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Dougie’s Friday mailbag

Fighters Network
14
Oct

REMEMBERING AARON PRYOR

Hey Doug,

A tough few weeks for Boxing. Seems my letters recently have been about fighters we have lost. Recently Bobby Chacon and now Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor.

I am so glad I was around to see him in his prime. Easily one of the most exciting fighters I have ever seen, and at that time a lot of his fights were carried on network TV. You always got your money’s worth with him because he always came to fight. A technical and highly skilled fighter he fought at a whirlwind pace. I remember him winning the junior welterweight title from Antonio Cervantes, a fighter with much more experience yet Pryor stopped him in four exciting rounds. His November 1982 fight with Alexis Arguello was truly one of those fights for the ages…and it was on HBO! Now days you would have to pay premium PPV prices for a bout of that magnitude. Arguello was a great boxer who liked to set the pace and then dismantle his opponent but Pryor gave him no room to breathe. Pryor’s combinations were an endless stream that never stopped coming. Never the less, Arguello did manage to land some booming right hand counters during the fight, one very memorable one midway through the bout snapped Pryor’s head back and you could hear the impact when it landed…. yet Pryor somehow remained upright and continued his assault.



A hail of punches in the 14th round ended matters and as a fan, you knew you had witnessed something great, a moment in history.

Part of Pryor’s legend is two fights that NEVER happened. There was talk of him fighting Ray Mancini (what a fight that would have been) but the powers that be let that one marinate a little too long and Ray wound up losing his title before it could happen. The other fight that was rumored was Pryor against Ray Leonard. Talk at the time suggested Ray wanted no part of Pryor. Maybe so, maybe not. You would have to favor Leonard but it still would have been a helluva fight.

A meteor like that can only burn bright for so long and later cocaine and eye problems ended Pryor’s fighting days, but he did turn his life around becoming a beloved figure in the sport as well as his community. His induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame was well deserved. I’m so sorry to hear of his passing, but so glad I got to see so many of his fights live. They don’t make them like him anymore. – David, Nashville

Nope, they definitely don’t make ‘em like Pryor anymore, at least not from the U.S. I could be wrong but I don’t think we’ll ever see an American amateur standout turn pro with the same insatiable hunger that Pryor was possessed with. Add that burning desire to his athleticism and (often overlooked) technical ability and we’re talking about a very special fighter. And I do mean “fighter.” Pryor could box but he was a fighter, as you know. Like a modern-day Henry Armstrong, he was perpetual motion. However, it wasn’t all offense. His feet, head and upper-body were moving at all times, too. It’s one of the reasons he caused so many orthodox boxers trouble (including all-time great ones like Cervantes and Arguello).

I am so glad I was around to see him in his prime. Lucky you. I was aware of Pryor in the late 1970s and early ‘80s because I used to live in Columbus, Ohio, and he was from Cincinnati (so the adults around me that followed sports occasionally spoke of him), but I didn’t care to tune-in to his fights because at that time boxing only comprised of three people to me: Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Howard Cosell (as was the case with most “ kid fans” back then).

Easily one of the most exciting fighters I have ever seen, and at that time a lot of his fights were carried on network TV. It was a great time to be a boxing fan.

You always got your money’s worth with him because he always came to fight. A technical and highly skilled fighter he fought at a whirlwind pace. Pryor was the best of both boxing worlds: a slugger that always gave 100% and an elite-level athlete/boxer.

I remember him winning the junior welterweight title from Antonio Cervantes, a fighter with much more experience yet Pryor stopped him in four exciting rounds. Cervantes entered that fight with 100 pro bouts under his belt (it was to be his 17th title defense over two impressive WBA 140-pound reigns). It was different time, my friend. We’re not going to see any championship-level veterans with that many fights going forward.

Photo: THE RING

Photo: THE RING

A hail of punches in the 14th round ended matters and as a fan, you knew you had witnessed something great, a moment in history. I can’t imagine what that fight must have been like live. Perhaps it was something akin to Corrales-Castillo I (which I witnessed from press row) but my guess is that the first Pryor-Arguello fight had the edge in intensity and atmosphere because they were higher-level fighters (bona-fide hall of famers, while Chico and JLC are “borderliners”), contesting on a larger stage and the fight almost went the 15-round championship distance.

