Prime Tzsyu vs The Hawk 140.

Which Pryor opponents would you pick to beat the Zoo? Apart from Arguello and Cervantes being possibles forget it. Zoo would stand a very good chance against those two given their far less than peak standing when Pryor fought them.

Dujuan was a novice. His best win was over Montilla who'd been beaten twice already by an old Cervantes. Johnson had a bit of profile because the division was so terribly poor for decent class.

That's a rather harsh call on Zoo.

Granted Pryor often went loco, but the only notable opponent he did this with was Alexis. As Ezz says, this fight was shrouded with controversy. How much of Pryor's heroics was attributable to drugs? Who knows? We know the likes of King could squash such tests.

Zoo was beating top fighters for a decade. Pryor was beating them for about 4 years. Zoo came back from adversity stronger than ever - Pryor NEVER did. There are more question marks on Pryor than Zoo here IMO. Zoo is more proven on many levels.

In ways Pryor was a bit of a Tyson, without such extreme dominance. His demons overcame him, just when he was soaring.

Even after all the above, i'll go slightly against my pal Ezz and pick Pryor by decision due to styles. I won't however count out Zoo for one second.

 

I see it going the same way

 

This is a top Post.

Ive been sitting back taking Sweet Peas **** on how he thinks Tszyu is way Overated.

I think Head to Head Tszyu could beat any of the top dogs at 140 in there Prime v Prime.
You can say all you want about his two losses but he was the man at 140 for 6 or 7 years solid at a time were it was at its peak in terms of era's.

Pryor ruled during the worst era at 140 Tszyu ruled longer during arguabably the best era.

Yes i believe Pryor would win but it would be far from a blowout like most think.
If were talking Prime Tszyu.

Phillips fight Tszyu was a bit young and made many mistakes aswell as some very huge distractions outside of the ring.

Then the loss to Hatton away from home at close to 36 years old.

But if were talking a 1999-2001 Tszyu against a Prime Pryor its a different kettle of fish.

 

I'd give Arguello a fair chance of doing so, and yes, the same Arguello that faced Pryor in the first fight. That version of Cervantes would've been KO'd, but a prime version I'd also choose. That wasn't the point anyway, I was simply responding to what Ezzard said.

He was still a hot prospect with firepower who proved to be no push-over. Yet Pryor did just that to him after a few hot moments. I was just offering different alternatives to a guy like Arguello anyway, where he seemed to prove himself enough unless we're just assuming he was coked up.

That's a rather harsh call on Pryor. In fact, this was typically his style and demeanor in the ring outright, so I don't know how you can say that.

Are we to assume he was coked up for every fight then? He generally fought one way (though he could switch it up more than people like to admit) in most of his fights, so unless you're referring purely to stamina issues I don't see what difference it would've made in some of his higher profile fights.

Now we're getting into their careers, which has little to do with a head to head matchup, anymore that a fantasy matchup between a prime Tyson and some of the great HW's does. Tszyu was the more consistent fighter with the overall fuller, more proven career, though I don't think he ever really proved his dominance more so than Pryor at his best. Tszyu also managed to show weaknesses that Pryor didn't in his longer reign, though.

 

I doubt even you believe that.

 

That's in 140, but that wasn't arguello's best weight, he couldn't carry the power from 126 all the way up.

but i definitely agree.

I see kostya dominated by pryor, everytime pryor gets hit he gets more furious.

Pryor TKO Mid-Rounds

 

yeah ...granted 140 has been hot since about 05/06 ... it was dead for most of zoos reign ..

 

This guy's a big time idiot

Pryor by 8th round knockout
Pryor is 100 times better than Phillips and would batter Tsyzu in similar fashion.

 

Zoo had his chance against Ricky Hatton and he proved that if he is pressured you can beat him.

 

Come on bro, a difference of view doesn't make one an idiot. Pryor's not bulletproof contrary to some opinion and Pryir is not "100" times better than Phillips :hey

 

Kostya was ready to be taken, he'd been near the top for a decade and was 35 or 36. It would be like holding up Holmes effort vs Spinks or Jones vs Tarver II as big summations of their ability. They aren't, and neither's Zoo's.

