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

BINGO!!!!!!

 

I can't believe a question this silly merited eight pages. The Aaron Pryor I saw struggle mightily with Dujuan Johnson, and that's the fight referenced as his "big win" before Arguello, would have been easy fodder for a prime Hearns or Leonard. Especially since he wouldn't have gone into defense mode and boxed to survive like many of their opponents did. KO 1 would be a possible result for sure against Hearns.

I appreciate some of Pryor's friends and family taking his side on this thread though. Geez.

 

i've also seen Tommy struggle with Weston so based on that fight alone, Pryor has an excellent chance

as for the others, Leonard was definitely afraid of the man. when you walk away from a man who challenges face to face, it means you fear that man

 

Does anyone here believe the arguello that fought pryor would be able to hang in land shots and give Hearns a good fight? I sure as hell don't

 

Styles make fights.

I see Pryor having a very hard time getting inside against prime Welterweight Hearns. Leonard did it, but he was naturally bigger and more powerful than Pryor. He was also better defensively.

I wouldn't put much weight on the 1976 Hearns/Pryor amateur fight having bearing on what would happen if they had met as pros.

Hearns is just too big and powerful for the 5 ft. 6 Pryor.

He catches Pryor coming in and stops him - probably by the middle rounds.

 

I agree that an unmotivated Duran is Pryor's best chance at this group. I think Benitez would have been too slick for him.

 

Still a Leonard hater. LOL.

Leonard ko 5 Pryor at 147 lbs.

 

LOL! look at that embarrassing prediction!

leonard LOVERS can't face reality

simple fact and universally recognized : when you are challenged by another man and back down, then you fear that man

similar to how he feared Micheal Nunn, Hagler, and who knows how many others

everybody except Kevin Howard, & Don Lalonde, he'd fightt them anyday, no excuses

to Leonard lovers like yourself and at least a few dozen others here, certain obvious facts will be brushed aside than try to complicate the explanation instead of just admitting the obvious like I do

the same applies to the same people who cant face facts that Norris will forever be leonard's master, that leonard can't handle a mover with speed, etc, etc

Pryor w 15 Leonard

 

Pryor wouldn't beat Leonard on decision. nor would he get to Simon Brown, or Buddy McGuirt.

 

You've prompted me into the real question. How would he fare against the likes of Marlon Starling and Donald Curry? Colin Jones? The timing would have him fight a Curry who was about to show the world how good he really was.

 

Pryor was scared of competitive fights, period. He ducked two offers from Leonard and then ducked a fight with Duran about two months later. Even Leroy Haley wasn't worth the risk for Pryor.

 

Curry is also a bad match-up. Big welter with top notch speed, power and skill. Can't see him bulldozing him like he often did guys at 140. You don't want to walk into Curry's sharp combos. He'd have to bait him and catch with something big, but that doesn't seem likely either.

 

That's false.

 

He knocked out Antonio Cervantes and Alexis Arguello for god's sake. And you're hyping Eddie Gazo and Harold Weston?

Arguably the best fighter Benitez beat was Cervantes, too. (And Benitez couldn't knock him out.)

And how did Benitez do against Leonard, Hearns and Duran? Leonard stopped him. Hearns won a close decision. Duran lost.

That's the same thing I said about Pryor. Leonard stops him. Hearns edges him. Duran loses.

 

Duran made, what, $9 million to fight Leonard twice. Hearns made $5 million for his first fight with Ray. Leonard offered Pryor $750,000.

You could also make the case that offering someone a fraction of what he deserves constitutes a "duck."