There was talk of him fighting Ray Mancini (what a fight that would have been) but the powers that be let that one marinate a little too long and Ray wound up losing his title before it could happen. I don’t know if the reason Pryor-Mancini never happened was due to the “Powers That Be” allowing it to “marinate” too long. Mancini lost his WBA lightweight title to Livingston Bramble in mid-1984. By that time Pryor had been stripped of his WBA 140-pound belt, and though subsequently awarded the new IBF version, he was headlong into his downward spiral of cocaine addiction and self-destruction. Pryor defended his IBF title with a 15-round decision over Nick Furlano in Toronto the same month that Bramble stopped Mancini in Round 14 of their title bout in Buffalo, New York. Pryor clearly wasn’t the same fighter by that point of his career, so when would that bout have made sense? 1983? Mancini was on a gradual three-bout rebound that year following his tragic title bout against Deuk-Koo Kim in late 1982. And Pryor, who was coming off the biggest fight and victory of his career (against Arguello), was probably more focused on his lucrative rematch with the Nicaraguan legend than his fellow Ohioan.

Perhaps this mythical matchup could have happened earlier in ’82 (both Mancini-Kim and Pryor-Arguello I took place in November, and this was an era when champions fought more than two or three times a year). However, Mancini didn’t win his lightweight belt (with a first-round TKO of Art Frias) until May of ’82. Prior to that fight, although he was a hero in Youngstown, he was viewed as a promising but somewhat wet-behind-the-ears young contender that had been outclassed and overwhelmed by Arguello on national television (in October 1981). If he wasn’t ready for Arguello, he certainly wasn’t ready for Pryor in ’81 or ’82 (I say this with the utmost respect for Mancini).

The other fight that was rumored was Pryor against Ray Leonard. It would have been a hell of a fight while it lasted but I agree with Steve Farhood, who stated that “The Hawk” was too small to get the better of SRL during a recent interview on The Next Round podcast (with Steve Kim and Gabriel Montoya). Like the proposed Mancini bout, I think the stars were never aligned for this fascinating matchup. Pryor didn’t make a name for himself outside the boxing world until the first Arguello fight – which was in November of ’82, the same month that Leonard announced his retirement after undergoing surgery to repair a detached retina. If the bout didn’t take place in ’82, when would it have happened? In 1981? I don’t think so. Apart from the fact that Pryor (who was still under-the-radar as far as the general sports fan was concerned) had promotional issues that only saw him fight twice that year (hard-fought stoppages of Lennox Blackmoore and Dujuan Johnson – two respected contenders but totally unknown outside of boxing), Leonard had bigger fish to fry (namely a Hitman from the Motor City).

Talk at the time suggested Ray wanted no part of Pryor. Maybe so, maybe not. “Maybe so”? You can’t really believe that. The man fought Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran (in back-to-back fights) and Thomas Hearns in a span of LESS THAN TWO YEARS (with Davey “Boy” Green, Larry Bonds and 154-pound beltholder Ayub Kalule tossed in for good measure).

You would have to favor Leonard but it still would have been a helluva fight. Of course it would have been – Pryor was involved.

 

BOXING & POLITICS

As you know, boxing has had its integration with politics for many, many years – from Jack Johnson, Teddy Roosevelt, Muhammad Ali…

The question of today: Who is better for Boxing? Trump or Clinton. Why? – Alex

trump-tyson_mailbagInteresting question. I would imagine that Trump would be more compatible with boxing given his NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder, a mental condition shared by many promoters) and his history with the sport (hosting all those Mike Tyson events at his Atlantic City properties in the late ‘80s – are you old enough to remember that “Thank you Mr. Trump” commercial for Tyson vs. Spinks?)

Then again, Hillary thought enough of the sport to give a “shout-out” to newly crowned IBF lightweight titleholder Robert Easter Jr., a native of Toledo, Ohio, during a recent campaign stop in the Northwest part of the state.

(My response to this question should not be viewed as an endorsement for Trump or Hillary. If you must know, my vote will go to a write-in candidate, “The Ghost of Teddy Roosevelt” – Bully for me! Bully for you! Bully for the U.S. of A!)

 

THE NEW FACES OF THE SPORT

Dear Mr. Fischer,

I appreciate your mailbag a great deal, particularly during stretches like this when the boxing schedule affords me opportunities to educate myself about less-known boxers. RingTV and the mailbag are some of the best spots for my edification. Thanks for getting me pumped up for Mares vs Cuellar! I also appreciate the entertainment value of your rants and banter during these periods. Thanks for another GGGem in that department on Monday.

