How Come Arguello Never Unified a Title?

Agreed. I think if he'd beaten Pryor he'd be talked about in the top 10, maybe top 5 alltime. The perception is, and I'm guilty of this too , that a great fighter with speed would automatically beat Arguello. We sometimes forget that Pryor took some hellacious shots and Arguello put him thorugh hell. I personally think Sanchez would've edged him at Featherweight, but if he'd beaten Pryor I probably would think differently. I'm not sure that's fair, but that's my perception.

 

Pryor was a very faster fighter, probably faster than he is given credit for. Some of the combinations he put on Arguello, Ray Leonard would have been proud of. But, I still believe had that been any other fighter getting hit with those shots, the fight wouldn't have gone the distance and Arguello would have had his hands raised. I won't touch on the black bottle incident, but Alexis was a concussive puncher and he was hitting Pryor with flush right hands more times than I think Pryor cares to remember.

 

Which would have been his best oppurtunity to unify the title? Well actually when he was Featherweight Champion, there was talk of Arguello moving up to challenge Undisputed Lightweight Champion: Roberto Duran...

 

I just watched Pryor vs Arguello 1 for the first time in full and it was an unbelievable fight. Constant action for 13 rounds, and some of those right hands that landed on Pryors chin made me cringe. In fairness, Arguello was also hit with some unbelievable shots, both warriors showed tremendous heart and chin to stand up to he punishment for as long as they did. The right hand that snapped Pryors headback in the 12th round would have stopped anybody.

 

Did you catch Pryor's trainer in between rounds thirteen & fourteen telling a cornerman to give him "The bottle that I mixed". Then Pryor comes out for the fourteenth round like he was on fire. Just one of the controversies surrounding the fight.

 

I did indeed. That is one of the talking points about the entire fight.

Although Alexis is one of my favourite fighters of all time, I had him trailing by the 13th round anyhow. The hardest shots were being landed by Alexis, but Pryor landed more in nearly every round. Whatever was in that bottle was illegal, but I think Pryor would have won either way. Just my opinion.

Alexis Arguello's right hand has got to be top 3 all time. It's like a thunderbolt.

 

What would Alexis have done differently had he been in more of a prime state? He hit Pryor with every single shot imaginable, and he still couldn't get his man out of there. Pryor didn't even look like hitting the canvas.

 

In those days one champion was usually far better than the "other" champion. In Arguello's case at Jr. Lightweight, he was clearly superior to Sammy Serrano, the WBA champ. However, the political thing was stronger too back then, as someone else posted. Now they have "unified rules" etc.

 

A prime Arguello although he had a powerful right hand. was known for an explosive left hook. Hence his nickname"The explosive Thin Man". Check out the left hook that took out Alfredo Escalera!

 

Great to see so much credit to Arguello. The man is one of the greatest to ever lace a glove and is one of the most powerful punchers in history.

 

..............The best explanation I've seen thus far.

Everyone knew Arguello was the real champ at 126, 130, and 135. It was probably more a question of the other champions either not being anywhere near his league (as in Serrano's case) or their managers not wanting any part of him. I wouldn't blame Bennie Georgino for steering clear of him (Danny Lopez, I'm talking about here).

 

He knocked Escalera down three times in that fight I think and all came from left hooks.

Still, Alexis Arguello's right hand was always his best punch and if that couldn't take Pryor out having landed it something like 5-6 times in the fight, then his left probably wouldn't have either. It wasn't that Alexis ever ran out of steam, he got stronger down the stretch pulling back on the scorecards, he was just hit with a Pryor right that put him on the ropes. Pryor was reinvigorated for whatever reason and exploded with combinations.

Even a prime Arguello at that weight loses to Pryor.