Let's say nothing was in the bottle in the first Pryor-Arguello match...

How do you feel it would have turned out if Aaron didn't get that extra "boost"?

 

Look Bill, this is an impossible question sorry.

 

I meant how do you feel it would have turned out.

 

The same way just like the rematch.

 

Well we don't have any REAL clue if the bottle was loaded or not. Honestly, this is just impossible. Even if we KNEW the bottle was hot we'd be just guessing, and if we knew it wasn't well obviously no change.

 

It's possible nothing was in the bottle for the first fight. I doubt we'll ever know so we have to go with the fight we saw. And I don't agree that the 2nd fight proves anything. Arguello suffered a brutal knockout (fairly or unfairly) at the end of the first fight and it surely took a lot out of him physically and more importantly mentally.

 

To me, Arguello lost to Pryor because he was a guy who won his first title at featherweight and by the time he fought Pryor, was competing at 140. Also though still a dangerous and formidible challenge for Pryor, not only was he not at his best weight, but he had been a pro for 15 years at that point and had over 80 bouts, so he was past his prime as well. Because IMO Arguello in his prime and at his best weight is one of the top 20 fighters pound for pound of all time.

 

Even as an Arguello fan, I will say that the fight would have turned out......

Pryor TKO14 Arguello

 

"I hit him with good shots, and nothing happens." Arguello after Miami. My supposition is that Alex's resistance and spirit were crushed after the Hawk took that magnificent right, and Pryor had demonstrated excellent stamina and late round finishing ability before. Even against Bobby Joe Young, he wasn't separated from his senses. He could get dropped by being caught off-balance, but he never appeared to be knocked silly. I don't think the contents of the bottle changed the outcome.

 

I cant say the result would be any different.

 

In my book, this win will always carry an asterisk. You cannot mix water with water. The evidence is there. Something was amiss. Minutes later, Pryor storms out with a strong combination, enough for a TKO win that eluded him for the previous 13 rounds.

This is a shame, because Pryor was ahead and may have won without a boost, but the simple fact that his trainer introduced it to me cancels out what transpired later, just as Ben Johnson's steroid use cancelled out his win over Lewis, his record time and his gold medal triumph. Once you play outside the rules, you are elegible for disqualification.

At their best weights, Argüello was greater than Pryor.

The rematch saw a worn-out and mentally beaten warrior in Argüello naturally falling short against his naturally bigger, younger foe.

What happened, happened, but Argüello's standing is just as large as if he had won his fourth crown, never complaining, seeking glory choosing the most perilous road possible, and emerging what he is: a champion.

 

If the bottle was loaded...... then Pryor was loaded before he went to the ring (before the 1st round started)......... the 13th round thing, would have been just a "refill"

I asked a question long time ago... and I will ask it again... what drugs were available at that time (other than coca)..... drugs that could make somebody react like brand new.....

There was no urine test before or after the fight and Pryor didn't want the fight to be a 15rd fight...... He wanted a 12 rd fight.....

 

I think a better question is how would a prime Arguello fair against a nonjuiced Pryor

 

Years ago, a book was published titled, "How to Want What You Have." Since Arguello challenged Pryor in Miami, several boxers have collected titles in several weight divisions, diminishing the magnitude of Alex's aspirations for a fourth crown. However, El Flaco Explosive has indeed registered a historic career first which has been overlooked.

Alexis Arguello will forever be the first boxer in history to successfully defend world championships in three different weight divisions without ever being dethroned by a challenger.

Of the four triple crown champions who preceded Benitez, Fitzsimmons lost the heavyweight title in his first defense to Jeffries, and the light heavyweight honors to Philadelphia Jack O'Brien. Canzoneri managed to lose both the LW and JWW Championships in a single match to Barney Ross. P4P ATG Ross lost his WW Title to both McLarnin and fellow P4P ATG Armstrong. Hank in turn eventually lost that WW crown to Zivic, never defended his FW honors, and lost in his first defense at LW in the rematch with Ambers. Benitez vacated his first championship at 140, but did lose the WW belt to SRL, and at 154 to Hearns.

Arguello might actually be the first champion to defend world titles in more than one weight division without ever losing a title defense. So far, every double crown predecessor of Alex's who I've researched retired either having vacated a championship they never defended, or lost at least once to a title challenger.

Winning championships in multiple divisions is now like hitting 500 career home runs in baseball. But making multiple title defenses in three different weight divisions without ever losing as a defending champion is more like 500 pitching victories. It's very difficult for any boxer to retire with an intact title defense record like Arguello's, as the temptation to continue competing until being conquered is so pervasive.

PBF won titles in five weight divisions, but he only defended three of those. To break Arguello's record by defending successfully in a fourth division, he'd first have to come out of retirement, win a title at a weight he never defended a championship at, successfully repel a challenger, then retire for good without ever being defeated in defense of that title. (Incidentally, PBF has had only 13 title defenses to Arguello's 19.)

 

Winning titles in multiple weightclasses has been sorely diminished as an accomplishment in recent years.