Head to Head over 15 rounds. Take the Pryor of the Cervantes fight and the Leonard who retired. Both came in at 138.\ What does your brain tell you? What does your heart tell you? I would pay a month's pay to see this in real life. (edit) OK, I am talking about Benny Leonard.
I had always thought this would be Ray's fight pretty clearly, but because of this post I went abit deeper and I'm now not quite so sure. Ray being natural bigger wouldn't be able to use his size to much advantage because of Pryor's unorthodox positioning, and Pryor would often jolt Ray with punches that would suprise him. Pryor at his best could keep going and going so unless Ray would stop him, and I don't think he would, the decision would depend on whether he could match the volumn of Ray's punch output. SD for Ray over 12 or 15.
agreed. he's the best mover in the pre-ali era, except only maybe billy conn. pryor wouldn't trap him or find the angles he did against arguello. he'd find himself suckered into traps and counters and leonard had just enough pop to keep him honest. leonard had an all time great jab but pryor would slip it and get some good work done on the inside. still, it wouldn't happen enough to wins the majority of rounds and leonard takes a UD based on ring generalship and fighting an effective battle at range
The ultra-aggressive Pryor would have Leonard on his toes and would work him hard. Nevertheless, Benny is ultimately too well-rounded, and while Pryor will certainly push him, he won't quite be able to overcome. Leonard by close but clear UD.
J, i agree with you about Benny Leonard winning that fight,but Leonard had more than "just enough pop" to keep Pryor honest. Leonard Ko'd the bullish Rocky Kansas, Ever Hammer ,Joe Welling and other truly rugged fighters of the day. He boxed and punched as if he was in a chess match, and took advantage of his opponents weaknesses as no other great lightweight. He even dropped the great Welterweight Jack Britton with one blow to the body. To be "King" of the lightweights for seven years,with 212 bouts ,and retiring undefeated speaks volumes of Leonard's greatness. :hi:
Pryor must be the most over-rated fighter in history. I can't believe that intelligent people think he could have beaten Leonard or Hearns. (Much is made of his encounter with Hearns as an amateur, but the tape--once surfaced--shows it was a close affair, not to mention this was when Hearns was a kid whereas Pryor was a man, and before Hearns developed one of the most feared right crosses in history.) Seriously, Pryor may perhaps lose to a past-prime, out-of-prime-weight Arguello without that "bottle." And people think he can compete with guys much much bigger, hit harder, and exponentially faster than Arguello? Edit: Oops. Sorry. I missed the original poster's edit "Benny"!