Could Aaron Pryor Have Beat Alexis Arguello Without The Black Bottle ?

Yes, didnt change anything imo. More focus should be on the late stage in Alexis' career ... If Alexis had less wear and tear on him , he wins imo

 

Im thinking Aaron wins without the bottle. Probably a bit more tenuos situation, but he wins. And Alexis is not beating Saoul Mamby for the other world best. Mamby decisions him.

 

What is overlooked is what a great fight it was between 2 great fighters. Highly highly anticipated bout and both guys had strong support. We the fans just do not get many of these matches. And then to actually have a great fight on fight night.

Who else takes those A#1 right hands from Arguello when he sets them up like that? And how many former 130 pounders are taking all those Pryor punches for that long? That championship pedigree was sure on display that night & is something we usually just do not see. Let alone the terrific conditioning it takes to even be in a bout like that.

We certainly got to see championship heart from both guys. Highest pedigree in the sport on display. Another thing seldom mentioned is how effective Pryor was when he jabbed and moved his feet. Most folks thought he was incapable of that kind of strategy and had not anticipated nor expected him fighting like that.

They were 2 of my favorite fighters--but sure did not like seeing the great Arguello going down at the end like that. I am a firm believer in the Angie Dundee theory of a guy suffering a late round ko > a sustained beating is the hardest defeat to ever come back from. They just don't recover.

I know I sure did not like Arguello's chances in a rematch after that kind of loss. Incredible his management would even take the fight.

And if it was cocaine that helped Aaron to that win in the first fight---why did all the other fighters w/ that drug problem back then fail to have A#1 results like that? I just don't buy that cocaine was an addition & always considered it to be a sizable subtraction from a fighter.

 

I don't believe he would. Pryor was a drug cheat who largely owed his success to Panama Lewis and his "sorcery". That disgraceful cheat's name should not be mentioned anywhere when ATGs are being discussed.

It should be noted that Emanuel Stewart admitted in an interview that Pryor told him that him & Panama Lewis were doing illegal stuff.

"Another one was the second fight with Alexis Arguello and Arron Pryor, when Pryor asked me to train him. He was afraid going into the rematch with Arguello because Panama Lewis had been arrested and put in jail at the time, and he was the guy who trained him for the first fight, and even though he never admitted it in so many words, he told me that they were basically getting by with some kind of things that were not legal. So I said, “Well, I will show you how to beat Alexis, but we will beat him by using technique and then you won’t be hit by all those big punches. You know, you’re not going to come to me at the end of the round and where I’ll have something to give you in the drink".

https://www.boxing247.com/weblog/archives/125129

As for the rematch result, I don't accept it as a proof of Pryor having Arguello's number or being a superior fighter at 140. Arguello sustained career altering damage at the end of their 1st bout. His punch resistance was likely never the same after punishment that cheater Pryor inflicted on him then.