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

If their first meeting makes it a 50-50 proposition, then it clearly has a lot of bearing.

How many guys would you give a 50-50 chance to beat Thomas Hearns when he was the welterweight champ? There aren't many.

But, the video shows Pryor could hang with him, hit him, hurt him and win as recently as 1976.

Seeing Pryor do well against him in an actual fight matters.

 

What a load of rot.

 

In 1981, a 145-pound Thomas Hearns got knocked out in his title fight with Ray Leonard.

Aaron Pryor was the 140-pound world champion at that time. He'd beaten Hearns in an amateur fight in 1976, even hurting and putting him down in that bout.

By 1981, Pryor had knocked out 92 percent of the people he'd fought as a pro. He, and Hearns, were both much better fighters than they were when they met earlier.

By the end of the century, RING Magazine (which most of you guys drool over) named Pryor the second-greatest 140-pounder in history. The Associated Press named Pryor the greatest 140-pounder of the 20th Century.

I don't think it's "rot" to believe that if the best 140-pounder of the 20th century ... had fought arguably one of the 20 best welterweights of the 20th century in 1980/1981/1982 ... that the 140-pound champ would have a strong chance of winning.

Especially considering that when "they actually did fight" in 1976, the guy who would become the best 140-pound champ of the 20th century WON.

Believing it would be a mismatch is "rot."

Nothing points to a mismatch. Their actual head-to-head meeting doesn't point to that. Their career arks don't point to that.

If anything, Pryor was fighting his best at that point and Hearns wasn't. Hell, Tommy got knocked out in 1981 in his first real test as a pro.

Hearns was 22-23 years old. Pryor was 25-26 years old and blasting out Hall of Famers like Cervantes in a couple rounds.

I'm an admitted huge fan of Hearns. But even with his "maturity" and power, I don't see him having an easy night at all against Pryor. And I think Tommy's the one who'd be more inclined to lose by stoppage in this one.

Pryor was better at overcoming adversity inside the ropes than Hearns. Tommy hadn't even learned to clinch by 1981.

 

Absolutely love Aaron but he matches up poorly wth all of the fab four .. Leonard would have slaughtered him .. Hearn's as well .. Hagler, come on .. an long outside shot would have been a unmotivated Duran but Montreal Roberto simply too good ..

 

I know people say that hearns didn't learn leverage or how to punch until he was in the pros but I think a lot of that was physical maturity. The man was 132 pounds for the Pryor fight and 147 for his pro debut. He never was lighter than 144 (and over 147 several times). That's over a dozen pounds of much needed body.

 

Steward is on record many times as saying he taught Hearns proper leverage and how to tighten up on his pnches for maximum effect. It was sometime around turning pro or just prior.

Totally agree with you that the extra pounds sure wouldn't have hurt too.

 

I think you misunderstand my point. Using those stats there doesn't seem to be a relationship between a prior amateur victory. if anything there appears to be an inverse relationship . I think generally wining the first bout increases the likelihood of winning the subsequent bout.
Granted we are making generalizations here. However, as you pointed out Hearns was the younger and developed more physically as well as changing more stylistically . I think of Aaron Pryor as a super lightweight force of nature. I couldn't believe anyone could do that with Arguello.

 

76-81 = 5 years , no correlation really. Prior was blasting out a 35 years old super-lightweight and Pryor's best win was over a former featherweight ,Arguello .
Hearns had already beaten solid 147pounders like:
Gray
Cuevas
Weston
Curry
Gazo
Espada
Shields
When he went in with Leonard.
Which 147pounders did Pryor ever ko or even beat?

 

The amateur bout between Hearns at age 17 and Pryor is on YouTube and Hearns gives him a very tough fight and very narrowly loses to the older, far more experienced Pryor. What fight are you talking about?

 

The fab 5, (I'm including Benitez ) all beat Pryor, all were naturally bigger men. His only chances of winning in my opinion would be a unmotivated Duran, or maybe Benitez. I love Pryor, but he was a small, and short. His style of fighting would be tailor made for 3 out of 5 of the fab 5. (Hearns,Leonard Hagler) And against a motivated Duran or Benitez his chances would be slim..... At best.

 

Who were the best two natural junior welterweights (or heavier) that Pryor ever beat?

 

Answer came there none!

 

There was tumbleweed.

 

Antonio Cervantes for one...probably DuJuan Johnson second.

 

The way they fought as pros, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Hearns KO1 Pryor