Prime Aaron Pryor vs. Prime Meldrick Taylor

[Diamond WEAPON]

While thinking about the Whitaker-Taylor thread in constructing how I could imagine their clash going down I just happened to wonder what would've happened if The Hawk had ever stepped into the ring with the hellaciously fast combo puncher. I know most of you here favor Chavez to beat Pryor at 140 and we already have proof of what Julio did to Taylor but just imagine the fireworks that would come about from a Pryor-Taylor clash...

Personally I'd say Pryor stops Taylor by around the tenth round. They'd both undoubtedly land heavily on one another but I think Pryor could take what Taylor has to offer, but not so much vice versa, on top of the fact that I think Pryor had more snap on his shots than Chavez thanks to his faster hands and chaotically angled attack. It would've been fun to see what Pryor's reaction when Taylor lands a blistering combo on him

[Seamus]

Pryor trailing on all 3 cards, rallies to stop Taylor in the 11th.

[Goodnight, Irene]

You guys have it about right. Pryor's going to run into trouble with Taylor's speed &, also, his offensive output. He was just a punching machine against Chavez first-time around, & that, as much as the speed disparity, hurt Chavez in that fight. He just couldn't establish rhythm amidst the swarm of blows being thrown his way. Pryor was a little more versatile than Chavez, with more punching angles, & he was no less furious in there --- perhaps not quite as devastatingly methodical in his breakdown of opponents, but savage, nonetheless. I would probably expect a Pryor victory.

I would probably favour Chavez to best Pryor at 140, but I would hesitate to make such a prediction come fight night. Pryor was one mean monster. He'd have an excellent shot at Chavez, who, himself, needs no introduction as the baddest of the bad.

It would be glorious to see Chavez dig to the ribs in the early rounds, & watch as Pryor nods & waves him on at the bell, as he did against another all-time bodypuncher, Arguello. He was around at the end of that bout to celebrate. Would he be against Chavez? Tough to say from where I'm sitting. Maybe.

Pryor: "What time is it!?"

Chavez: "Time I turned your ribs to soup."

"That was Aaron Pryor! He'd take your best punch, spit in your eye, & then kick your ass!" - Buddy La Rosa

"Chavez was the plumber who pulled up in an SUV. But then he might run over your Jaguar with the SUV." - Ron Borges

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Agreed with Pryor by late stoppage in a tough fight for him, much tougher than the drubbing Aaron would hand Chavez.

[BoxBuzz]

I see most of you have "Pryor commitments".

[Ezzard]

I like Taylor against Pryor but it would be a close one.

Chavez at 135 would beat Pryor but Julio was not the same at 140.

[Counter-puncher]

i believe Pryor would just have too much for my favourite fighter JCC at 140lbs. i think his physicality would just overcome JCC's ring skills.

Taylor loses a tough one to Pryor too- Pryor just that bit tougher, IMO, and more versatile and unorthodox with it.

[Knucklez]

Pryor would be quite a bit smaller than Taylor in this one and Taylor was just a fast and hit harder.

Taylor by late KO.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Taylor hit harder than whom? You must think you're in a different thread.

[Idisagree]

Hey BoxBuzz, do you think that Pryor would've sign on the dotted lined for this fight?

I have another question, Would Pryor be allowed to drink from the blue bottle or not?

[BoxBuzz]

As long as it was after the Chavez fight, Aaron and his managers would have raced to sign this one as quickly as possible. Probably going so far as to arrange for the kidnapping of any competitors.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Agreed with Pryor by late stoppage in a tough fight for him, much tougher than the drubbing Aaron would hand Chavez.

Pryor, "beats down" Chavez at 140!?

Get out of here. Fucken nobody achieves that. Chavez was a monster between 130-140. If --- if he loses to Pryor, that Hawk has its wings clipped for a long time recuperating.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Yup, even more decisively than Frankie Randall did. Chavez would certainly have his moments, but Pryor is too much for him.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Same kind of beatdown Frazier gives Dempsey, then? LOL.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I don't know that it would be that comprehensive. Just that Pryor would win. It's hard for me to give Chavez much of shot in any fight that's going to come down to a battle of wills with an elite fighter.. Great as he was, when the going got tough, he got less tough.

As much as it may hurt your head, all of these mythical matchups wont be close and some of them would go the exact opposite of how you think they will.

[Goodnight, Irene]

I don't know that it would be that comprehensive. Just that Pryor would win. It's hard for me to give Chavez much of shot in any fight that's going to come down to a battle of wills with an elite fighter.. Great as he was, when the going got tough, he got less tough.

As much as it may hurt your head, all of these mythical matchups wont be close and some of them would go the exact opposite of how you think they will.

Yeah...because nothing says, 'Quit' like the name Julio Cesar Chavez.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

He's done it before. Not to say he is a coward or anything. Just hard to imagine him having the stones to outgut Pryor, or the skill for that matter.

[Ezzard]

Chavez was a different level to Pryor. At 140 Chavez was past his best and that might be the deciding factor. At 135 Chavez would win handily.

[Goodnight, Irene]

He's done it before. Not to say he is a coward or anything. Just hard to imagine him having the stones to outgut Pryor, or the skill for that matter.

Get offended if you must, but I can't take that --- or you, consequently --- seriously in this discussion. There's disagreement, & then there's just plain retarded

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I'm not offended and could care less what you take seriously. You act like every fight between all timers is close and your calls are infallible. I remember sitting at a closed circuit venue calling a guy retarded for saying Hearns was going to knock Duran out. I had a ton of people call me retarded for saying Whitaker would school Chavez.

I don't bother with the current scene on here but I'm sure there are many predictions you find retarded that come to fruition.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Chavez was a different level to Pryor. At 140 Chavez was past his best and that might be the deciding factor. At 135 Chavez would win handily.

Chavez had the greater career, no doubt about that. Bad style for him more than anything. Pryor was more suited for 135 anyway, he was a tiny guy at 140. Not sure why that would matter.

[Goodnight, Irene]

"...It's hard for me to give Chavez much of shot in any fight that's going to come down to a battle of wills..." - Saad

I can't remember when I last read anything closer to retarded in this forum.

It's akin to saying, "It's hard for me to give Foreman much of a shot in any fight that's going to come down to a battle of punching power..."

[SaadOffTheDeck]

It's quite an honor to be judged by you, again. Thanks my lord.

[Ezzard]

Chavez was a different level to Pryor. At 140 Chavez was past his best and that might be the deciding factor. At 135 Chavez would win handily.

Chavez had the greater career, no doubt about that. Bad style for him more than anything. Pryor was more suited for 135 anyway, he was a tiny guy at 140. Not sure why that would matter.

Chavez was fresh and sharp at 135. He was fading by the time he went to 140.

If I imagine Chavez at 135 fighting Aaron when he was say 138...then Chavez takes it for me.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

It's possible, I think Chavez was as good at 140 as he was for his brief stretch at 35. Chavez was never very effective against a guy that wouldn't yield. And I have no doubt that Pryor wouldn't.