Leonard vs Pryor - early 80's , who wins??

[TSZYULANDER]

This would have been a great fight if it ever happened. Leonard the classic boxer versus Pryor the thrashing machine.

Who would have taken it??

My money would have been on Pryor if it was around the time of the first Arguello fight. He would've been too hungry and too angry and would of put too much pressure on Sugar. I know SRL had great wars with Duran and Hearns around this time but I don't think it was a coincidence that all of the great fighters of this era avoided Pryor like the plague. It's a great shame that we didnt see him go to war with the likes of SRL,Hearns and Duran.

[them_apples]

I'd give Pryor a good chance, depends what Leonard showed up.

[LondonRingRules]

I know SRL had great wars with Duran

** Actually Leonard only had one "war" with Duran which he lost much worse than the biased scoring.

True, he became a tougher, better fighter for it which prepped him for what he needed to beat Hearns, but Pryor was in the mold of Duran. Cast iron chin, angles out the kazoo, matching quickness and unstoppable work rate.

Pryor could box classically very well when he wanted as he showed late in the Arguello fight, an additional wrinkle. I favor Pryor as there was some history there in the amateurs and it favored Pryor, a bad, bad, superduper bad assed little assassin in the ring who was invincible in his day, unlike Leonard.

Just to be clear though, not accusing Leonard of ducking Pryor when he had bigger fish to fry, and not downgrading his own chance to win. Just feel Pryor has matching talent and all the intangibles which favor him.

[cptroyce]

The Hawk over SRL

[Thread Stealer]

I would pick Leonard without too much doubt.

I don't like Pryor's chances against the top guys at 147, where the talent pool was so deep at that time.

[gibo]

LEONARD DUCKED PRYOR FOR A REASON...

[gibo]

LEONARD DIDN'T WANT ANYONE TO TARNISH HIM AT A TIME HE WAS GOING STRONG.. SAME AS dlh DUCKING FORREST, MARGARITO, COTTO, WILLIAMS, ETC. ETC.

[Dynamite76]

Leonard would kill Pryor in 2-5 rounds.Aaron style would be decimated by Leonard especially the post-80 Leonard.

[mcentepede]

The Ring Magazine had this article in it about The Hawk...and how Duran manager did not want to fight Pryor. Hearns called out the Hawk, but he was beaten by Pryor already in the amateurs and this was for paybacks, none of the top guys wanted to fight Pryor, except Arguello, who was thrashed twice by the Hawk. Leonard called out the Hawk too, but instead chose to fight some guy called Kevin Howards, who dropped Ray in that fight. Ray chose to fight Hagler after Hawk retired and everybody else was getting old...even then, Hearns dropped him twice in their re-match and should have gotten the decision. Well, you guys saw the fight, so I wont repeat myself.

[wpink1]

This would have been a great fight if it ever happened. Leonard the classic boxer versus Pryor the thrashing machine.

Who would have taken it??

My money would have been on Pryor if it was around the time of the first Arguello fight. He would've been too hungry and too angry and would of put too much pressure on Sugar. I know SRL had great wars with Duran and Hearns around this time but I don't think it was a coincidence that all of the great fighters of this era avoided Pryor like the plague. It's a great shame that we didnt see him go to war with the likes of SRL,Hearns and Duran.

Not even close. Srl stops pryor in 4. You think pryor got hit often by a fighter that moved up 3 times before fighting at 140 and actually stunned him. Arguello. Leoard bigger faster better combinations. Not even a close fight

As for those that believe rumors. Pryor and leonard never had a time when they could fight. simple time line shows this. Pryor never was a welter, at the time he called out Ray (during Rays promotional tour for the hearns fight) pyror only had beaten old cervantex 100-10-4 at the time or something close to that. Pryor was not relevant back in those days until after he beat Arguello which was on 11/12/82 after Ray had already retired due to detached retina. When Ray came back vs Howard, pryor had already had major issues with ******* was not relevant then, and was retired by the time ray fought hagler.

Also, i use to spare with a contender named Jimmy matz a very good middleweight contender. SRL used him in his training camps for geraldo and Chavarini. Matz witnessed the sparring sessions between pryor and leonard, and said Leoanrd would beat pryor so bad in those sessons and that Pryor would get his shots in but Pryor looked up to leonard and would talk to ray aobut his balance and try to get dundee to come in early to work on his balance. However dundee would not come to training camps until 1-2 weeks before the fight, it was mostly olllie dunlap.

There are a lot of myths out there for sensatinalism because Ray was the man, the money etc.. Pryor used rays name to call him out to hopefully get a big payday. They where close friends at one point in Ray's early career, with Ray's mother actully helping out aaron.