It certainly is wonderful that Gennady Golovkin is the current face of boxing. It’s even better that he doesn’t demand the whole spotlight, so we can watch him share it with Chocolatito Gonzales, Bud Crawford, Vasyl Lomachenko, Sergey Kovalev (and Andre Ward, as he works his way back to his high perch), Jorge Linares, and Oleksandr Usyk. Thanks for making the effort to highlight the good stuff.

Some mythical matchups (apologies if they’re repeats):

Usyk v Drozd, Usyk v Lebedev

Russel Jr v Frampton

Linares v Zlaticanin

Loma (or Walters?) v Vargas

Peace. – John

Thanks for the very kind words about RingTV.com and the mailbag column, John.

Those aren’t mythical matchups that you proposed – those are potential matchups because you’re pairing up active fighters that compete in the same weight classes. Hopefully, these fights actually happen sometime in the next two years.

Some mythical matchups (apologies if they’re repeats):

Usyk v Drozd – if they fought this year I’d favor Usyk by decision because of Drozd’s inactivity, but if the WBC “champion in recess” is able to recapture his form with a fight or two and then face Usyk, I’d favor the Russian “Pretty Boy” by decision.

Usyk v Lebedev – I like Lebedev’s polished pressure and activity over Usyk’s savvy boxing. Lebedev on points in a close fight. (I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m dismissing Usyk with these picks. I think very highly of the Ukrainian amateur star. I just believe that he needs a couple more fights – preferably distance bouts against quality opposition – before he begins to approach his pro potential.)

Russell Jr v Frampton – The Jackal via decision in a competitive fight but also a clear victory for the more active, experienced and versatile Irish star.

Linares v Zlaticanin – If “El Niño De Oro” retains the form he exhibited against Anthony Crolla, I believe the Venezuelan can out-box and outmaneuver DZ to a close decision in another hotly contested lightweight showdown.

Loma (or Walters?) v Vargas – Lomachenko on points in an entertaining but one-sided fight; Walters by late TKO (on cuts/facial swelling) in a Fight of the Year candidate.

RingTV and the mailbag are some of the best spots for my edification. I’m sure there are some people out there – mainly Gary Russell Jr. and the GGG haters – that would call it an “indoctrination,” but don’t let that bother you. We’re proud that you and many others value this website and this 15-year-old column.

Thanks for getting me pumped up for Mares vs Cuellar! Have I been beating the drums for that off-and-on-and-off-again fight? Oh well, if I haven’t, I’ll start. It is very good featherweight matchup.

I also appreciate the entertainment value of your rants and banter during these periods. Good. You get it. That’s what this column is all about. That’s what is has always been about. Thank you and you’re welcome.

Thanks for another GGGem in that department on Monday. I’m sure there’s more to come.

It certainly is wonderful that Gennady Golovkin is the current face of boxing. It really is, isn’t it? And that little nasty segment of boxing fandom that constantly bitches and moans about him only makes it sweeter, doesn’t it?

It’s even better that he doesn’t demand the whole spotlight, so we can watch him share it with Chocolatito Gonzales, Bud Crawford, Vasyl Lomachenko, Sergey Kovalev (and Andre Ward, as he works his way back to his high perch), Jorge Linares, and Oleksandr Usyk. Thanks for making the effort to highlight the good stuff. You’re welcome. There are quality fighters at the top of almost every weight class (don’t forget Anthony Joshua, Carl Frampton, Demetrius Andrade, Shinsuke Yamanaka, Naoya Inoue, Carlos Cuadras, Oscar Valdez, Errol Spence Jr., Gilberto Ramirez and Joseph Diaz Jr.). Some of them (such as Inoue, Joshua, Valdez, Ramirez, JDJ and Canelo – yeah, I know some of you don’t want to include the red-headed Mexican star, but he’s a major player) are just entering their primes and could remain world class for several years.

 

RICKY BURNS

Hey Doug,

First time writing in, big fan of the mailbag. I thought I missed the boat to write in regarding my countryman Ricky Burns title defence last Friday but since there wasn’t much in Monday’s bag here goes.

