Mythical Match Up #1: Ray Leonard vs. Aaron Pryor (Spring, 1982)

[JAB5239]

- - Hatred? What kind of soft lad are U?

Oh, the kind where just da facts end up being a sucker shot to U gut. Gold Medal Ray playing his financial hand much better than Alternate Pryor has no bearing on pro career where Pryor has a 10-0 High KO Championship career that statistically beats Ray as does Salvador Sanchez, Ray's contemporaries.

Higher ko championship career.....ok, lets look at who they fought. Leonards career trumps Pryors by a good distance. Its not even arguable. But you can try!

[Anomalocaris]

Higher ko championship career.....ok, lets look at who they fought. Leonards career trumps Pryors by a good distance. Its not even arguable. But you can try!

Oh he will!

[Willie Pep 229]

It was...musical greatness. If I'm not mistaken he was named after Ray Charles.

Do you mean Leonard?

[JAB5239]

Do you mean Leonard?

Yes, i believe he was.

[QueensburyRules]

Pryor and Sanchez were special as well. And was Sanchez really a contemporary? Ray was in that group... And Sanchez was a featherweight, Ray a Welter no?

- - Sanchez was 10-0 title fights at age 23 when he died. Leonard was 23 when won his first title to end up 10-3-1 in title fights, the last being knocked out by aging Camacho for a middlewt tite.

Pryor also 10-0 w/many more definitive KOs than Leonard...

[billeau2]

- - Sanchez was 10-0 title fights at age 23 when he died. Leonard was 23 when won his first title to end up 10-3-1 in title fights, the last being knocked out by aging Camacho for a middlewt tite.

Pryor also 10-0 w/many more definitive KOs than Leonard...

Pryor was a unique fighter who knew beast mode inside and out, but Leonard had a lot more tools in his bag. Not that this means Leonard wins because of being able to do more things, but most people think he would have won... I reserve some aspect of sitting on the fence in this one, but think Leonard probably would beat Pryor. Sanchez was lucky because despite his young age he managed to show greatness. We cannot compare his short run to Leonard's entire career imo.

[Willie Pep 229]

Pryor was a unique fighter who knew beast mode inside and out, but Leonard had a lot more tools in his bag. Not that this means Leonard wins because of being able to do more things, but most people think he would have won... I reserve some aspect of sitting on the fence in this one, but think Leonard probably would beat Pryor. Sanchez was lucky because despite his young age he managed to show greatness. We cannot compare his short run to Leonard's entire career imo.

Leonard's career is an odd one. If you follow the oft used resume argument, like Queen suggests, his resume is kind of thin.

Leonard had four great wins. Benitez; Duran (I); Hearns (I); Hagler. (Maybe add in Kalule.)

More importantly (in my opinion) he had five dramatic fights. The kind of top-shelf drama that makes prize fighting legendary. Duran (I & II); Hearns (I); Hagler.

Otherwise his resume is kind of thin.

So I wonder if the amount of praise he gets today, is based more on our expectations (perceived 'potential') and the drama he delivered, than his actual resume.

[billeau2]

Leonard's career is an odd one. If you follow the oft used resume argument, like Queen suggests, his resume is kind of thin.

Leonard had four great wins. Benitez; Duran (I); Hearns (I); Hagler. (Maybe add in Kalule.)

More importantly (in my opinion) he had five dramatic fights. The kind of top-shelf drama that makes prize fighting legendary. Duran (I & II); Hearns (I); Hagler.

Otherwise his resume is kind of thin.

So I wonder if the amount of praise he gets today, is based more on our expectations (perceived 'potential') and the drama he delivered, than his actual resume.

I don't know Pep... Those four names are epic! It is a fair point but... how to explain this...

I had an aunt that was big as two houses. She was legendary. One time at a buffet she took her position, with two chairs and staved off an entire busload of brutally socially ret arded, famished Chinese buffet pirates/tourists... It is still rumored in certain parts of Longislan (proper pronunciation), those Canton self centered louts are somewhere waiting for the crab legs they were promised...Before encountering a major obstacle, 400 pounds of an obstacle...

Anyhow I digress... She went into restaurants and ordered everything on the menu, every dessert times two.... and always a diet coke (I guess to watch her figure? watch it grow?). One time she wistfully said, as much as a loud, ignorant New yorka can be wistful... "This restaurant sucks." I asked her why and she said "That Diet coke was awful." You see where I am going here? There are those with thin resumes like Davis, the Dwarf who fights no one... and then there are guys who fought some of the best ATG talent ever who may have feasted on a few regulars...

[QueensburyRules]

Pryor was a unique fighter who knew beast mode inside and out, but Leonard had a lot more tools in his bag. Not that this means Leonard wins because of being able to do more things, but most people think he would have won... I reserve some aspect of sitting on the fence in this one, but think Leonard probably would beat Pryor. Sanchez was lucky because despite his young age he managed to show greatness. We cannot compare his short run to Leonard's entire career imo.

- - By the end of Pryor's career, the best Leonard could beat him, but then a past his best Comacho beat past his best Leonard.

As I mentioned, because of drug and mgr problems, Pryor had his brief stellar moments when he was both unbeatable with high drama KOs, thus my pick of Pryor in best to best matchups.

[billeau2]

- - By the end of Pryor's career, the best Leonard could beat him, but then a past his best Comacho beat past his best Leonard.

As I mentioned, because of drug and mgr problems, Pryor had his brief stellar moments when he was both unbeatable with high drama KOs, thus my pick of Pryor in best to best matchups.

That is reasonable.