 

:thumbsupClass.

 

Yes, Arguello would be a chance against almost any 140 pounder. It would be an interesting fight. I wouldn't be surprised to see KT prevail tho, he was peak at this weight whilst Arguello, tho still excellent, was undeniably well above his best poundage and time. KT hits myriads harder than Pryor, who was a solid hitter more than a big one, contrary to common opinion. Both Arguello and KT have the power to bother each other plenty, but i think Kostya is more fluent at the weight. Alexis for all his great points lacked speed, which would help KT here. A top match, but i'll make Zoo the fave personally.

Peak Cervantes would indeed be a difficult match, he's very highly regarded and a great boxer. There's every chance he'd outbox Pryor at his best too.

I'm not just assuming he was coked up and never have. The Arguello wins are great. I wouldn't think coke was involved tho, if anything it would be a stimulant, like speed. It's deffo suss but unfortunately there is no proof any which way. Pryor won at the end of the day.

Arguello early on was about a 7-5 fave in this fight. Most major publications took Pryor for the minor upset, with one or two running long stories how Pryor had the style to give the methodical Arguello fits at this weight and career stage. It unfolded a lot like they predicted.

Johnson was a decent prospect with excellent power, but whether i'd call him "hot" or not is another matter. He really didn't have that much behind him. Aaron, like many others, unfortunately had a pretty ordinary division around him at the time. His only big match was a moving up Arguello then he was looking north to the likes of SRL.

What other "notable" opponents would you put forth? I don't use notable lightly.

I don't think coke would help, tho he used on the side apparently. I'd never conclude he used coke in the ring, as i said IF anything was ever used it'd be a stimulant. I steer clear of the drug issue pretty much, but in this instance it is probably worth the mention Ezz gave it. There was a thread on the topic just a bit back. The first Arguello fight is the only one tainted that i know of. Some dismiss it, some give it great importance, and some, like myself, don't dwell on it but do admit it's existance.

Agree on the whole, tho i have lost count of the times people have dismissed say a Jones or Tyson (good example) in matches vs a Charles or Holmes say due to the latter two being more time proven etc.

We never saw Pryor was a prime top level and proven 140 pounder tho, did we?

Well some ways Pryor showed greater weakness if you want to hold Zoo's loss over him comparative to Pryor. He struggled badly against the ordinary Gary Hinton and was basically past it at 30. Zoo was hammering around this time. Pryor would have suffered a shock loss as Zoo did if he kept banging, and he wouldn't have come back from it.

Despite his considerable accomplishments Zoo only had 18 fights under his belt when fighting Phillips, and there's no doubt he ended up a better fighter later. Remember your hot prospect Johnson had 17 fights under his belt when taking on Aaron. Just one less than the Zoo who lost.

 

Cheers mate, be sure to tune into my next effort

Of course if i stumble anyone is welcome to help a bro out

 

Tszyu's reign from 95 to 2005 here are some of the names of fighters that either fought for a title or held a 140 title during Tszyu's reign there.


KOSTYA TSZYU

Jake Rodriguez
Roger Mayweather
Vince Phillips
Zab Judah
Junior Witter
Ricky Hatton
Miguel Cotto
Arturo Gatti
Floyd Mayweather (HOF)
Sharmba Mitchell
Frankie Randall
Diosbelys Hurtado
Ben Tackie
Jesse Jame Lieja
Julio Cesar Chavez (HOF)
Miguel Angel Gonzalez
Oscar Dela Hoya (HOF)
Sammy Fuentes
Randall Bailey
Demarcus Corley
Vivian Harris
Ricardo Torres

Heres a List of fighters during Pryor's Era

AARON PRYOR

Antonio Cervantes
Miguel Montilla
Alexis Arguello
Sang Hyun Kim
Lennox Blackmoore
Akio Kameda
Saoul Mamby
Bruce Curry
Billy Costello
Leroy Haley
Gary Hinton

Im sorry but Tszyu's reign during those years was better tahn many think.

**** most of Tszyu's opponents would give all those guys from the 80's a beating.