Aaron Pryor vs Ike Williams

Damn. Good one. I'll let others speak on this one. It will take me a while to analyze it. Never thought of it before.

 

Williams is probably flustered at first and takes two rounds to adjust. Pryor slows down ever so slightly and Williams finds his rhythm & range; he's able to keep his distance, prodding with the jab and eyeing up targets. He'd find Pryor with all kinds of hurtful punches as they exchange, Williams coming off better by landing the straighter, more solid shots, dropping Pryor a couple of times and stopping him in the mid rounds.

Williams was never a defensive wizard, but Pryor left himself terribly vulnerable at times. Against a predatory puncher as quick and painful as Williams, he'd get surprised early, stunned then opened up.

 

I don't get how people are so quick to write a fantasy Pryor matchup as a stoppage in the other's favor. Not just Williams, but Duran as well. Pryor was about as durable as they came.

I believe Pryor could've been the foil for Duran, but I think Ike had so much firepower that he could've offset Pryor's aggression with sheer power. Not sure on that one still.

edit: posted before that last bit by Manassa, decent point there

 

Pryor TKO.

 

That's it. I think Duran beats Pryor as well (later stoppage though, or maybe not one at all), but on this subject, it's just Williams' terrible punching power; not just the sheer force behind his shots but the whole offence in general. He fired back like nobody I've ever seen; perhaps only Mike Tyson rivals him for ferocity.

Ever seen the Jose Gatica fight? Williams was probably slowing down here, but Gatica comes at him like a bat out of hell in the first round, mildly flustering Williams and getting in his face. It took the champion some time to adjust, but once he did, it was lights out. A pinpoint left hook floors Gatica for the first time. A pinpoint left hook floors Gatica for the second time. One rapid, tidy, exquisite combination later and Gatica's on his knees wondering why he's wearing funny gloves and a pair of shorts.

I think the Pryor fight would go like that, except it'd be bigger in every area; Pryor would bother Williams more, he'd take more time to adjust, etc.

 

Good post.

I have not seen the fight, the bits of Williams I have seen(Beau Jack) have shown him to be a patient boxer with a decent outside jab, that waited for his punch, and when he hurt you, you were finished. Maybe it was just Jack, but he seemed willing to wait for his moment in that fight, rather than fire back like you say, then again, you've seen a lot more of him than me.

 

I think Williams would fire back as hard as Pryor fired at him; he'd then find his distance, pick his moments and slice him - it's what he did to most people. Williams was a snake who prodded and teased until the right opportunity arose; coiled, he'd strike with more venom than any lightweight, ever. The bigger Johnny Bratton learned this when Williams broke his jaw and overwhelmed him on the ropes.

Williams' power was extreme. Look at the Beau Jack footage again; before the stoppage, the start of the round, look at the punches Williams uses; uppercuts and hooks all off the same hand; it's not easy to stun and stagger such a durable opponent using only one side of the body. Carmen Basilio, although he resented Ray Robinson, said Williams was the hardest puncher he ever faced.

 

I remember that quote from Basilio...He said that Williams' uppercuts would lift him off of his feet! How long is that Bratton footage? I've only seen a very brief glimpse of it. The finishing touches he put on Jack and Gattica were indeed something...Great finisher.
In Pryor's two fights with Alexis, he was amazing...But Ike is all wrong for him...IMO he carries more power than Arguello, and with the hand speed, and precision he attacked Beau Jack with...He stops Aaron Pryor in the later rounds...Great fight though.

 

I've only seen a glimpse of Bratton too, although I have about twenty five minutes of Williams-Bolanos II, where Ike showed he could be quite the skilled offensive boxer.

 

Absolutely...I've read your posts in the past, regarding his offensive bursts as 'feral'...That is a very apt description! Very destructive, compact puncher.

 

Manassa, do you feel Williams's only semi weakness were slick boxer types? Or the only type he was vulnerable against?

 

Yes.

 

Pryor looked uncomfortable when Arguello went to his body, Ike's body attack was flat out ferocious. I see vicious exchanges but Ike's raw power, precision, and handspeed slow Pryor down for a mid to late round stoppage.

 

Ike Williams TKO by around the 10th. He just ate up fighters coming right at him, which Pryor would certainly do.