Prime Tzsyu vs The Hawk 140.

Kostya's just as overrated IMO, and given each fighter's success against fighters of the other's style and tools, I'd favor Pryor very heavily, by stoppage.

And what leads you to call Pryor protected?

 

You could put the Phillips fight down to a freak occurence, a bad night if you wanted.

But the same flaws in Kostya's game reared their head in the Hatton and Urkal fights.

Pryor had the power (and then some) of Phillips, the physical strength of Hatton and the chin of Urkal. He was also just all around better at pressuring a fighter then any of these guys ever could possibly be.
This is not a good matchup for Tszyu..I dont think anyone beats Tszyu easily at this weight but bar probably Duran and Chavez, I think Pryor beats Kostya the easiest (drawing from fighters in the modern era).

I do agree both can be overrated for different reasons. Pryor because of his resume which was a little lacking, and Tszyu because of his H2H ability which is not as good as a lot of people seem to think.

 

I don't think the Phillips fight was a freak occurence to be honest. He fought his fight, pressured him, hit him with his best shots, duked it out, and got bettered by a very determined Phillips. Very good fight though.

 

Vince on his day was world class. He just needed that focus, the fitness and to be away from the drugs.

I personally didnt think that was a freak occurence either, it wasnt like a one punch ko from left field, Kostya was beaten up in the end.
My point was though that this is a fight you can draw upon when talking about a Pryor-Tszyu matchup. But even if you wanted to disregard it and call it a once off, there were other fights on Kostya's record that point to how Pryor would have handled him.

 

I've heard it from a number of people very close to the fight game. I heard that Pryor was offered many fights that his people turned down. His best wins are over an old Cervantes and an autumn Arguello some way out of his weight class.

I also think that Kostya had one of the best right hands at the weight... Pryor is there to be hit. Got dropped by many (mainly due to his poor balance). I think Kostya would have a lot of success.

 

You don't see Kostya's difficulties with a fighter of that style and ability playing against him? It seems you're on a crusade against Pryor rather than actually analyzing this particular matchup. Kostya was just as hittable as Pryor, and elied moe on timing, spacing, and controlling the pace than Pryor, who could wing it from all angles, something a fighter used to fighting at his own dictated pace would (and did) have real problems with.

 

Agree that Kostya was just as hittable and he won't like the pace pryor will set BUt the timing you mention is key. I see Kostya being able to get his timing right and once he does I can't see a way for Pryor to survive.

I'd expect Pryor to win the rounds but lose the war, similar to Taylor against Chavez.

 

Tszyu's power is overrated as hell! What iron chinned fighters did he ever put out? And please dont say a 200 year old Chavez. Sure he battered, and stopped Miguel Gonzalez, but that was on accumulation.

Pryor's power wasnt too shaby either, and he'd be too quick and akward for the mechanical Tszyu to handle.

Not to mention, Pryor just had more heart and desire than Tszyu,

 

i could see zoo landing some huuuge bombs the way arguello did ..and i don't think pryor would be saying after words " oh that was nothing i just kept comming i wanted to win" either .. but i see pryor comming on late and wrecking zoo ..remember pryor could go 15 non stop .. zoo has proved on 2 occasions that he can't last a full 12 without becomming exhausted and taking punch after punch

if pryor gets him doown the stretch you can bet your bottom dollar zoo dosn't survive

 

Tszyu never showed the ability to stop a fighter of Pryor's durability, whereas a lesser fighter than Pryor was able to beat up and stop Tszyu.

 

I genuinely cannot envisage Tszyu defeating Pryor at 140. I feel very confident that the Hawk would pound out a close but clear decision whether it be over 12 or 15 rounds.

 

2 of my fav fighters specially pryor.
imo
pryor beats tszyu
tszyu beats arguello

Hopkins / Foreman / Ali.. i can keep on going on.. all had good chins. you dont loose your chin when u age so im quoting on this one calling it pure bull****. like it or not, dropping a solid chin like chavez with 1 punch is huge.
haters these days.. scrub.

 

I'm not really sure of Pryor's durability. It was good but there are question marks. His level of opposition was not great. He never fought a proven puncher at 140. The fight in which he showed his mettle is surrounded in controversy. There's very little depth to his career in this sense.

Even so, I'm prpepared to accept that he could win. I do believe he'd be competitive with most but I'd pcik Kostya to beat him. Yes, Kostya had that defeat but he was generally a consistent performer and had Pryor fought his opponents I think he'd have lose more times.

 

I`ll go Pryor by decision.

I think he has the chin to take the more accurate shots & especially the hard right hand of Kosta.

I can see KT landing the sharper crisp punches in the early going but then struggling to keep the pace with Pryor who just keeps going at the same high tempo for 12 full rds.

Pryor W12 UD (7-5)Tszyu

 

Which of Tszyu's opponents would've beaten Pryor? I can't think of any, including the ones who stopped Tszyu.

As far as Pryor's mettle, in his fight with hot prospect at the time Dujuan Johnson he showed it very well IMO by continuously coming forward and attacking relentlessly in the face of constant return firepower, eventually breaking Johnson down and stopping him. Pryor was a mad man in the ring whose will wouldn't be broken, even if he was experiencing difficulties. The same can't be said for Tszyu.