Ray wouldn't have had a discernible chance. The difference in quickness and skill was huge. This would have been a brutal blood letting. Stoppage under the distance due to extreme punishment.
This was talked of in '83, but Mancini's manager Dave Wolfe knew better than to put Ray in with "The Hawk" in 1983 or even 1984.... BUT!! The '85 Mancini who was game against Bramble on HBO would've been a live underdog against the '85 Pryor who looked lackluster against Hinton on ABC television....... That's no ****.... MR.BILL:bbb:hat:deal
This is utterly no contest. Pryor would chop mancini to bits without suffering any major damage himself. Only ray's tremendous heart and toughness would take him into the later rounds, which would be a moral victory for him. Mancini may have 1 or 2 moments of glory but that's about it: Pryor by 12 round stoppage.
Mr Bill... Setting things straight. Indeed Mancini wouldve had a shot against Pryor in 1985 bc Pryor was not at his best anymore
You have to go with the faster, more talented, harder hitting Pryor but Ray will not get crushed like Hatton by Paq ... Arguello himself said in reflecting on his fight with a very young Mancini that he could not believe how strong and tough Ray was ... Ray took Alexis' and I'm sure he'd hang tough with Aaron for a while ... Pryor would stop him in under ten but what a fight ...
Look I loved watching `Boom Boom do his thing, an all action fighter. But the `Hawk` ? He would put some serious hurt on Mancini... Too big, strong, fast, good tto much everything. An ugly bloody brutal stoppage...
This fight would last to the eleventh round, with Aaron having a slight lead, and stepping it up to a notch even Ray is not used to.Aaron would then proceed to pummel Ray to the canvas, with the ref stepping in to stop the fight.
It would be a war early on and it wouldnt surprise me to see The Hawk down like it happened in many of his fights due to his reckless approach but from then on Pryor's would step up a gear and he would go on to brutally dismantle Mancini bit by bit until the ref steps in to save Mancini in the tenth round.
I am a big fan of both guys, but agree with an earlier poster who said they couldn't think of a worse oponent for mancini than Pryor...hawk clear points win and could feasibly stop him in the later rounds as well.
I think if Ray could establish himself as the stronger guy he would have an excellant chance, I just dont see him being able to make his strength tell against another beastly strong fighter but the weight above him.