules stated at the time, ANYTHING but water IS illegal. If you mix something with matter, it doesn't matter whether it helps or not, be definition, it's illegal.
Through no fault of his own, some of us will always see Pryor's incredible performance that night as possibly tainted. Damned by his association with that lowlife Lewis. Pity.
But what WAS in the bottle? As I noted Luis Resto said that's what was given to him, but was that given to Pryor? Is their any PROOF? Or witnesses? But again, facts are out the window where this fight is concerned. Merly taking over by rumour, and what MAY HAVE happened. Not what did, a lot of people seem to need some nefarious reason for Pryors win. But like everyone else, you omit the fact of the 2nd fight . As if it didn't happen. But it did, Pryor stopped Arguello even earlier , without Lewis. Face it Pryor was the better Jr welter. Was he a better overall fighter? Of course he wasn't. Does his win overshadow ANY of Arguello's accomplishments before this fight? If you know anything about boxing you know it doesn't. Does Pryors win somehow place Pryor higher than Arguello on anyone's ATG'S list? If you think that than you believe Robinson's lost to Maxim place Maxim higher, Spinks win over Ali place him higher. Etc. Pryors win only mean he was the better Jr.welter . But to insinuate Pryor needed some extra "element " to beat Arguello means you really haven't looked at Pryors career all the way back to his amateur days. The man could FIGHT! It's the reason he went to Jr.welter in the 1st place, no one wanted any part of him at lightweight, his natural weight. Pryor was only a better Jr.welt. he had been fighting at that weight for yrs, he was accustomed to it . In a War like that fight turned out to be , those extra five, six pounds may have been the difference in Pryors ability to withstand punches that KO'ed opponents at lighter weights, it's much more plausible than the magic bottle theory. Plus again, Pryor could fight. Better than anyone, including myself thought he could, one only have to watch the 1st 10rds of the 1st fight to see that . Believe what you choose, that's your opinion. But my opinion, like the beginning of this topic said. It's a little ( a lot ) over blown.
