Were the four kings of the 1980s really scared of Aaron Pryor?

They weren't afraid of him. I can't see them being brave enough to fight each other, but then afraid of Pryor.

 

Not afraid, but there was not a lot of $$$ for a Pryor match. All those guys want big money and they are not fighting Pryor for chump change. Welcome to the land of multiple divisions and multiple belts & risk versus reward prevalent in the sport for decades.

 

Tho Pryor wasn't much risk to these guys when they were fighting the likes of each other and Hagler.

 

No, not at all. But they would want big bucks for his name value.

 

Pryor was very good. But I can't see any of the Fab 4 avoiding him and not each other.

 

He beat hearns as a amateur .A fight with Duran would.have been awesome.

 

If he hadn't retired and fought Pryor, people would now say that he took the easy payday and ducked Hearns rematch and Hagler (how you can possibly duck someone two divisions above you).

I think Leonard-Pryor would be highly entertaining with Pryor being absolutely battered in the last rounds before a mid-round stoppage. But as for the "duck"... Pryor hadn't done anything at WW and had no claim to a title a shot besides being a big name. Hagler could just as well be accused of ducking McCallum.

 

I'd pick him over Duran and give him a shot vs. Hearns. Leonard was too good, Hagler too big and durable.

 

A lot of opinion given as fact by the OP.

 

Aaron Pryor was a positively superb fighter at 140. Perhaps the best to ever step foot in that class. But he never did anything above that weight to say for certain how he'd fair against the Fabulous four.

 

If Hearns had landed just half the amount of clean rights Arguello did, he would have taken Aaron's head off. Pryor couldn't have afforded to take nearly that amount of punishment against Leonard either. And they were both substantially bigger and faster than Arguiello, so they probably would have landed their fair share.

 

True. It should also be noted that Arguello was past his prime with nearly 80 fights of mileage behind him and had spent his entire career fighting below 140.. And still gave a great effort against Pryor. Antonio Cervantes was 35 years of age with 100 fights of wear and tear on his back and was boxing fairly well before being KO'd by Aaron. Placing Pryor in the ring with peaking versions of Leonard and Hearns might not have been a good move, aside from just shear financial gain.

 

I think Marvin Hagler was willing to get in the ring with Aaron Pryor for the right kind of money, but it is quite clear he was ducking Saoul Mamby.

 

Pryor or Hagler?

 

Marv