Where is Aaron Pryor in your all time greats list?

Thanks T.

Don't get me wrong though, I'd pick Valdez to beat Tito at middleweight, but I think Tito is slightly better level fighter as a welter than Valdez is as a middle.

 

That's a fair call dmt. I think i'm impressed with Pryor's style more than his accomplishments to tell you the truth (taking nothing away from his accomplishments though) and that's probably justifying his high placement for me.

I have no real qualms with Frazier or Dempsey ranking higher than him.

 

What on earth did he do to be ranked in the top 20 of all-time?

Cervantes, Arguello, Johnson, Blackmoore, Kameda is enough to get him in the top 20 of all-time?

Pryor wasted far too much talent and his resume is lacking to be even close to the top 20, and if he were around today, he would be getting far more criticism and nitpicking that so many of today's fighters get since they are fresh in the mind and not of the past.

 

Bollocks, load of bollocks.

 

Pryor gets the James Dean, Marc Bolan 'what might have been' type votes. He's maybe top 50 on potential and not even that on accomplishments.

 

He might make it into my top 50. I'd say mid-late 40's or something.

 

I've always said it, Pryor's legend is enormous compared to his actual accomplishments. The guy was great, but he didn't do half enough to get to where many seem to rate him.

 

I agree; I have at #73. Pryor is tough to rate because his decent championship reign was fairly short, and I suspect, he would of peaked at 135lbs, but had to move up to get the fights he wanted.

 

He needed to stay clean, his biggest challenges, and therefore ATG builders were still ahead of him. 147 pounds was where it was at with Curry finding greatness (or seeming to for critics) and a healthy Hawk easily still in his prime if not for drugs. If he'd stayed clean and beat a rampant Curry before the Honeyghan bout the sky was the limit i reckon. Curry was enormously regarded at that time.

 

Pryor/Curry post Curry/McCrory could of worked, no doubt. With hindsight a healthy Pryor needed a Leonard who did not retire for his superfight.

But one or two too many if's, but's and maybe's there...


You did not fall for the Curry hype? I may of only been 12, but I remembering picking Curry over Hagler pre Honeyghan

 

I'll hold my hand up, I did. I was 15 and Curry had just walked through McCrory, LaRocca and Jones....With the exeption of Hearns (styles and all that) I thought the guy was unbeatable under 160.

 

Pryor's standing in my view has dropped because his refusal to meet with Johnny Bumphus, a pathetic southpaw. Johnny had no weapons and no way to beat Pryor. Was Pryor afraid to meet him?

Pryor's career was short too but his defenses and wins over name opponents raises his status. Still, not enough going for him. In the 80's he gets a ranking outside top ten.

 

I don't think Johnny's legs would have held up just walking to the ring if he had to face Pryor. You think Duva was gonna let Aaron loose on poor Bumphus? Not likely.

 

Spot on, i usually mention this, Pryor did indeed need a SRL bout around the time Ray retired. The ultimate litmus test for him.

Curry hype. To be honest i think Curry was in awesome form for quite some time and agree he might have been better off moving up earlier. I never did think he'd beat either Hearns, Hagler or a comebacking Leonard at any stage. I did think he was awesome tho and would not fall so quickly and heavily. I think his durability would have always come under scrutiny as soon as he moved up and fought bigger, better and stronger men.

 

Why was it Pryor gave up his wba title and given the ibf title?