Aaron Pryor vs Sugar Ray Leonard

"Bu, bu, bu, but Legendary Nights said Leonard was scared of Pryor!!"

"Pryor called out Leonard!!!"

:roll:

 

I knew that old urban myth would emerge before this thread got far. Think about this: Andy Lee and Giovanni Lorenzo have both called Pavlik out. I guess Pavlik ducked them, so he could move up 10 pounds, and fight BHop! That's how much sense the SRL/Pryor story makes!atsch

 

I wouldn't sell Pryor THAT short. He was the champ at 140, much more established than Lee and Lorenzo.

People gets overexcited just because someone "calls out" an opponent. Wow, a fighter "calls out" a big name fighter. There's something new.

Sure, Leonard could have fought Pryor, but there's no obligation. He had an obligation to fight the top WELTERWEIGHTS, not the top junior welterweight. It would be like Mayweather choosing to fight Margarito, Cotto, Mosley, and Williams instead of Hatton. Only, picture Mayweather being a guy who was at 147 for basically his whole career, and Hatton is a smaller name than the guys at welterweight.

 

It's disgusting that Leonard is only 22 votes ahead.

 

I certainly agree with your main points. However, just as Sweat Pea pointed out, Pryor was the under dog in the first Arguello fight. In other words, SRL ignored the challenge of a guy who was slated to lose to an aging and ring worn super featherwieght.

After that SRL fought rematches with Hearns and Duran, and won world titles all the way up to 175. The idea that he ducked Pryor is preposterous.

I don't even like SRL, but I always feel compelled to defend him when this nonsense comse up.

 

leonard

 

Yeah, the Pryor "duck" is fiction, and there are other fighters who have better claims to have been avoided by Leonard (and the rest of the Fab 4). Mike McCallum, for instance, was Roberto Duran's mandatory at 154, but Duran fought Tommy Hearns (and Marvin Hagler) for way more money. Leonard, though, was inactive for much of this time period, although he did fight once at 154 in 1984. McCallum later won the WBA middleweight title in 1989. Michael Nunn was the rising star around this time, having won Fighter of the Year in 1988 by KO Magazine, and had an explosive KO over Sumbu Kalambay in early 1989. In 1989, instead of facing these champs, Leonard instead fought a supposedly shot Hearns in the summer, then a rubber match against Duran in one of the worst fights ever.

McCallum and Nunn have better claims to have been avoided by Leonard (or Duran and Hearns) than does Pryor.

 

i called out mike tyson not that long ago.....:fire no response and no fight.




lets start with the ducking. leonard was very dissmissive of pryor. he clearly didnt give a damn. ray was a money man and fighting pryor had no rhyme or reason.
even tho both turned pro relativly the same time, leonard was all flash and business. the purse for his debut was striaght to the bank, no cash in hand.
Leonard's Purse: $40,044.
Vega's Purse: $650.
pro debutants should not make that much. that is an outrages amount of money for a 4 or 6 rounder.
i remember an interview with pryor saying he was barely making a quarter million for his title fights while only 7 pounds up hearns and leonard were making huge huge bucks for non title bouts.pryor had also cleared out his division pretty quickly (which was weakened by guys moving up or moving down) there were very few top class light welters. we all know this.

also leonard was a light welter in the olympics and was dominate champion so i can see how people will regard this moment as "leonard ducked pryor". the reality was that ray could get bigger fights against bigger, more known opponants (on paper). also pryors style was an awkward boxer/swarmer style that is rare and impossible to look good against. he also had a chin which was hard to crack so you had to be sure you coudl go the distance and pryors reactiocns and counterpunches were pretty precise foa a swarmer.


pryor at welter in his prime (not the coked up version against young) i think would be just as quick but just not the hieght or power advantages he had at light welter. his defence was immensly open but more due for you to engage with him so he could tag you with shots.


perosnal thought sis a close but clear ud to leonard which would of given pryor some notriorty and made him become a bigger name (this was before arguello).

 

After beating Angel Manfedy, Courtney Burton "called out" Floyd Mayweather.

No response and no fight.

Mayweather must've ducked Burton then, according to ESB logic.

 

That "Leonard ducking Pryor" story gets repeated that often that people actually think its true. The more its repeated the more people who havn't bothered to look into it just post it in threads to appear knowledgable

1) Pryor never fought at welter while Leonard was active? true
2) Leonard takes fights with Duran and Hearns but ducks Pryor? false
3) Any fighter 'calling out' a superstar for a big pay must be given a fight? false
4) Pryor has life and death with Arguello but would beat Leonard? false

Now admittedly 4) is just opinion but 1) - 3) are pretty valid facts why Leonard shouldn't get stick for not fighting Pryor IMHO.

 

I'm not a believer in this "Pryor moves up to 147 and runs things" type mentality.Ray had too much for Aaron to handle and would win on a 5th to 7th round TKO. In addition, Aaron would've had problems with Curry, McCrory, and Starling.

 

Pryor wasn't a big 140 lb fighter and probably could've made 135. He was highly rated at lightweight in the Ring's rankings.

He probably would've gotten handled at 147 by the likes of Leonard and especially Hearns, but at 135, that's a different story.

 

Have a feelling that Kenty and Davis jr. wanted no part of Aaron at 135.

 

Well sure, there are always exceptions to the rule, but aside from fighters who were severely weight drained that gained strengfth as they moved up, generally power decreases(at least in proportion to the weight class) when you move up.

 

Curry and Starling are often overlooked. They would not only be hell for a great junior welterweight like Pryor, but also be a handful for some of the more recent top welterweights like Trinidad and De Le Hoya.