Aaron Pryor

Aaron Pryor was an American light welterweight regarded as one of the greatest 140-lb fighters ever, famed for his rivalry with Alexis Argüello.

Aaron Pryor was born on 20 October 1955 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and compiled an outstanding amateur career of 204 wins against 16 losses across 220 fights, including a notable achievement at the 1974 USSR versus USA boxing duals, where he defeated three future world champions in a single tournament. Pryor turned professional in November 1976, earning $400 for a second-round knockout win, and developed into one of the most explosive and relentless light welterweights the sport has ever produced, nicknamed "The Hawk" for his fierce, all-action fighting style. He won the WBA light welterweight title in 1980 and the IBF title in 1984, becoming a two-time champion at 140 pounds. Pryor's rivalry with Nicaraguan legend Alexis Argüello produced two of the most celebrated fights in boxing history, contested in 1982 and 1983, with Pryor winning both encounters in brutal, back-and-forth wars widely regarded among the finest fights of the era. Pryor retired in 1990 with a professional record of 39 wins and one loss, 35 by knockout, and battled publicly disclosed struggles with substance abuse during and after his career before becoming a minister and motivational speaker in his later years. He died on 9 October 2016, at age 60, in his hometown of Cincinnati, remembered as one of the most thrilling and hard-hitting champions the light welterweight division has ever known.

Aggressive pressure fighter with relentless pace

Considered one of the greatest junior welterweights ever

• International Boxing Hall of Fame 1996
• BWAA Fighter of the Year 1982
• Ring ranked 35th greatest boxer of past 80 years 2002