Was it the bottle or was something in the "smelling salts" in pryor vs arguello

I doubt it was cocaine. That would cause shortness of breath and loss of coordination.

 

Eh...Arguello also threw Eddie Futch under the bus after that bout with Pryor. I believe Alexis later apologized but he wasn't as gracious a loser as he was in winning.

 

If the situation was reversed and Arguello's corner was heard saying the same thing (if they spoke English) would there have been a controversy?

You would have never heard a word about it. He was the good guy and Aaron was the villain.

 

Arguello apologized quite quickly and called it the biggest mistake of his life. Yes he took the loss hard initially but he's not the only one that's ever been on that front. If he still wondered so many years later after all the dust had settled and they had become good friends he probably felt something was amiss. Given Lewis' track record who could blame him. The lowlife showed a proven lack of regard for legalities and ruined a guys life. Resto also made claims Panama gave him special mixed designed to help him in later rounds.

 

Drugs can be absorbed under the tongue and take effect very quickly.

 

Ephedrine is very possible and something rumored to have been in it.

 

Arguello had so much pride and he was still fighting near his peak at the time he faced Pryor. Like Sugar Ray Robinson said "a great warrior never loses. Something just happens to keep him from winning."

 

Would you say the bottle was 100% irrefutably beyond reproach and not illegal tho? Why would it be sought out and administered, or even needed?

Whether the bottle affected the fight is up to individual opinion, but it was illegal and something was not definitely right.

 

All these people saying that it takes HOURS to take effect dont know what they are talking about.
He had stimuant of some kind in that bottle and it took effect quickly and all the sudden he comes out in the fourteenth like its the first.
The win is tainted because of that. Dont care if he beat AA in the rematch.

 

I'm sure there was something in there other than water. I just don't think there is anything that could make you take those punches and still fight in a controlled way. It was Pryor's greatest performance but he always fought with a ton of energy. I don't think he needed anything to beat Arguello. @ 140 at least. Pryor fought an intelligent fight and made adjustments on the fly. Not every fighter can do that.

Perhaps the best overall fight I've ever seen.

 

They said it was peppermint because Pryor was belching and hiccupping before the fight,it could be true.Lewis was a grade A scumbag

 

Plenty of things out there that can take an ordinary man, or an exhausted trained fighter, and turn him into a superman for a few minutes.

 

Having a guy like that with you opens you up to questions. So though i don't believe he needed anything Pryor brought this on himself.

 

Or give him an instant heart attack. In a situation like that I'm not sure which way your body would go. Your already dehydrated, your heart is racing as it was let's through some fuel on it.

 

It doesn't matter if you think it worked well or had enough time to work or what was in the bottle. Anything other than water was/is illegal. It's really that simple.