Aaron Pryor Captures WBA Junior Welterweight Crown in Fourth‑Round Knockout

On August 2, 1980, Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum hosted a title bout in which Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor defeated reigning champion Antonio “Kid Pambelé” Cervantes. Pryor knocked Cervantes out in the fourth round, securing the WBA Junior Welterweight Championship at 140 lb.

Approximately 10,000 spectators watched the fight. Pryor earned a $50,000 purse, while Cervantes received about $250,000. The victory made Pryor Cincinnati’s first world boxing champion in decades and launched a reign that included future defenses against Gaetan Hart, Lennox Blackmoore and Dujuan Johnson, as well as a famed rivalry with Alexis Arguello.