Is Aaron Pryor really an ATG?

I'm surprised there is so little knowledge about that but I swear to you I read it somewhere. And it wasn't on the internet. The article didn't specify when Pryor admitted to his steroid use. It just stated that he did.

 

Between us all in here we've read most every mag and article in boxing history

If you work out where it was supposedly written give us a holler, but i have to discount it myself until i have some terra firma. I don't doubt you read it, but i won't be repeating it at this stage.

Maybe someone else in here knows more.

 

Firstly I'll say weight/primeness has nothing to do with this fight. Pryor was a natural LW himself and a bit of a fleshy 1, Arguello was a massive freak of nature at 130, 1 of the biggest ever, if anyone is bigger its Arguello. Pryor didnt win because he was bigger or it was at 140 or because Arguello wasn't in his prime he won because he was the better boxer, faster boxer, better angles, great chin, amazing workrate and far better footwork. Pryor would beat his ass at 135, if he could get down to 130 safely he'd beat him the same way at 130

1. Pacquaio is a better boxer now, just as fast, hitting harder, he'd beat the 130lb version without a doubt. His boxing brain is better as he's aged and experienced, this is 1 thing thats forgotten, a 30yo version of a fighter always has a better boxing brain than a 25yo version.

That aside Pac's body has benefited from the extra weight, just as Arguello did

2. Duran beat Marcel 2lbs over the FW limit, he could have made 126 for that fight if a title was on the line, you must not count Henry Armstrong as a FW as he only had 13fights at or below the FW limit

3. Who cares, Pacquaio isnt a flyweight now, Arguello wasnt prime at 126 or below it, he was prime at 130-140

4. Not speculation, simple science, Arguello is 1 of the biggest FWs-LWs in history that I've seen that combines height/reach/muscle mass. To be big at the weight you have to work very hard. Arguello was draining and starved at the weight, its clear as day, 140lbs benefited him, no doubt.

When you stop starving your body and draining fluids you get better, so its conceivable Arguello wasnt only stronger, hard hitting and more durable but also faster/more stamina at 140

And yes Arguello would have handled 147lbs just fine, he is the skeleton of a Ray Leonard pretty much

5. I see no signs of Arguello fading pre-Pryor, he was young on a massive winning streak, showing all the same abilitities fight after fight. Pryor made him fade hitting him so much and not letting him get his shots off

6. Was Pryor at his peak weight, Pryor was smaller than Arguello and would have been even better P4P at 135, he only moved up to 140 to get his opportunity. If Arguello was drained at 135 and Pryor was a little less fleshy at 135 it maybe would have been even more emphatic

7. I dont care he wasnt prime at 126 anyway, he was a far better 140lber than he was a 126lber

8. He never looked past prime at any stage

9. Your assuming he wasnt struggling to make weight despite the facts he was always bigger than opposition, too much skeleton/muscle for his weight class, the fact he moved up.

Again weight has NOTHING to do with this fight Pryor kicks Arguello's ass at any weight

 

Absolutely. He was really a lightweight who moved up to 140 to fight for the title since he was denied a shot at 135. He had exceptional speed, stamina, recooperative powers and punching power. He destroyed 140 legend Cervantes and twice stopped Arguello. He defended his title many times in impressive fashion. He has a tremendous KO percentage. He only lost once, years later after drugs took their toll .. that is a great to me ..

 

I think we are going around in circles now PP. My key points have been made and i see nothing that changes my mind. You are in the same boat of course. It's been fun mate.

 

Agreed i reckon. He makes great for me too despite my postings above.

 

Pryor was a talented fighter and he holds his own with any 140 who lived...ATG at 140 ...yes

 

This makes no sense. Pryor struggled with Leonidis Asprilla's height and range at lightweight, plus was wobbled almost every time he was hit solidly by him. Yet somehow, you claim it's Arguello who benefited from moving up to 140 (where he clearly looked slower) and not Pryor (who looked stronger and sturdier at 140).

What "benefits" did Arguello get moving up beyond 130? All he did was get slower with each jump.

That's not "science." Plenty of fighters have "looked big" for their weight class, but that didn't mean they had to drain themselves to make weight. You're taking two separate issues and trying to combine them.

It's only "clear as day" if you were actually in his training camp and actually saw him drain himself. He either drained himself or he didn't, that's not something that can be proven by just "looking" at him afterward.

You only have to look at him to see he wasn't as fast at 140 as he was at the lower weights. There's nothing to speculate about that.

And he wasn't "more durable" at 135 than the lower weights, he was floored and staggered more times there than at any other weight previously since first becoming a champion.

You only have to compare his fight with Kevin Rooney to any of his late '70s jr. lightweight fights to see he was clearly slower and less mobile than he had been.

No he wasn't, Pryor was never small enough to be a featherweight.

The Asprilla fight suggests otherwise.

So did Arguello.

Not if Pryor wasn't as sturdy without that extra flesh.

No he wasn't, he was much quicker and better all-around at his peak at feather, and obviously much more accomplished.

 

Joe Louis was top rated contender on an 8-0 Winning streak, and FAVORED to Beat Marciano. Was he not shopworn? Wasnt it you who called louis "SHOT" when he fought marciano in the other thread?? Double Standards?

 

I think Pryor was an ATG h2h wise, and his wins over Cervantes and Arguello I were very impressive, particular the arguello of the first fight....but I disagree with those who think he would have been a match for Sugar Ray Leonard.

 

atschPowerPuncher is such a clown.

 

Sweet Pea...Off topic What do you think of Jose Napoles win resume?

 

..i just skipped all the posts and jumped to page 4. the answer is no, not an atg.

p.s. i'm a former cincinnatian too.

 

Sorry,

I don't want to get into the weeds again, but take the Arguello wins out of the equasion. Those wins are classified 2 ways, at best, beating a not at his peak/prime lighter fighter moving up. At worst, and as most seem to suspect, a juiced fighter beating AA that is no longer at his best.

Given that scenario, (most likely). Does his body of work outside that make him an ATG. So no in my mind Pryor is not a atg.

A good fighter but no ATG imho.

The AA wins are his signature wins, and even given the benefit of the doubt that they were clean wins. Pryor falls short.

 

No, spot on.

Anyone with any degree of common sense is aware that all logic, available evidence and circumstances point to him being fed a stimulant against Arguello.

Really, he's tested and the report is lost? And you think he wasn't on something? That Lewis had honey in that bottle?