42 years ago

Date: 12th November 1982

Venue: Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

Title: WBA World Super-lightweight Title

Promoter: Top Rank & Walter Alvarez

Tv: HBO World Championship Boxing

Aaron Pryor
( 31 - 0 - 0 )
Weight: 140 lbs

Alexis Arguello
( 72 - 5 - 0 )
Weight: 138½ lbs

On Friday, November 12, 1982, the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, hosted a highly anticipated boxing match between Aaron Pryor and Alexis Arguello. The event was promoted by Top Rank & Walter Alvarez, with Stanley Christodoulou as the referee. The WBA World Super-lightweight Title was on the line, marking Pryor's 6th defense of the title. Arguello, hailing from Managua, Nicaragua, had a record of 72-5-0, while Cincinnati, Ohio's Pryor boasted an undefeated 31-0-0 record. The fighters weighed in at 138½ lbs for Arguello and 140 lbs for Pryor.

The fight, aired on HBO World Championship Boxing, saw Arguello attempting to become the first boxer to win world titles in four weight divisions. He was favored to win with 12-5 odds. The purses for the fighters were $1.6 million for Pryor and $1.5 million for Arguello. Arguello sustained a cut over his left eye in the sixth round, which proved to be a significant moment in the fight.

Throughout the bout, both fighters demonstrated their skills and determination. According to Compubox, Pryor landed 426 of 1429 punches (29.8 percent), and Arguello connected on 238 of 798 (29.8 percent). Pryor increased the tempo, hitting Arguello with slashing combinations, while Arguello remained patient and focused on counterpunching.

In the 14th round, Pryor delivered a barrage of unanswered blows, leading the referee to stop the fight at 1:06, resulting in a TKO victory for Pryor. However, controversy arose over a water bottle used by Pryor's trainer, Panama Lewis, between rounds 13 and 14. Speculation arose about the contents of the bottle, but no conclusive evidence was found, and both Lewis and Pryor denied any wrongdoing.

Despite the controversy, the Pryor vs. Arguello fight has been celebrated as a classic in the sport of boxing. In 1990, The Ring named it the "Fight of the Decade," and in 1996, it ranked as the 8th greatest title fight of all-time. Today, 40 years later, the bout remains a significant and unforgettable event in the history of boxing.