Boxing Hall of Famer, former champion Aaron Pryor dies at 60

Pryor held a pristine record in his time in the ring

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Aaron Pryor died at the age of 60 on Sunday. Getty Images

Former junior welterweight boxing champion Aaron Pryor has died at 60, his wife told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday after a long battle with heart disease.

Pryor held a 39-1 record as a professional boxer and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996. "The Hawk," as he was known, also brought home a silver medal from the 1975 Pan Am Games in the lightweight division.

Pryor first won the WBA super lightweight title in 1980 with a fourth-round knockout of Antonio Cervantes. He would defend the belt nine times before moving up to junior welterweight in 1984 when he bested Canadian Nick Furlando by unanimous decision to claim the IBF crown.

His first fight against Alexis Arguello in 1982 was considered one of his best with the two throwing everything they had for 14 rounds before Pryor finally dropped Arguello in the 14th round.


He lost by TKO to Bobby Joe Young in 1987 and won three more fights before retiring.
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