On Friday, September 9, 1983, the highly anticipated rematch between Aaron Pryor and Alexis Arguello took place at the Caesars Palace Outdoor Arena in Las Vegas. This WBA World Super-lightweight Title fight, promoted by Main Events, saw Pryor defend his title for the 8th time. Pryor, from Cincinnati, Ohio, entered the ring with an undefeated record of 33-0, while Arguello, hailing from Managua, Nicaragua, had a record of 74-6-0. The fighters weighed in at 140 lbs and 139 lbs, respectively.
The sellout crowd of 13,000 spectators witnessed one of boxing's great fights, as both fighters gave their all. Arguello was attempting to become the first boxer to win world titles in four weight divisions, but Pryor's relentless attacks proved too much for the Nicaraguan. Pryor knocked Arguello down three times during the fight – once in round one, once in the fourth, and finally for the count in the tenth round.
Arguello faced challenges beyond Pryor's punches, as he was deducted a point in round eight for low blows and dealt with swelling under his right eye. Pryor emerged victorious, defeating Arguello by knockout at 1:48 of the tenth round. Both fighters earned significant purses, with Pryor receiving $2.25 million and Arguello taking home $1.75 million.
In the lead-up to the fight, both boxers underwent changes in their training camps. Arguello, initially trained by Eddie Futch, switched to Lupe Sanchez for the rematch after blaming Futch for his previous loss to Pryor. Conversely, Pryor replaced his former trainer, Panama Lewis, with Emanuel Steward just two weeks before the rematch due to a falling out with Richie Giachetti.
The Pryor-Arguello rematch was broadcasted on ABC Wide World of Sport and remains a memorable event in boxing history. Reflecting on the epic encounter, Hall of Fame sports commentator Barry Tompkins stated, "Aaron Pryor vs. Alexis Arguello wasn't the biggest fight I ever did, but it was the greatest fight I ever did."
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