Hatton’s boy Relihk came out fast and looked to have Burns in trouble in the opening 2 rounds. But I thought Ricky got into his rhythm in the 3rd and I had him taking rounds 3 through 9 where I thought he caught most of Relihk’s shots on the gloves and elbows while getting off with good work of his own. Relihk rallied late showing good stamina and looking like the boss which was enough to give him the last few rounds on my card making my score 7 rounds to 5 for Burns. The commentators seemed to think Relihk deserved at least a draw. Maybe I wasn’t giving him enough credit for his work in the middle rounds. How did you score it?

On a completely random separate note, what do you think would of happened if Hagler had came out the blocks at Leonard and Duran the same way he did against Hearns? I reckon he stops both of them. Maybe Duran could stand his ground, and with his expert defence bloc, slip and counter his way to a decision if he had the strength to hang with that version of marv at middleweight. What’s your thoughts?

Take it easy man! – Jake, Paisley, Scotland

Will do, Jake. Thanks for finally sharing your thoughts with the mailbag.

Had Marvin Hagler started faster against Sugar Ray Leonard I think he could have won a split decision or salvaged a split-draw against my boyhood idol (he was never gonna win on Jose “Jo-Jo” Guerra’s scorecard).

Had the Marvelous One started faster against Roberto Duran I don’t think the outcome of the bout would have changed. In fact, I think Duran would have welcomed a more-aggressive start from the defending middleweight champion because it would have played into his gutsy stand-and-counter style. Hagler still would have won a competitive 15-round decision with a faster start, the only difference is that it would have been a more entertaining fight. That’s my opinion, anyway.

One thing I’d like to note, however, is that it really wasn’t in Hagler’s nature to start fast. He was a lot like Gennady Golovkin is today – a methodical stalking power-technician with brute strength and uncanny durability. Like Golovkin, Hagler usually took his time and gradually wore down his opposition. (In fact, although I consider Hagler to be the more athletic of the two middleweight standouts, I think GGG cuts the ring off better than the hall of famer.)

The classic 1985 shootout with Thomas Hearns is a bit of an aberration. It began with a bang because Hearns went out and set it off. The Hitman set the torrid tempo for the fight at the start of the opening round, Hagler answered in kind and kept the pace up through the second round. Tommy had the power to threaten Hagler but he lacked the chin to engage in sustained exchanges. In a nutshell: Hearns started it; Hagler ended it.

Hatton’s boy Relihk came out fast and looked to have Burns in trouble in the opening 2 rounds. I was impressed with Relihk. I thought he won the first three rounds with that fast-but-fluid attack of his. He also exhibited some nice upper-body movement and active punch selection as he put Burns into a temporary shell.

But I thought Ricky got into his rhythm in the 3rd and I had him taking rounds 3 through 9 where I thought he caught most of Relihk’s shots on the gloves and elbows while getting off with good work of his own. I thought Burns really got into his zone starting with Round 4. His good balance, blocking ability and lateral movement kept him in the fight during the rocky start to the fight, but once he started punching on the fly, tying Relihk up in close and tagging the challenger’s body he took command of the fight.

Relihk rallied late showing good stamina and looking like the boss which was enough to give him the last few rounds on my card making my score 7 rounds to 5 for Burns. The commentators seemed to think Relihk deserved at least a draw. Maybe I wasn’t giving him enough credit for his work in the middle rounds. How did you score it? I didn’t score it but I thought it was closer than the official scorecards. I think 115-113 card for Burns is fair and I wouldn’t have had a problem with a draw. But kudos to both men. I think we’ll see Relihk at the world-title level again real soon. All he needs is more experience and technical polish to get to the next level. He’s only 26, so time is on his side. Burns is only 33 but there’s a lot of mileage on his fighter’s odometer. I don’t know how many world-class fights he’s got left. He’s beat the odds by sticking around this long. I like Adrien Broner but I’ll be rooting for Burns if that fight gets made. I’ve been a fan of Ricky for a while now. I like him because he’ll fight anybody. He’s faced every boxing style and talent that you can think of (boxers, power punchers, pressure fighters, counterpunchers, switch-hitters, etc.) and win, lose, draw or gift (as he received in the Ray Beltran fight) he always gives it his best no matter how much damage he suffers. He’s got my respect.

 

 

Email Fischer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @dougiefischer

 

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