Prime Hearns vs Prime Pryor..who wins?

For some reason Hearns wasn’t a puncher as a amateur and only gained a fearsome rep as a puncher when he turned pro.

 

He added 15 lbs. of muscle.

 

Steward taught him leverage and power for the pro game. Results were immediate.

 

I agree with you. Aaron didn't stay on the scene very long but he was a helluva warrior...Hearns may be slightly overated at 147.
At the end of the day..if I had to bet I have to pick Hearns though.

 

Tommy Hearns will always suffer from the Chandelier Chin Syndrome, which always costs him victories in big fights. Pryor did somewhat suffered from this affliction. The difference is that Aaron got up to win these important fights, while Tommy stayed asleep on the canvas. They both fought in the amateurs, with Pryor winning on points. In this battle at 147 lbs, both visit the canvas, Pryor early, Hearns stays on the canvas fast asleep in round 9, as if he watched a boring movie after taking a solid Hawk Timed right hand.

 

I see 2 possible outcomes here :

1. Hearns by early KO ala Duran, maybe even in the 1st round. Pryor was easy to hit with the right and that's kamikaze against TH.

2. Pryor takes a beating early maybe even getting floored but gradually finds his bearings and gets used to Hearns' power, AP begins to find the range and land more as the fights progresses, Tommy is feeling the pace and starts to tire and slow, Pryor either wins by late stoppage or the fight goes to the judges for a close, controversial decision.

 

Pryor didn't get so much the better when he was the far more experienced amateur and Hearns was a 17 year old toothpick .. it was a good fight .. at 147 as a pro a bad match uo for Aaron .. Leonard would have been as well .. Aaron was a terrific talent but really was a blown up lightweight and to go against two of the best welters ever , pretty tough ..

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The difference is when Tommy got put on the canvas, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler put him there and only after Tommy had taken sustained beatings. When Pryor went down DuJuan Johnson was throwing the punches and it was the frst round.

Tommy wins this big. As a pro, the Hawk faced nobody who posed anything like the threat Hearns did. Aaron simply not big or strong enough to take Hearns into the deep waters that Leonard and Hagler did.

It wasn't actually Tommy's chin that failed him in big fights, until the Barkley shocker, it was his body. Understandably, given how tall he was at such a low weight. But it's a bit of a myth that Hearns had a glass jaw. He wasn't especially durable but his chin wasn't the problem.

 

Manny Steward said he discovered/realized when it was time to turn Hearns pro that Tommy didn’t close his hands and make a real fist in the amateurs. They spent time on that and the knockouts came right away ... he was hitting with a brick instead of slapping with an open hand looking to score a point.

I’ll take Manny at his word on that. Never seemed like a guy who would make up stuff. He was asked about the difference in Tommy’s punching power from amateur to pro and that was his answer.

I see this fight a bit like Sanchez-Gomez. Hearns blitzkrieg’s Aaron early, the Hawk regains a bit of composure and comes back somewhat in the middle rounds but he’s already taken a beating and Hearns doubles down and takes him out somewhere in rounds 7-10.

 

Pryor took plenty of Arguello's best right hands, but kept coming. I can't in any way see him taking Hearns's best punches and keeping coming like that, and Tommy had a formidable reach advantage which would make it easier to land them. Hearns puts him to sleep.

 

Pryor had Leonard, but he passed on it … Tommy KO

 

First thing I looked after reading this was number of posts ... while the prediction may or may not be right the assessment of both ring immortal's ability to absorb punishment makes me think someone is a bit fishy here .. playing two dimensional chess. Semi serious, enough to add debates to a thread. Smells like a bored Alt.

 

First off, I did not mean to hurt your feelings and to offend you. I am sure you are an avid fan of Thomas the Hit Man Hearns. But everyone has an opinion, which I respect. But I do call them as I see them, regardless of the fighters stardom or drawing power. I am the same with my personal favorites. I go by fact, and their physical attributes, such as defense, stamina,ring general ship. Also the ability to take a punch figures in,as well as other intangibles. But look at Hearns record, 3 of his knock out losses ended with him being stopped, Sugar Ray Leonard, Sept 16 1981, TKO 14, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, April 15 1985, KO3, Iran Barkley, June 6 1988, TKO 3. and Uriah Grant, April 8 2000, RTD 3, in his bid for the vacant IBO World Cruiserweight Title. Hearns, very talented fighter who packed a very devastating punch, as well as good boxing skills. But I do think he would have defeated a lot of all time greats. The best of them have been down, but to get up and continue is the important thing. He did need a better defense, you have to admit. He must have felt that he did not need a defense, because of his KO punch. Again, I do respect your opinion. I look forward to reading your post.

 

PRYOR S style would always cause Tommy trouble. I like Pryor by stoppage in 7 oddly enough. Out of nowhere Pryor clocks him then the pattented Hearns lockkneed wobble dance. Then obliteration.