Who Deserves the Blame for Leonard-Pryor not happening?

[Thread Stealer]

As you see here, the fight fell apart over economic issues (another Legendary Nights myth getting debunked).

$500,000 is a relative low-ball offer, as Pryor ended up making more fighting Arguello a couple years later. Then again, this was earlier in Pryor's career when he was even less of a name. Pryor made what was then, a career high in 1980, of $50,000 to fight Antonio Cervantes. For comparisons of what other Leonard opponents were making around this time, bigger names like Wilfred Benitez got $1.2 mil and Roberto Duran got $1.5 mil (first bout), while longer-reigning but lesser known champs like Ayub Kalule got $250k.

So who deserves more of the blame?

[MurderDeathKill]

If guys lower in the pecking order of stardom get a chance to fight a big name for peanuts, they better do it or be assed out.

[DLT]

I dont think SRL really wanted the fight. I think after a smaller, tenacious man in Duran beat him, he saw some of the same things in Pryor and didnt want to deal with that. I think he shouldve won that fight though so IDK why he was fearful

[The Gambler1981]

Tough to say I could understand Pryor's team saying that offer was lowball trying to get more but they didn't really have any leverage. I would also understand Pryor's team just using the situation to make his name bigger (similar to the Floyd, Margarito situation).

Really the guy trying to make a name needs to make sacrifices to make that name and taking short money is usually what it takes.

I would say 80/20 80% Pryor 20% Leonard is how I would devide up blame, Leonard to me gets 20% because he could have made it happean.

[jrosales13]

I blame Pryor for this fight not happening. He turned down what at the time was a career high payday.

[B.U.R.N.E.R]

Pryor shouldve took the offer to call Leonards bluff. Deep down SRL didnt want that fight.

[SkillspayBills]

Pride stopped that fight. Leonard lowballed Pryor because he said himself he didn't want to fight someone who was so damn hungry and Pryor, even though he was lowballed didn't take a career high payday.

[B.U.R.N.E.R]

Pride stopped that fight. Leonard lowballed Pryor because he said himself he didn't want to fight someone who was so damn hungry and Pryor, even though he was lowballed didn't take a career high payday.

He saw some of Duran in Pryor.

Hell the only reason he rematched Duran is because he thought he was vulnerable. He wanted no parts of the Hawk.

[Junito-Rulez]

Leo ducked Pryor, period/

[TheWire]

Thomas Hearns deserve's some blame for retiring SRL.