Sugar Ray Leonard vs Aaron Pryor. Who wins?

Question

15 rounds with Pryor moving up to welterweight. It's been said that Leonard always avoided fighting Pryor.

Answer 1

Sugar Ray is faster and a better boxer. He will win by unanimous decision. Aaron Pryor was a good puncher but I don't think he can hit harder than Hearns and Hagler and Sugar Ray took Hearns and Hagler best shots. So he will survive and win a decision.

Answer 2

i have always believed that pryor would beat leonard.pryor had a steel  chin and hit hard as well.pryor also never stoped coming at you.pryor by ko in 8.

Answer 3

Blogbaba- this is the first time I've read your answer and sat here scratching my head. With all due respect, do you really beleive that Leonard took on Hagler, Hearns and Duran the first two being very heavyhitters at 160lbs but was afraid of 135lb Pryor? Leonard was guilty of picking his fights, especially after the eye injury. But he was always looking for a challenge, (I'm sure for the cash) but also for the glory (Lalonde). I don't think he considered Pryor because he would have been the prohibitive favorite, therefore not a challenge or risk worth taking. If the shoe was on the other foot and beating Pryor would have increased his legacy, I'm sure he would have at least tried to make that fight.

AGAIN, with all due respect!

I really had to check your profile to make sure your answer was you & and not one of your imposters

Answer 4

I still wonder why Ray avoided Pryor.  I lean towards Leonard because we never saw how well Pryor would carry 147.  I think he would have carried it well but we never had chance to see.  He was really a lightweight who moved up because he couldn't get fights at 135.  

I commend Arguello for being the only superstar willing to face Pryor.  Even then it was mainly because Pryor had the title Alexis wanted.  Leonard may have beaten Pryor but I think he still considered Arron to be a bit of a risk.  

Leonard in a close one at 147.  Im sure he wouldn't grant Pryor a rematch.

Answer 5

I would put my money on Sugar Ray, especially at 147 pounds.  Aaron had moved up from 135 to 140, which was regarded as his natural weight, and another seven pounds might have been too much for him to carry.  In his first fight at welterweight he was TKO'ed in seven rounds by a journeyman named Bobby Joe Young.  

I don't buy the argument that Ray ducked Pryor.  Untill his fight with Arguello, few boxing fans had seen  him fight; even today, if Arguello is excluded, few boxing fans can name more than a handful of his opponents.  It doesn't make sense, to me anyway, that SRL would duck Pryor but take on Roberto Duran.  I don't recall Pryor clamoring for a fight with Duran at either 135 or 140 pounds.  IMO, Duran would have destroyed Pryor.  If Aaron had really wanted to fight SRL, he should have moved up to 147 and taken on some of the many really good welterweights to earn a shot at the title.  As it was, he took on a nobody and got knocked out. Bear in mind that when Pryor beat Arguello on 1982 and again in1983, SRL was retired.  After the second Arguello fight, Pryor won two decisions, suffered the TKO mentioned above, and finished his career with three KO wins -- that's six fights, each of which was against an opponent qualified only for Boxing's "Who's He?" category.  He didn't have the credentials to challenge Sugar Ray Leonard.

At best, Pryor was barely tested at 147 pounds.  Ray was tested and proven.

Pryor's win over Arguello in 1982 was tainted by allegations that his corner gave him a stimulant during the latter wtages of the fight: some believe that is what gave him his second wind in that fight.  I saw the fight and was amazed at his stamina.

Answer 6

Suger Ray Leonard

Answer 7

Hagler and Hearns couldn't KO Leonard. Both were much bigger and stronger than Pryor. Arguello was toe to toe in a close brawl until he yielded to Pryor's constant pressure and maybe a bit of Panama Lewis's magic mixed water. It was Pryor's best moment. He won an incredible war with Arguello. He landed bombs but took some incredible shots from Arguello.  Arguello was a featherweight, Super Feather and Lightweight. Leonard was a welter, superwelter, middleweight.  I don't think Pryor would walk through Leonard's punches. He was a considerably stronger man than Arguello and faster.

It would have been a good fight, but Leonard was harder to hit than Arguello, he had faster foot work and hand speed. He also has more power. As evidenced by KOing a super middleweight champ in Lalonde.

I believe Ray wins, the only question I'd have is weather or not Pryor would be standing at the end of 15 rounds.

Answer 8

I liked aaron pryor , he just kept attacking and I alway thought he would of beat ray leonard

Answer 9

aaron pryor! he was a great fighter. I never liked sugar ray. hated how he has robinsons nickname, hate the way he boxes and he didnt beat hagler! he plays games with fighters and he isnt highly respected by other fighters! he would get knocked out by a punch to the back of the head because he runs around the ring. hagler is the greatest!

Answer 10

ray wins.

Answer 11

I,m going to tell you a story. When both fighters were armatures before the 1976 Olympic both fighters were in the same weight class. It was Ray Leonard who moved up in weight so he would not have to face Aaron Pryor in the Olympic box offs. When they would spar Aaron Pryor would hand Ray Leonard his hat this is a fact. After they both won Olympic Gold Ray would not give Aaron Pryor a shot and Ray Leonard fought everyone they put in front of him .The Hawk Aaron Pryor had his number and Ray and everyone close to these two fighters knew it. There is no style Ray could have used to keep The Hawk off of him. Aaron begged Ray at a press conference to fight him Ray talked about every thing under the sun but about fighting The Hawk. If Ray did not believe he could beat Aaron why would I think Ray could beat him. The fight ends in the 13th round the Hawk wins by KO. This would be one of the greatest fights of all time if only Ray would have accepted the challenge. As a fightfan I love both fighters

Answer 12

Leonard avoided Pryor like he had leprosy. So I have to give the nod to the guy who wanted to fight the other - Pryor wins!

Answer 13

assuming leonard doesn't mix it up like he did against duran the first time, he will win a very close decision.

Answer 14

very tough fight, both knocked each other down in sparing, after 15 rounds in a great fight Aaron Pryor wins a split decision victory... and gets recognition he deserved...Pryor wins

Answer 15

The fear factor was obvious, Ray was scared of Aaron.  Pryor by dominating decision.