clarinews@clarinet.com (DAVE RAFFO, UPI Sports Writer) (02/05/90)
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (UPI) -- Just when he started acting macho again, Hector Camacho announced who he wanted to fight next. Aaron Pryor. Camacho picked apart Vinny Pazienza Saturday night to win a unanimous decision in his best fight since 1985. Instead of next challenging one of the best boxers in the junior welterweight or welterweight divisions, however, Camacho said he wanted to fight Pryor. Then he may fight a rematch against Ray Mancini before getting around to the winner of the Julio Cesar Chavez-Meldrick Taylor March 17 bout. ``I have a fight with Aaron Pryor,'' Camacho said after beating Pazienza at the Convention Center. ``After that, whether it's Mancini, Chavez, Taylor, I don't know. ``A lot nf,people aren't going to be high on this (Pryor) fight, but a lot of people weren't high on this one (Pazienza) either.'' Camacho's 12-round decision over Mancini last March was among the dullest of his recent bouts. Like Pryor, Mancini was a star of the early 1980s whose best days are long past. Pryor, a former great 140-pound champion whose career was ruined by cocaine, has not fought since he underwent surgery for cataracts on his left eye a year ago. The surgery came days after he was dropped from a Rochester, N.Y., card and his license was lifted in New York because he failed the eye exam. He has yet to reapply for a license and New York State Athletic Commission chairman Randy Gordon Saturday night said he would not allow Pryor to fight in the state. But Camacho and Pryor say they have signed contracts to meet in a bout promoted by a group from Tennessee. They want to fight in May, but no date or site is set. Pryor said he has been in the gym with trainer Richie Giachetti, and boxed an exhibition with 1976 Olympic champion Howard Davis Dec. 26. ``I can't wait to get into training,'' said Pryor, who watched Camacho-Pazienza at ringside. ``Camacho's not a great fighter and what he wants to do is be great, so he has to beat a great fighter. I'm a real name. I'm a legend.'' Dan Duva, who promoted Camacho-Pazienza and wants to work with Camacho again, said he will stay clear of a Pryor bout. ``Hector Camacho is a terrific fighter and if he's fighting Aaron Pryor, I don't think there's a commission in the country that would sanction it,'' Duva said. ``I really hope that fight doesn't come off.'' Camacho was guaranteed $800,000 and Pazienza $400,000 Saturday night. Camacho, a former World Boxing Council junior lightweight and lightweight champion, kept his lightly regarded World Boxing Organization 140-pound title against Pazienza. He improved to 39-0 and revived a career that had been sagging because of a series of fights marred by his running and holding. ``I'm just going to get better,'' Camacho, 27, said. ``I'm not back yet but this was the best I fought in a long time. I'm the only Mr. Excitement out there today.'' Pazienza, a former International Boxing Federation lightweight champion from Cranston, R.I., fell to 28-4. He was cut on his nose, right cheek and both eyes and outclassed by the speedy, left-handed Camacho. ``Hector fought a good fight, I just couldn't come up with a big shot,'' Pazienza said. ``I fell a little short.'' Pazienza's handlers had a tough night, too. When trainers Kevin Rooney and Lou Duva were treating Pazineza in the dressing room, a federal marshall entered to hand Rooney a summons. A brief scuffle followed between the trainers and Atlantic City police. Dino Duva -- son of Lou and brother of Dan -- was taken into police custody but released without charges after the incident. Pernell Whitaker won a unanimous decision over Fred Pendleton to retain his WBC and IBF lightweight titles, and WBO light heavyweight champion Michael Moorer stopped Marcellus Allen in nine rounds to improve to 19-0 with 19 knockouts on the pay-per-view undercard.