Most Avoided/Ducked Fighters

I think most fans considered Hagler number one after the Seales annihilation. But after Marv drew with Antuofermo, he shouldn't have retained that distinction from the press, at least not until a successful challenge. Interestingly, Vito declared immediately after their draw that he'd rather fight Hagler in a rematch than Hugo Corro (RIP). Of course Vito didn't have to go looking for Hagler, unlike the cutie Corro. Vito ducked nobody. (Just check out the names on his record. Weston, Griffith, Dagge, Hope, Briscoe, Hart, Curto....not the sort of opposition a contender would normally inflate his resume with on the way up.)

 

Pryor called ALL of them out and NONE answered! (Kenty, O’Grady, Watt, Mancini) and so he called out the big names heavier then him (Leonard and Hearns) and NONE of them answered either. He was looking for a big $ fight. And the big boys knew Aaron needed them, they didn't need him. At that time in boxing Pryor was a Beast!

 

Vito vs Hagler I believe was the last time I ever saw the unwritten rule of "You have to knock out the Champ to be the Champ!" applied. Vito just kept coming, he was not going to give it away easily. What a heart in this guy.

 

Holeman Williams
Jimmy Bivins
Pat Valentino

 

In essence, Howard was scared of Aaron too?

 

Corrie Sanders in recent times, Ike Ibeabuchi (no one was rushing to fight him) Virchis (who wants his title)...Irish Joey Archer middle weight contender of the 60's who beat Hurricane Carter,Dick Tiger, Sugar ray Robinson,got a title fight vs Griffith and was robbed the first fight

 

A rule broken in Vito's next defense against Minter. I was reading a newspaper account about the wild drunken melee that erupted in London when Hagler took the title. The sports columnist who wrote it was at ringside with Vito, who was providing color commentary on a telecast, and when the riot broke out, Vito said, "Let's get out of here!" Leading interference for his companions, he was confronted by a sotted hooligan with a broken bottle, and drilled him to the floor. (Unlike Tyson, Vito's hand didn't break either.) That granite mosquito may not be large enough to deter the threat of violence, but I wouldn't mind having him as my bodyguard!

If headgear had been mandatory equipment during Vito's career (I do not believe it should be required), so as to prevent bleeding from clashing heads, then Antuofermo may have been darned near unstoppable. (However, it sure looked to me as though Vito and Mauricio Aldana were both using their heads as weapons in the early going.) When Antuofermo and Hagler whacked craniums in their rematch, Vito sustained the laceration that would lead to the stoppage, but when it actually occurred, it was Marv, not Vito, who went reeling around the ring in pain and agony. Vito's noggin was as hard as a coconut.

Joan Antuofermo was a terrifically supportive wife for her husband's ring career. She understands boxing very well, and was never fazed by the sight of her man's blood in competition. Her enthusiatic endorsement of Vito's fistic pusuits made Joan uniquely noteworthy among wives of pugilists. Even today, she can be counted on to set the facts of her husband's exploits straight.

 

While I'm not specifically aware of Howard ducking Pryor, it seems a reasonable conclusion, given their amateur history. There's little question that The Hawk would have won Olympic gold if that trials decision went his way.

In his rematch with Arguello, Alexis had Aaron pinned on the ropes. As Pryor pushed Arguello down with his arms on Alexis's back, Arguello wailed away at Pryor's crotch with some low bombs. Pryor simply laughed it off while Arguello teed off on his groin. (The referee promptly separated them, and penalized Alexis for his flagrant and desperate fouling.) It looked as though Aaron had brass in his trunks. It's a good thing for Duran that he got Buchanan for the LW title, instead of Pryor. Aaron's nether region might have withstood Golota's attack when he rematched Alexis, for all we know.

Who would want to take on somebody unfazed by deliberate low blows from an established power puncher? It would have taken a defensive genious like Whitaker or Locche to decision Pryor when Aaron took out Arguello. (It's worth going to the IBHOF Induction Weekend, just to meet The Hawk, as most anybody who has already knows.)

 

Mancini eventually did answer the call. During the broadcast of Leroy Haley's WBC Light Welterweight title defense rematch against Bruce Curry, Aaron and Ray were guest commentating. This was the month following Pryor's second defense against Arguello, and he was looking for a third big money superfight. Mancini would shortly face Bobby Chacon, but few really expected Chacon to pull another rabbit out of the hat against Boom-Boom.

It was actually a pretty dull and uninspired sales pitch between Mancini and Pryor, nothing in the way of entertaining banter. It seemed as though the Deuk Koo Kim tragedy had really sapped Mancini of his boyish exhuberance, while Pryor sounded hung-over from the post Arguello aftermath. When the two of them described for the viewing audience how exciting a Pryor-Mancini promotion would be, they sounded bored and dull, as amazing as that must come across. The match between Haley and Curry was a barnburner, yet they both commented on it with listless interest. (Cosell would have livened up the account of the action tremendously. I don't remember who the announcer was for Haley-Curry II, but he didn't do a very good job on this rousing performance.)

After that protracted display of apathy on the part of Pryor and Mancini, there was no way they could successfully sell the public on a contest between the two. After Michael Spinks kayoed Marvin Johnson, his WBC counterpart, Matthew Saad Muhammmad, was brought into the post-fight interview. As the camera was showing Johnson being revived, the first words heard out of Matt's mouth were, "You know, I knocked out Marvin Johnson twice!" Mike immediately fired back with, "And you almost got killed by him twice!" They instantly started howling back and forth at each other, but when the camera cut to the two of them yelling between themselves, Saad had his arm around Spinks, and the two were bantering with laughing faces. They didn't need to convince the public they hated each other, just demonstrate a playfully spirited and competitive difference of opinion on how they'd do against one another. (Saad Muhammad probably should have defended against Spinks right after he took out Conteh, before Mike became a totally lethal LH, except the money wouldn't have been as good. Looking back, I'm kind of relieved Matt didn't fight Spinks after Mike nearly decapitated Johnson. With his heart and lack of defense, Saad might have gotten killed.)

Between Mancini and Pryor, there was no spark of any kind, whatsoever, like there was between Spinks and Saad, or Duran and SRL in Montreal, or Chacon and Limon, no heat in the least. By that stage of their careers, the fire was mostly out.

 

i agree with every single one


but virchis:huh man the guy is so slow for a man his size he fights like valuev without the dominating size.
he was given trouble by the little known (and i feel underated) michael sprott. this isnt the makings of a great champion he is just undefeated thats all...ducked maybe but he isnt unbeatable and he doesny make anyone look bad.

 

alot of people say ray leonard was one of the best. but never beat a
high level workrate fighter like aaron pryor.
he is known for his wins against don lalonde, roberto duran and thomas
hearns, but he not only ducked pryor, but he also ducked frank tate,
michael nunn, mark medal, robby simms, don lee, michael olajade, james
kitchen, and steve collins.

so yea i am in total belif he was ducked by the big names

 

Sanders wasn't ducked he didnt fight anyone to get a title shot

Ibeauchi - wasnt he locked up before he could be ducked?

Virchis got a gift against journeyman Sprott and lost a few fights ago

 

I'd have to go with Sven Ottke.

 

James Scott, He virtually cleaned out the Light Heavyweight division & never got a shot at the title... Johnny Tapia, He had to almost beg Romero to fight him.

 

I'd probably have to say Sam Langford.:good