As others said, Duran wins based on better defense and better boxing brain. Pryor was simply too savage and reckless for his own good: his 2 wars with Arguello ended his career for all purposes, even if he won both.
Pryor's fights with Arguello are the ones I most hear him mentioned with. Ty for posting, kind sir. Have a biography of Arguello I've been meaning to get to. I imagine those fights will get some play there, also.
As far as a fantasy match-up I would place this up there with Leonard vs Robinson, Marciano vs Dempsey, Tunney vs Jones Jr. and Ali vs Tyson. . . I have to go with The Hawk to win.
Very tough fight to pick. I could see Duran losing and saying after he ate too much and had a sore stomach and couldn't fight like that.
I think people are really underrating Pryor’s boxing skills. He was a pretty skilled boxer himself when he chose to do so, he was just more willing to overwhelm his opponents and hurt them right away. He showed glimpses of his boxing skills in the Arguello fights. His awkward and tricky style, punches from odd angles, plus his will to win would be enough to give Duran a long night. I honestly think it’s a 50/50 fight. Would have been the Fight of the Millenium.
Yeah Pyror had underrated skills. Except Duran also had underrated skills. Pryor brings an aggressive, unorthodox fighting style and nearly unlimited stamina. That was usually enough to beat the second and third rate challengers of his division. Against a prime Duran, with an extra five pounds of lenience, it only spells a slow, painful beatdown.
Duran v Arguello in 1978 would have been a classic. Damn you Vilomar Fernandez! Duran v Cervantes in 1975 is impossible to call in my opinion. Before '75, I would give Cervantes the edge. After '75, I would give Duran the edge. Duran v Benitez eventually did happen but not when Duran was focussed or on top of his game like he would have been back in the 70s - not to take anything away from Benitez though as he may always have had Duran's number. Oh yeah, and I think Duran would beat Pryor (and I say that as a Pryor fan).
Pryor is overrated his hand speed was average his power was average hands by his chest chin in the air and drug fueled fighting pace in a no name division with little talent Duran is underrated because of no mas Duran keels him in a few rds he is a whole other level of viciousness, power and skill Had Pryors people thought he could win they would have taken both fight offers with Duran and SRL...a win would have made him a high dollar superstar but IMO his managers wanted to cash in on one big money fight and held out because they knew he would be exposed and the real BUSINESS reason they turned down the fights