Aaron Pryor v.s 90's/Modern Day Lightweights?

[fightingfigs]

Pryor was a helluva fighter! He had 'very' KO power and a tungsten chin. He'd just be too savage for today's lightweights walking thru their punches and landing his own hurtful blows.

The way he battered Alexis Arguello who himself was a helluva puncher was brutal. It was a real shame his drug use exacerbated his decline. The Hawk will always be a legend. HOFer!

Good post he wouldve done exactly that

[King Reese]

I think aaron pryor was the greatest little man to lace up gloves. period. and to think he did all that and just one loss while high as a kite

[Mistadobalina]

pryor would beat em all imo.

[wpink1]

Pryor is an enigma. He was simply devastating, BUT..... name one fighter that had all the 3 variables going for him

1. iN HIS PRIME
2. At their most effetive wieght class..meaning they proved at that
weight that they were great.
3. Was a Great figher..

Arguello was attempting to win his 4 dfferent championship belt in different divisions.. Clearly not his most effective weight, and stil he was able to make it a draw going into the 13thor 14th round of th 1st fight. Imagine had that had been cotto landing those shots on pryor that ngiht.

He beat a 35 yr old 100 fight worn Cervantes who hs previously lost to Benitez...and he was dropped by him in the 1st round.

The pryor hype was true after he beat Arugello. However above are the facts, who did he beat that was great, at a peak weight, and age. NOBODY>>>>>>

I believe he leaves himself so open, that a prime dlh, mayweather, Cotto (if he can survive the 1st 4 rounds, Mosley kills him, .....

[mcentepede]

Pryor was the best fighter under 160 lbs. during that time, not count Leonard and Duran who ducked Pryor for reasons unknown. And of course, Hagler. Pryor's problem was that everybody was scared of fighting him. So, he had fewer mega-fights than the great ones of the time. Pryor's 1 weakness was coke, which led to his downfall, much like Whittaker. Pryor was very exciting to watch and would have been a big draw by today's standards.

[wmute]

Pryor is an enigma. He was simply devastating, BUT..... name one fighter that had all the 3 variables going for him

1. iN HIS PRIME
2. At their most effetive wieght class..meaning they proved at that
weight that they were great.
3. Was a Great figher..

Arguello was attempting to win his 4 dfferent championship belt in different divisions.. Clearly not his most effective weight, and stil he was able to make it a draw going into the 13thor 14th round of th 1st fight. Imagine had that had been cotto landing those shots on pryor that ngiht.

He beat a 35 yr old 100 fight worn Cervantes who hs previously lost to Benitez...and he was dropped by him in the 1st round.

The pryor hype was true after he beat Arugello. However above are the facts, who did he beat that was great, at a peak weight, and age. NOBODY>>>>>>

I believe he leaves himself so open, that a prime dlh, mayweather, Cotto (if he can survive the 1st 4 rounds, Mosley kills him, .....

Imagine if Arguello landed those shots on 140 Cotto...

[wpink1]

Mcentepede.....Where did you get your information from. Leonard never ducked Pryor. Duran may hve, but he would have beaten pryor. If you do your research you will clealry know that Leonard and pryor where good very good friends. Leonard mother took him in, and went to bth Ray and Aaron's amateur fights. You can see several interviews that Leonar did early on in his professional career where Pyror was holdling litle Ray while big ray was talking to Cosell.

Pryor never once was a welterweight, never fought (during leonard reign) as a welterweight. Not one fight. Pryor before fighting Arguello, had one big fight that was credible. That was vs the 36 yr old 100 fight 10 loss veteran at the time who had been soundly beaten 3yrs earlier by a 17 yr old Benitez. This guy was Cervantes. Pryor then called out leonard whie ....get this ..while was on a promotional tour to fight Tommy Hearns, who ws the undefeated WELTERWEIGHT, champion of the world 32-0 30 ko's. WBA champion just stopped Cuevas. If your halfway intelligent, you would know that Leonard represented MONEY FOR ANYONE 160 TO 140. Pryor was simply trying to start generating a media demand for a possible future fight with Ray. However at that time, Pryor again had not even fought at Welter, and his biggest fight to date was a shot...very worn out Cervantes.

Tell me why would Leonard fight Pryor. What sense would it have made at that time. How would histry have treated him if beat Pryor first off al, and secondly if he chose Pryor over Hearns as Pryor was asking him to do, saying ( I beat Hearns, I beat Hearns) which is correct, but he left out this was when hearns was a amateur who had 0 power at the time.

Pryor came on the scene as a legitimate Threat after he 1st beat Arguello in Nov of 82. Guess when Leoarnd retired due to a detached Retina....Hmmmm earlier in that same month. Also, at the time, Pryor was not even mentioned as a legit challenger (contrary to what many try to say, based on the HBO special). Leonard had 3 challenges. One Hagler that was the one the entire world was waiting for. 2nd a big rematch with Hearns. Leonard and hearns were discussing a rematch at te 154 pound limit, if Hearns would admit the fight was accuratley stopped, and Hearns refused to do so. 3rdly, a third fight with Duran. Leonard was evaluating if the public would buy this fight, since Duran quit. Pryor was nothing at the time.

Before Nov of 82 ray was in training for a possible tune up bout with #1 rated WELTERWEIGHT CHALLENGER NOT JR WELTERWEIGHT, Roger Stafford. When he came down with a detached retina.

