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Could Manny Pacquiao have beaten Aaron Pryor?
Could Manny Pacquiao have beaten Aaron Pryor?It's an interesting question. Could Manny Pacquiao have beaten Aaron Pryor in a bout held at junior welterweight. The Ring magazine asks that very question in the current issue in a section called, "Battle of the Legends." It compares today's champions against champions from the 1970s or 1980s.
Aaron Pryor was the junior welterweight champion from 1980 to 1985. The Ring relies on three experts to determine the winner. While I won't get into each of their comments, I will say that HBO's Max Kellerman picks Pacquiao to win "on points in a brutal fight."
Former WBC featherweight champion Kevin Kelley picks Pryor in this dream match, stating, "Pryor would stop him. It would be Pryor all day."
Notable trainer and former 140-pound NABF champ Ronnie Shields says, "This would be a good fight, but would last maybe six rounds before Pryor stopped him."
I have to disagree with the former champs on this one. I am picking Pacquiao by decision. I understand that Pryor was relentless and powerful, but I also understand that if you remove the Alexis Arguello fights from his record, there's not much left.
Wilfred Benitez already had beaten Antonio "Kid Pamblele" Cervantes years before Pryor did. And when Arguello fought Pryor, he was climbing up in weight, attempting to win a title in what, at that time, would have been an unprecedented fourth weight class. Let's not forget that Alexis weighed 122 pounds when he won his first crown.
Now, that was the first thing that came to mind when assessing Pac Man's chances at beating Pryor. Would the weight be too much? Pacquiao won his first title at 112 pounds. But after watching him completely dominate Oscar De La Hoya (who a year before was in a competitive fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.) I would have to conclude that weight would not be an issue for Pac Man.
He beats Pryor -- in a tough fight -- by unanimous decision.
Also in the April 2009 issue of The Ring is an interesting article by Don Stradley asking if Manny Pacquiao is the modern-day Henry Armstrong?
-- ROBERT CASSIDY
Aaron Pryor was the junior welterweight champion from 1980 to 1985. The Ring relies on three experts to determine the winner. While I won't get into each of their comments, I will say that HBO's Max Kellerman picks Pacquiao to win "on points in a brutal fight."
Former WBC featherweight champion Kevin Kelley picks Pryor in this dream match, stating, "Pryor would stop him. It would be Pryor all day."
Notable trainer and former 140-pound NABF champ Ronnie Shields says, "This would be a good fight, but would last maybe six rounds before Pryor stopped him."
I have to disagree with the former champs on this one. I am picking Pacquiao by decision. I understand that Pryor was relentless and powerful, but I also understand that if you remove the Alexis Arguello fights from his record, there's not much left.
Wilfred Benitez already had beaten Antonio "Kid Pamblele" Cervantes years before Pryor did. And when Arguello fought Pryor, he was climbing up in weight, attempting to win a title in what, at that time, would have been an unprecedented fourth weight class. Let's not forget that Alexis weighed 122 pounds when he won his first crown.
Now, that was the first thing that came to mind when assessing Pac Man's chances at beating Pryor. Would the weight be too much? Pacquiao won his first title at 112 pounds. But after watching him completely dominate Oscar De La Hoya (who a year before was in a competitive fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.) I would have to conclude that weight would not be an issue for Pac Man.
He beats Pryor -- in a tough fight -- by unanimous decision.
Also in the April 2009 issue of The Ring is an interesting article by Don Stradley asking if Manny Pacquiao is the modern-day Henry Armstrong?
-- ROBERT CASSIDY
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