Roberto Duran vs Aaron Pryor: Mythical Matchups That Could Have Happened

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By Dave “Mythical” Siderski

Part I: The Scenario

Boy what a matchup this would have been: “The Hawk” squaring off against the “Hands of Stone” in a battle of warriors and legends! The ideal would be to have them square off at 135 or 140. However, I can’t think of a viable historical scenario for this. Thus, it will have to take place at place at 147.

To make this “mythical bout” a reality, let’s assume that Sugar Ray Leonard decides he wants no part of Duran after the Brawl in Montreal, instead setting his sights on undefeated WBA Junior Middleweight champion Ayub Kalule. Duran signs to face the undefeated, newly crowned, WBA Junior Welterweight champion, Pryor, who is coming off a 4th round stoppage of the legendary Antonio Cervantes.

The fight is signed to take place on December 6th, 1980 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Duran, at the zenith of his popularity, is tabbed as a 4-1 favorite over the lesser known Pryor. What the public doesn’t know is Duran, still on a high after his victory over Sugar Ray, holds little regard from Pryor and has trained poorly for this fight.

Part II: Let’s Settle This in the Ring

The night of December 6th has arrived and a capacity crowd, largely pro-Duran, has gathered at Madison Square Garden to witness his first defense of the WBC Welterweight title. One very interested spectator at ringside is Sugar Ray Leonard, who is providing color commentary for HBO.

Pryor shocks the Garden crowd and HBO viewers by taking the fight to Duran from the outset. “The Hawk” is cocky and his speed, swarming tactics, and volume punching give a listless Duran trouble early. Roberto clearly isn’t the same guy who bullied Sugar Ray in Montreal. Pryor’s confidence is soaring and, by the end of the 4th, he’s clearly won every round.
The pattern continues in the 5th as Pryor is outworking and outhustling Duran. However, with 30 seconds remaining in the Duran finds Pryor with a left that strays below the belt. “The Hawk” bends over, grimacing in pain. Roberto is penalized by referee Stanley Christodoulou. However the message has been sent, “Manos de Piedra” is pissed off and ready to fight. The next three rounds are tough to score. Pryor is still the busier fighter but Duran is beginning to time him. “The Hawk” is throwing in volume but also missing frequently. Roberto is countering effectively and landing more cleanly, particularly with his right hand. His wicked body punching is becoming an increasing factor in the fight.

The tide really turns late in the 9th round as Pryor, wading in with his chin exposed, walks into a tremendous counter right from Duran which sends him to the canvas. Pryor rises at the count of 7 shaking his head that he’s not hurt. However, his legs tell a different story and “The Hawk” struggles to survive the round. The Garden crowd is now raucous, yelling: “Cholo, Cholo”. In the 10th, Pryor wisely adjusts his strategy, boxing and moving, which throws Duran off balance. By the end of the 11th, Roberto appears to be tiring, breathing deeply as returns to his corner.
Pryor comes out for the 12th with renewed confidence and vigor. A minute into the round, he stuns Duran with a hard left hook and pursues him to the ropes. However, Roberto is playing possum and lands a three punch combination to the body, followed by a crackling left hook to the jaw that staggers Pryor. Duran administers a frightful beating to Pryor over the rest of the round. “The Hawk” is in serious trouble as he comes out for the 13th. Duran stalks looking for an opportunity to close the show. With one minute remaining, he lands an overhand right which rocks Pryor again. However, Pryor refuses to yield. Both men trade furiously as Garden crowd screams in approval.

One minute into round 14, a crushing Duran left hook sends an exhausted Pryor to the canvas. “The Hawk” has nothing left. Roberto traps him against the ropes and lands nine unanswered punches, capped off by a quick right. Pryor goes to the canvas for the third time and final time of the evening. He beats the count but is completely out on his feet. Christodoulou steps in and stops the fight at 1:41 of the 14th round. The winner and still WBC Welterweight champion of the world, Roberto Duran!

Part III: The Aftermath

Even in defeat, Pryor’s game and impressive performance elevates his status in the boxing world. He is now one of the most popular fighters in boxing and goes on to defeat another Latin legend, Alexis Arguello, by 14th round TKO in a spectacular November 1982 matchup. Duran goes on to lose a June 1981 rematch to Sugar Ray Leonard by a lopsided decision. He goes into a funk for the next two years before reviving his career with an impressive 8th round stoppage over WBA Junior Middleweight champion Davey Moore, in June 1983. The Duran-Pryor matchup of December 1981 goes down in the annals of boxing history as of the greatest ever, later becoming a subject of HBO’s “Legendary Nights” documentary series.

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