Aaron Pryor is very undderated

Really good summation. Pryor boxed wonderfully against Arguello, pin-point timing and fluidity that was superb to watch. I've never seen a more relaxed display of aggression than the one he put on against Johnson. It was fantastic to read that he's doing well in the Tris Dixon book 'The Road to Nowhere'.

 

Anyone who says they've never heard of him is not a fight fan. They're armchair fans, who only know who is front of them on the TV at that particular moment.

 

Aaron Pryor is a tough guy to gauge. There was a time in the amateurs when Pryor, Hearns and Hilmer Kenty were all 132-pound lightweights. And Pryor was the best.

Pryor beat both Kenty and Hearns in the 1976 National Golden Gloves. Pryor beat Kenty in the Olympic Trials. Pryor was thought to be a lock to represent the U.S. in the 1976 Olympics until he was upset via 3-to-2 scores to Howard Davis Jr. in the Olympic Trials and the Box-Offs. To add insult to injury, Howard Davis received a million-dollar contract upon turning pro and made more than $100,000 for his pro debut, and Pryor went to work as a sparring partner for Davis at $300 a week.

So Pryor turned pro and became a force in the lightweight division, earning a top 10 ranking in both the WBC and WBA ratings without any big promoters guiding him. Meanwhile, Kenty got a title shot at lightweight before Pryor and Kenty won the WBA belt. And Howard Davis Jr., who wasn’t really impressive as a pro, was rated above Pryor in both the WBA and WBC ratings at lightweight. Pryor tried to get a shot at Kenty and Jim Watt (the WBC champ), but neither was interested in fighting him. And none of the guys rated above Pryor, like Sean O’Grady, Claude Noel and Davis were interested in risking their ranking against him, either.

Finding himself stuck, Pryor was offered a title shot against Antonio Cervantes, the legendary junior welterweight champ, but Pryor would have to move up a weight class and face a champ who was far better than the lightweight champs Watt and Kenty. Since he thought this was the only shot he’d get, Pryor signed to fight Cervantes (on the same day Hearns fought for the welterweight title against Cuevas) … and Pryor steamrolled Cervantes in four rounds.

With a belt, Pryor thought the lightweight and welterweight champs would want to face him. But, nobody came calling.

Pryor could have conceivably held the lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight titles at the same time (if that had been allowed). Then again, Hearns had filled out since Pryor beat him at 132 and had improved since they became pros. But it certainly would’ve been interesting to see.

According to Pryor, Ray Leonard agreed to defend the undisputed welterweight title against him in 1982 and pay him $750,000, but Leonard suffered a detached retina while training to defend against Roger Stafford and retired.

When Aaron finally got a big money fight against Arguello, he took it out on him (twice).

To me, Pryor is like those old-timers who never got a title shot against guys who they had beaten before when they were younger. He was incredibly talented, but when he slipped that time against Davis prior to the Olympics, nobody was going to give him a second chance.

 

Aaron was a great fighter, but no way is he taking curry, mccrory, or even starling in welterweight fights.

 

I don't agree, most people on here seem to love him.

 

My favourite fighter. A human whirlwind punching machine.

 

Pryor was a one-off. Quite unorthodox. Bit of a crazy force of nature type.

His rating does not seem to have suffered too much, in light of a derailed career, by his own hand. I suspect that most would have him in the Top-5 Light Welterweights of All-Time. I would place him at #3 behind Chavez and Cervantes.

(Whilst Pryor beat Cervantes to win the title, I saw this as being the natural order of things. One great fighter's time at the top was coming to an end and an emerging talent had arrived to take his place.)

 

Every boxer is overrated and underrated it depends who you are speaking to

 

I'd take Pryor over Duran at 140. AP had a I'm going to get you style, and hit too hard, and took a fine punch.

Mayweather would never fight Pryor! Head to head, I think Pryor at his peak is under rated.

A two-fisted Joe Frazier type at 140 pounds, except he had a much better chin in a pound for pound sense.