Quote Originally Posted by marbleheadmaui View Post
Let me at least try to make a case on the Hawk. Wins over ATG's on three occasions (we'll come back to that) and he defeated five top five ranked guys (three of whome were the HOFers) and a total of six top ten ranked guys.

Cervantes was clearly long in the tooth. But he still had enough left in the tank to go on to beat Lennox Blackmoore who prior to losing to the Hawk was ranked number 2. So Cervantes wasn't shot. it was more of a passing of the torch thing like we see so often in the sport.

Alexis had been talked about as having been on the decline since the Jim Watt fight eighteen months before. But he kept winning, getting up against Ganigan to do so. There is no question he was reaching for the stars that night. There is also no question (in my mind anyway) Alexis Arguello was a GREAT, GREAT, GREAT fighter that night. Full credit to Pryor.

Your points on Duran and the rest are ENTIRELY Pryor's fault. The drugs got him VERY early and by the end of 1983 he was a shadow. He was presented with a contract for a $700k contract to fight Duran but because of the drugs, the paranoia that went with it and trouble with his team (gee I wonder why) he threw it away.

Now having said all that he beat as many great fighters, at at least a good a point in their careers, as Lennox Lewis or Larry Holmes or Mike Tyson or Roy Jones or Floyd Mayweather.

Pryor is one of those guys for the "You have to see him with your eyes" crew who in my view is a strong choice in the theoretical "who beats who at 140" games, but in terms of what we know isn't a top 50 and maybe not a top hundred kind of guy. And in my view it is all his own fault.

Anyway, that's the fanboy's case
I won't be convinced on Pryor. Are we really calling Cervantes an ATG? I mean he was a good fighter, probably a hall of famer, but an ATG? If we are then let's add him to my list of heavily overrated 140lbers. I mean look at Cervantes defences, was there any good reason for him to fight the mighty Carlos Gimenez twice? A guy who made Pongsaklek look like Ray Robinson when it comes to comp. I also think Cervantes was past his sell-by date by then. A win over Blackmoore doesn't convince me of anything. For me, Cervantes is probably a step below Tszyu & I think his best days went in his effort against Benitez.

Arguello was a great fighter, but he'd seen better days & a win over Kevin Rooney (admittedly was a great win) doesn't convince me that he was a light-welter.

I can definitely see the comparison with Tyson in fact it is apt with a win over a faded fighter (Holmes/Cervantes) & another over a smaller guy (Spinks/Arguello). I almost made that point earlier, but I thought I'd gone on enough as it is. Lewis & Holmes have slightly better resumes for me based on their overall opp being better, but their top wins are comparable & Arguello was a better fighter than Vitali or Norton.

But, I think Roy Jones & Floyd Mayweather have much better resumes. Roy has wins over a prime James Toney & Bernard Hopkins, while I think Mayweather has the most underrated resume in the sport & I personally feel it shits all over Pryor's. Not to mention that for me, both guys beat their opposition far more dominantly. Pryor is by far the most exciting of the three, but his achievements are very weak in comparison.

Don't get me wrong, Pryor is great to just chill back & watch & he'd just about make the borderline of greatness for me, but I think when people talk about him beating up guys who are real ATGs for me, I think their letting their admiration for the excitement he created cloud their judgement. Like I said, he's a mini-Tyson