Aaron Pryor Interview

[Bozo_no no]

Came across this and it was a good read:

How did you get started in boxing?

Aaron Pryor: My brother used to tell me to go hit people. He’d just say, “Go hit that guy.” Honestly, he’d tell me to go steal, and I went and stole. When I would go hit guys, my brother would sometimes jump in, too. I learned how to fight barehanded.

I went to a gym, and I thought I could fight. I went to the Emmanuel Center here in Cincinnati to learn to box. I wanted to jump in the ring and box right away. I saw a guy in there named Wally Jones, and I started to get in the ring. The coach stopped me. I watched Wally box with another guy afterwards, and saw him hit the guy with a couple of hooks. “Boom! ” I said, “I my goodness. I was about to get in there with that guy?” The coach saved me.

I came back and started training after I saw that. After I grew in my career and had about 35 amateur fights, I did get a chance to get in with that guy. He was still more experienced, and I still couldn’t get that guy (we both laugh).


Click on the top link to get to the interview

[Piggu]

Fighting is wrong!

[.::EnRiQuE::.]

Fighting is wrong!

wat????......

[THE REAL NINJA]

thanks i was just thinking about him the other day . why are there not more threads on such a great fighter..ps i pick him over srl

[Bozo_no no]

I think Ray was too big for him, but he's still one of my favorite fighters of all time.

[THE REAL NINJA]

I think Ray was too big for him, but he's still one of my favorite fighters of all time.

rumors say that pryor had his number in sparring and if that is not true then why did ray duck him

[Bozo_no no]

rumors say that pryor had his number in sparring and if that is not true then why did ray duck him

How did Ray duck a guy that never fought at his weight class?

That's something I've never understood.

Look at the time line. After Pryor beat Arguello, Ray was at 154 and on his way to that retirement from an eye injury.

If Pryor truely wanted a shot, he could have moved up and fought at 147 and forced the issue. He didn't.

That's really like claiming Oscar Delahoya ducked Kostya Tszyu a few years ago.

There was nothing making that fight a pressing meaningfull match up.

At the time it could have happened, Leonard had stopped Benetiez, Duran (TKO) and Hearns.

There's no way he fought and stopped those fighters but was afraid of a guy smaller than all three of them.

[THE REAL NINJA]

How did Ray duck a guy that never fought at his weight class?

That's something I've never understood.

Look at the time line. After Pryor beat Arguello, Ray was at 154 and on his way to that retirement from an eye injury.

If Pryor truely wanted a shot, he could have moved up and fought at 147 and forced the issue. He didn't.

That's really like claiming Oscar Delahoya ducked Kostya Tszyu a few years ago.

There was nothing making that fight a pressing meaningfull match up.

At the time it could have happened, Leonard had stopped Benetiez, Duran (TKO) and Hearns.

There's no way he fought and stopped those fighters but was afraid of a guy smaller than all three of them.

yeah i see your point, but pryor pulled a tarver at a press conference and ray said flat out no he would never fight him .or was that hagler lol.,..but anyways ray could have made the fight happen

[Bozo_no no]

yeah i see your point, but pryor pulled a tarver at a press conference and ray said flat out no he would never fight him .or was that hagler lol.,..but anyways ray could have made the fight happen

I agree it could have happened, but calling it 'ducking' when Pryor never fought at 147 and Ray was knocking out all time greats at that weight - is a stretch.

I would have like to have seen it, but Aaron could have pressed the issue and moved to Welter in 82.

Lots of guys say things at press confrences. It's what happens in the ring that dictates when someone is 'ducking' someone, and this just can't be said in this case imo.

[jabsRstiff]

Listen.....

Bozo is 100% correct on the issue of Ray "ducking" Pryor.

You guys weren't fans then, & I can tell you....there was no real juice for a Leonard-Pryor matchup.

There was more juice for Leonard-Hagler (which Ray addressed at his "retirement" ceremony)....Leonard-Hearns II...
& for Pryor-Mancini.