Where is Aaron Pryor in your all time greats list?

Pryor gave up his WBA title (December 83) and retired because of eye damaged he suffered in sparring for the Arguello rematch.

But because of money troubles his retirement lasted one month, and in January 1984 he announced his comeback. The IBF, like they had with Holmes and Hagler proclaimed Pryor as their first champion; The Hawk making his first defence in June 84 against Furlano.

 

thanks. ^ that may be the reason he gave but I don't believe it. that seems to be everyone's favorite excuse. I think he was just paid off to step aside so that Bumphus could claim a title. another fix in boxing.

 

Curry would have found Hearns' power too much, and Hagler was just too damn strong.

I think Curry could well have tempted Hagler into a fight at 160lbs, if he wasn't beaten by Honeyghan. Around late 86 was when Hagler and Leonard was in full swing and the negotiations were well underway. If Leonard never started to beat the drum for a Hagler showdown, Curry was probably the only new challenge for Hagler with a nice purse up for grabs.

Curry was struggling with the scales at welterweight as far back as 82, and the weight eventually caught up with him when Honeyghan came calling. But Hagler at 160lbs would probably be a bridge too far for Curry. He'd need all the mobility possible against a natural middleweight like Hagler, and his effectiveness would not be as potent.

I fancy Hagler to KO Curry inside 7 rounds if they squared off around late 86, early 87.

 

Well why the bull**** about Pryor refusing to meet Bumphus? Either way your first comment was just a troll, as usual.

 

Curry woud have to favored to whip Hagler in 87 considering his lack of reflexes and punch. I give any of the leading contenders a damn good chance of beating that shell. Even Herol Graham.

 

I felt Pryor could definitely whip the helpless Bumphus-early if he was motivated and in proper shape but in the end, Pryor stepped aside for Johnny.

The problem with you JT is you always fall for the hype because you got no mind of your own. It's too easy to have someone else do your thinking for you.

The proof is in the pudding-1) Pryor comes out with a phony excuse-the eye as usual (2) Retires (steps out of the way) and by the time he "comes back", no longer has his title and is back in the ring one month later. Pryor retires due to an eye injury and runs out of money in a couple weeks?

Then, Bumphus is fighting for a vacant title (yeah right) and Pryor comes back with another. As I said, another fix in boxing.

people like Bumphus and leonard have the media on their side and get these "arrangements" with the media playing them down of course. Then when Bumphus fails to impress the media again comes to his rescue putting him on the cover of some magazine then titling it "let's win this one then look good the next time"

Except in the case of Bumphus, Johnny really couldn't fight so I knew their efforts to defend him would prove to be useless and one defense later, he was exposed by Hatcher the way leonard was eventually exposed by Norris.

So much for the man who was supposed to knock out Aaron Pryor in the late rounds.

 

By 87 Curry had been bent over twice. He wasn't beating Hagler, no matter how deteriorated Marv was.

 

al hagler had at the time was experience but what good is it if he's moving in slow motion. You'd have to suck not to beat that version of Hagler. Even the weaver triplets made sport of him in sparring.

 

The shell which beat Leonard?. I'll tell you, Leonard must be a very poor fighter if you had Hagler beating him.

Just for the record, I thought Hagler fought poorly. I'll never forget the moment he had Leonard on the ropes during the 9th and his handspeed was extremely slow. Missing punches on an open target sagging against the ropes. Hagler's timing wasn't quite the same either, even on a few occassions wide punches from the outside missed by a foot.

Hagler seldom varied his work, and his lack of imagination was apparent for all to see. Leonard must get credit for his smart strategy. He just outlanded Hagler and showed better defense.

It was laughable at the end of the fight when Hagler done that silly little dance with his arms raised, showing himself to be jubilant. He even put his glove out to a member of his team to say "gimme five". You could see his delight was clearly fake in every way possible.

 

Ray Leonard's wife even thought hagler won the fight.

 

yes hagler was faking I agree. in fact he was living a nightmare having a good chance of going out a loser (he was retiring anyway) and knowing full well he'd have as much chance of getting a rematch with leonard as we have of President Bush pulling troops out of Iraq.

but that wasn't the real hagler while I have to say Leonard was still in his prime though inactive and very well prepared. I would compare the Hagler of 1987 with the 1976 version of ALi-very sluggish, terrible timing, and too slow to bother blocking punches. Ali lost that fight. From that point on Ali was really losing most of his fights to Shavers and Norton followed by Spinks. And Marvin had become the same toothless fighter, a shadow really.

of course I knew already since I'm the only one who actually saw Hagler in preparation. but basically, this fight came off a few years too late because leonard was too chicken to take the fight before knowing he'd get hurt. he was much more confident knowing hagler couldn't hurt him after the first round. Then you could really see his confidence grow after that but had Ray gotten hurt early like he did in the Norris fight, you would have seen him fall apart and his confidence evaporate just as it had in rounds two and three of the Norris fight.

leonard was competitive for about two rounds with Norris but once leonard got hurt he couldn't do **** the rest of the fight. Norris ****ed him up for good.

 

I couldn't care if Leonard's grandfather thought Hagler won the fight.

 

Leonard never chickened out. I think you could make an equal case for Hagler doing the same.

Leonard was a natural welterweight, and Hagler a natural middleweight. Even though Leonard had previously fought at 154lbs, it was not a weight he felt entirely comfortable. However, he did offer to meet Hagler halfway between welterweight and middleweight. Hagler declined.

If Hagler wanted Leonard as badly as he made out, then he would have dropped an extra 4-5 pounds. But Hagler's case must be taken on board, as he reckons coming down so much would have weakened him.

Leonard was looking to muster as much speed as possible when meeting Hagler, and obviously natural strength was Hagler's meal ticket. So for Leonard to move all the way up to middleweight, advantage Hagler. And for Hagler to come down as low as Jr-middleweight, advantage Leonard.

In my unbiased opinion, checkmate.

 

why would Hagler be afraid of leonard? I can understand someone like Dave Green having butterflies but not a fighter like Hagler who tamed much better fighters like Sibson, Obel, Hearns, and Hamsho.

No one, especially another black man, is going to be afraid of Leonard (ask Terry Norris) much less Hagler.

 

That's funny. Leonard, a threat to the middleweights. Couldn't even defend his title middleweight once giving another phony excuse why he can't fight post Hagler then when he gets in his first real fight gets tamed by Norris and flattened by Camacho when he's supposed to beat both with ease.