Why is it that so many people think Aaron Pryor would've taken Sugar Ray at 147?

Answer 1

Two reasons, one Pryor had a pressure style that gave boxers trouble, Ray was always a boxer first and had trouble with pressure.

The second was that while both men had speed to burn, Pryor had quite possible the best chin in the history of the 147 lb. division. Ray wouldn't have been able to flurry and run, Pryor would have forced a war of attrition, and in a slug fest, Ray would at best been even, not somethig Leonard was ever used to.

I am not one of the people who think Pryor would have beaten Ray Leonard, if Ray got past the likes of Hagler, Duran and Hearns he likely would have taken Aaron Pryor too.

Answer 2

I don't think Pryor could've beaten Leonard. As great as Pryor was, Leonard was better. Leonard had tremendous hand and foot speed, was naturally bigger than Pryor, and very intelligent in the ring. Pryor would've pressured Ray, but Ray was stronger than most people think and he would have stood up to the pressure that Pryor put on him, and Ray's foot speed and boxing skills would've neutralized a lot of Pryor's aggressive style. I even heard some people say the Pryor would've knocked Ray out if they had met. No way! If Tommy Hearns, who was one of the most feared punchers in boxing at that time, couldn't KO Ray, what makes people think Pryor, who was a natural 140 pounder who had good power but wasn't the devastating puncher that Hearns was, could KO Ray? Ray would've outboxed Pryor en route to a 15 rd. unanimous decision.

Answer 3

I assume that you're referring to Sugar Ray Leonard since they fought in the same era. In that case, I'm not one of those. First of all, Pryor fought in the 135 - 140 divisions during his career. If he climbed up to 147 to face Leonard, he'd be at a disadvantage because his quite short and the additional poundage would've taken away his speed. Leonard, on the other hand, was a natural welterweight who was very fast and packed knockout power in both fists. I think Leonard's big advantage though was his intelligence and smartness. He could make adjustments against his opponents, even while already in the ring. He was also, like Ali, a master at psyching up his foes. He'd surely mess up Pryor's mind, take away his concentration and finally knock him out.

Answer 4

The question is why did Sugar Ray not fight Pryor . Aaron begged Ray to fight him the public wanted every thing was in place Ray Leonard is a very smart man he only agreed to fight Marvin Haggler after he saw how close Roberto Duran came to beating him Aaron Pryor wins this fight but 13 round KO

Answer 5

i must agree with most of our previous panel, there's no way pryor would've beaten ray. what makes ppl think that pryor would succeed where benitez, duran, hearns, and hagler couldn't. i mean really. who could put more pressure on ray than duran and hagler? and who was a bigger puncher than the then-freakish hearns? and who was slicker than benitez. sorry, ray wins this fight most convincingly w/a unanimous decision, if not an out and out knockout, given his underrated power!

Answer 6

Not at 147. At 140 he would've been more evenly matched. Ray still wins, though.

Answer 7

ARGUELLO WAS MOVING UP IN WEIGHT WHEN HE FOUGHT PRYOR. PRYOR WOULD BE MOVING UP IN WEIGHT TO FIGHT LEONARD.

AS WAS STATED PRYOR COULD PUT NO MORE PRESSURE ON LEONARD THAN HEARNS, DURAN OR HAGLER.

LEONARD BY UNANIMOUS DECISION.

EDIT - ADDITION
RAY WAS ONLY KO'ED AS 40 YR MAN WHO SHOULD HAVE STAYED RETIRED. IN HIS PRIME, LEONARD COULD NOT BE KO'ED.

Answer 8

pryor was a total animal in his heydey, destroyed arguello remember, he was just too much of a warrior for leonard to handle