Thus with Pryor victory (disputed due to the mysterious water bottle) over Arguello, and how classic the fight was, he instantly became a household name and a legit foe. However, Ray was already retired. 2ndly Pryor had to accept a demanded rematch with Arguello, since the fight was very very close going into the 13 or 14 round (which ever round it was stopped in) and it was recorded between rounds where his trainer who also had removed stuffing from Pryor's gloves in fights, was recorded asked for the bottle that "he mixed"...... Hmmmm.

Finally, pryor did make easier work of Aruguello in the rematch, but Arugelllo was never a solide Jr welter and never welter. He was at the end of his career, had moved up 3 weight classes to faced Pryor.

I ask Where did Ray leonard duck Pyror. Stop believing the false hype. Do your own research, look at the dates of the fights, use deductive reasoning....it will provide you with your own answer. Stop posting stupid false statments because of bandwagon hype, or it sounds good.

[JAB5239]

Given the different weigh in rules. Today's 135 fighters wouldnt be able to make 135, back then. So you can pick today's 35ers against 140 Pryor.

Campbell and Casa are way too old for Aaron work.

Agreed.

Pac would make a great fight as he wouldnt take a step back, but eventually succumb to the larger man. Today top lightweights are blown up fighters from lighter weights. Juan Diaz could make it interesting in very limited places and otherwise get his ass handed to him.

I like Diaz, but he wouldn't have the punch to keep Pryor away. I think Aaron would ko him in 7.
Pac just isn't big enough, I agree he would also succumb to Pryor.

From the recent past Castillo would keep Pryor with his hands full for different reasons, and with Mosley and Mayweathar.... those would be great fights

I think Castillo would get worked. Mosely would be a good fight with Pryor. Mayweather would be interesting. I would have liked to see how he would have handled an all time great swarmer like Pryor.

[Thread Stealer]

Mcentepede.....Where did you get your information from. Leonard never ducked Pryor. Duran may hve, but he would have beaten pryor. If you do your research you will clealry know that Leonard and pryor where good very good friends. Leonard mother took him in, and went to bth Ray and Aaron's amateur fights. You can see several interviews that Leonar did early on in his professional career where Pyror was holdling litle Ray while big ray was talking to Cosell.

Pryor never once was a welterweight, never fought (during leonard reign) as a welterweight. Not one fight. Pryor before fighting Arguello, had one big fight that was credible. That was vs the 36 yr old 100 fight 10 loss veteran at the time who had been soundly beaten 3yrs earlier by a 17 yr old Benitez. This guy was Cervantes. Pryor then called out leonard whie ....get this ..while was on a promotional tour to fight Tommy Hearns, who ws the undefeated WELTERWEIGHT, champion of the world 32-0 30 ko's. WBA champion just stopped Cuevas. If your halfway intelligent, you would know that Leonard represented MONEY FOR ANYONE 160 TO 140. Pryor was simply trying to start generating a media demand for a possible future fight with Ray. However at that time, Pryor again had not even fought at Welter, and his biggest fight to date was a shot...very worn out Cervantes.

Tell me why would Leonard fight Pryor. What sense would it have made at that time. How would histry have treated him if beat Pryor first off al, and secondly if he chose Pryor over Hearns as Pryor was asking him to do, saying ( I beat Hearns, I beat Hearns) which is correct, but he left out this was when hearns was a amateur who had 0 power at the time.

Pryor came on the scene as a legitimate Threat after he 1st beat Arguello in Nov of 82. Guess when Leoarnd retired due to a detached Retina....Hmmmm earlier in that same month. Also, at the time, Pryor was not even mentioned as a legit challenger (contrary to what many try to say, based on the HBO special). Leonard had 3 challenges. One Hagler that was the one the entire world was waiting for. 2nd a big rematch with Hearns. Leonard and hearns were discussing a rematch at te 154 pound limit, if Hearns would admit the fight was accuratley stopped, and Hearns refused to do so. 3rdly, a third fight with Duran. Leonard was evaluating if the public would buy this fight, since Duran quit. Pryor was nothing at the time.

Before Nov of 82 ray was in training for a possible tune up bout with #1 rated WELTERWEIGHT CHALLENGER NOT JR WELTERWEIGHT, Roger Stafford. When he came down with a detached retina.

Thus with Pryor victory (disputed due to the mysterious water bottle) over Arguello, and how classic the fight was, he instantly became a household name and a legit foe. However, Ray was already retired. 2ndly Pryor had to accept a demanded rematch with Arguello, since the fight was very very close going into the 13 or 14 round (which ever round it was stopped in) and it was recorded between rounds where his trainer who also had removed stuffing from Pryor's gloves in fights, was recorded asked for the bottle that "he mixed"...... Hmmmm.

Finally, pryor did make easier work of Aruguello in the rematch, but Arugelllo was never a solide Jr welter and never welter. He was at the end of his career, had moved up 3 weight classes to faced Pryor.

I ask Where did Ray leonard duck Pyror. Stop believing the false hype. Do your own research, look at the dates of the fights, use deductive reasoning....it will provide you with your own answer. Stop posting stupid false statments because of bandwagon hype, or it sounds good.

Good post.

People on message boards have made me hate Legendary Nights.

Anyway, Pryor is overrated historically, but was a hell of a fighter. I think he'd do well in today's era and have a tough time picking any 135 or 140 lb. fighter right now beating him in his prime.