Aaron Pryor vs Ray Leonard

**jabsRstiff** · 12-22-2004, 10:02 AM

Originally posted by Italian250

There was huge hype about this fight back in the early 80's when they were supposed to do battle. In my opinion, Leonard wanted NOTHING to with Pryor and rightly so! Unlike Hagler and Duran, Leonard would not have been able to stay away from Pryor. Either way, the boxing world was robbed of what would have been one of the greatest fights EVER!!!

There was not huge hype about that fight. That's a myth. had you been following boxing back then, you'd know what I'm saying is true.

Ray Leonard was not afraid of Aaron Pryor. He just had far bigger fish to fry.
Do you realize 90% of boxing people thought Pryor was a defenseless scrub, up until he beat Arguello ?
Well....that was the case. Pryor positioned himself to be a worthy Leonard opponent by beating Arguello...But, Leonard quit the sport a few weeks before Pryor-Arguello....& Pryor himself began his descent into drug addiction shortly thereafter.
So, what you've heard is a lot of B.S.

Take it from me....I was a Pryor fan then, while despising Leonard.

Had they fought....
Ray Leonard would have destroyed Aaron Pryor.

**Italian250** · 12-22-2004, 10:30 AM

You are wrng on a few points. First, 100% of boxing experts KNEW Pryor was for real after he beat the legendary Antonio Cervantes 2 years earlier! Defenseless scrub???? Pryor's OFFENSE was his defense! Second, Pryor's decent into drugs occurred 4 years after the SECOND victory over Arguello culminating with his loss to Bobby Joe Young. And Third, Leonard would have RAN...let me repeat, RANfrom Pryor the whole fight. If that is destruction......then this converstaion's beyond me.

**jabsRstiff** · 12-22-2004, 10:37 AM

Originally posted by Italian250

You are wrng on a few points. First, 100% of boxing experts KNEW Pryor was for real after he beat the legendary Antonio Cervantes 2 years earlier! Defenseless scrub???? Pryor's OFFENSE was his defense! Second, Pryor's decent into drugs occurred 4 years after the SECOND victory over Arguello culminating with his loss to Bobby Joe Young. And Third, Leonard would have RAN...let me repeat, RANfrom Pryor the whole fight. If that is destruction......then this converstaion's beyond me.

Go back & look at the predictions for Arguello-Pryor.
There was outright CONTEMPT for him (not by myself) by all but a few (Steve Farhood) boxing writers/trainers.
Almost everyone was predicting that Arguello would KILL Pryor.
Now, imagine how a Leonard-Pryor fight would have been viewed ?

Leonard did not run from Hearns...why would he run from Pryor ?

Pryor was doing drugs long before his fight with Bobby Joe Young.
Pryor barely defended his title after his victories over Arguello....in unimpressive fights with Nicky Furlano & Gary Hinton.
His inactivity & poor showing were related to his life of partying.

**The1God** · 12-22-2004, 10:53 AM

I think it would be anybodies fight, Styles make fights. Pryor had the power and Ray had the speed. It is a boxer puncher scenario. I think ray would have won, just fighting a smart game. Would have been a great fight. One that we can only speculate.

**jabsRstiff** · 12-22-2004, 10:54 AM

Originally posted by The1God

I think it would be anybodies fight, Styles make fights. Pryor had the power and Ray had the speed. It is a boxer puncher scenario. I think ray would have won, just fighting a smart game. Would have been a great fight. One that we can only speculate.

At 147....Ray Leonard's punches would have hurt Pryor worse than any Arguello punch.

**The1God** · 12-22-2004, 10:58 AM

I can't disagree with you there. It seems the way Ray fought in the later part of his career can be compared to DLH's style as of late. No right or wrong answer to this post, just opinion. I just thought Ray would fight using his speed and movement against Pryor and not look for the KO.

**Boxerdog** · 12-22-2004, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by jabsRstiff

There was not huge hype about that fight. That's a myth. had you been following boxing back then, you'd know what I'm saying is true.

Ray Leonard was not afraid of Aaron Pryor. He just had far bigger fish to fry.
Do you realize 90% of boxing people thought Pryor was a defenseless scrub, up until he beat Arguello ?
Well....that was the case. Pryor positioned himself to be a worthy Leonard opponent by beating Arguello...But, Leonard quit the sport a few weeks before Pryor-Arguello....& Pryor himself began his descent into drug addiction shortly thereafter.
So, what you've heard is a lot of B.S.

Take it from me....I was a Pryor fan then, while despising Leonard.

Had they fought....
Ray Leonard would have destroyed Aaron Pryor.

All news to me Jabs! Grew up in Cincinnati and trained at the same gym as the Hawk so I was a bit of a fan. I'm about three years older than him so, yeah.....I was following boxing back then.
Finally....I was playing Harrah's Lake Tahoe in '88 and had drinks with S.R.L. and his bodyguard......very nice guys, both.
I felt enough at ease to ask Ray why a Pryor/Leonard match had never happened. He said laughingly, "Would YOU want to fight him?? I sure didn't!" He said it with humor but also RESPECT!

**The1God** · 12-22-2004, 01:41 PM

Originally posted by Boxerdog

All news to me Jabs! Grew up in Cincinnati and trained at the same gym as the Hawk so I was a bit of a fan. I'm about three years older than him so, yeah.....I was following boxing back then.
Finally....I was playing Harrah's Lake Tahoe in '88 and had drinks with S.R.L. and his bodyguard......very nice guys, both.
I felt enough at ease to ask Ray why a Pryor/Leonard match had never happened. He said laughingly, "Would YOU want to fight him?? I sure didn't!" He said it with humor bur also RESPECT!

That is cool to hear, I always thought of SRL as a ****y concieded type of person. This shows me that my perception was off.

**Xecutioner** · 12-22-2004, 01:48 PM

you duck pryor but fight duran, hearns, benitez etc

? people were always trying to say ray was ducking someone. ray is a humble fighter , if you ask him nowawdays who won vs hearns (2nd fight) and hagler he'll say the other man won. it doesnt suprise me that hed say something like "would you wanna get in the ring with him?" . if the money was right ray would fight anyone

Aaron Pryor vs Ray Leonard