FANTASY DREAM FIGHTS: Julio Cesar Chavez vS Aaron Pryor

Posted on | July 15, 2008 | 2 Comments

[mpinpage]

By: Tony Penecale

VS

Fire and Ice! The whirlwind, all-action style of Aaron Pryor against the icy calm, seemingly unstoppable Julio Cesar Chavez. Two warriors who in their primes did not know the meaning of defeat. Who would win the showdown between “The Lion of Culiacan” and “The Hawk of Cincinnati”? Would Pryor’s fire melt Chavez’s ice? Or would Chavez be the one to extinguish Pryor’s flame?

STATISTICS

Chavez: (all stats for bout on 2/20/93)
Age – 30 years old
Height – 5’7”
Weight – 139 lbs
Reach – 68”
Record – 84-0 (70)

Pryor: (all stats for bout on 11/12/82)
Age – 27 years old
Height – 5’6”
Weight – 140 lbs
Reach – Not Listed
Record – 31-0 (29)

STYLE

Chavez:

Chavez was the master of breaking an opponent’s body and spirit in a seemingly effortless manner. Boxed from a conventional stance, with a high guard, Chavez would systematically win the war of attrition, creating openings and unleashing a calculating offensive arsenal of straight rights and hooks to the head, along with a punishing left hook to the body.

Pryor:

Pryor was a whirlwind with gloves on, moving forward and churning punches from all angles, smothering opponents and forcing them to wilt. Boxing from a conventional stance, Pryor was the aggressor, firing long right hands from the outside and hooks and uppercuts on the inside. Often intimidated opponents with his relentless attack.

STRENGTHS

Chavez:

1) Body Attack – Like many Mexican legends before him, Chavez took pride in wilting his opponents with a two-fisted body attack. The right hand, either to the ribs or under the heart, was effective, but his bread and butter was the left hook, which he fired to his opponent’s liver with paralyzing effects.
2) Chin – Chavez fought some very impressive punchers of the era, including Roger Mayweather and Edwin Rosario. He walked through the best punches any opponent could offer which was attributed to the abnormally thick skull he possessed.
3) Stamina – Chavez came into his fights in excellent condition and would get stronger during the course of the bout. He was a tremendous finisher, even in the later stages of the bout.

Pryor:
1) Aggression– Once the bell rang; Pryor only knew one direction and one speed: forward and full-throttle. Pryor would charge head-first, throwing punches, and setting a breath-taking pace that would overwhelm his opponents.
2) Unorthodox – Pryor threw so many punches from so many different angles, I don’t think he even knew where the next one was coming from, which made him very difficult to defend against.
3) Chin – Coming straight forward, often with his hands at his side, Pryor took his fair share of punches. But he had a very good chin that allowed him to stand up to the bombs that he faced.

WEAKNESSES

Chavez:
1) Speed – Chavez was technically sound but he did not carry great speed in his hands or feet. Faster boxers would sometimes trouble him and he would need to slow them down by weakening them with body punches.
2) Easy Target – For Chavez, the best defense was a good offense, and there would be occasions when opponents found him easy to hit. But while easy to hit, he was difficult to hurt, and nearly impossible to stop.

Pryor:
1) Balance – Pryor found himself on the canvas several times, but it was rarely a case of his chin failing but, but his balance instead. Punching off the wrong foot and sometimes square, Pryor would sometimes almost fall down without getting hit.
2) Lifestyle – Pryor lived as fast and as furious as he fought with escapades of substance-abuse being legendary.

BEST PERFORMANCES
** Indicates the Version of the Fighter Used for this Matchup

CHAVEZ:

1) ** Greg Haugen (2/20/93) – In front of a crowd over 132,000 in Mexico City’s Eastadio Azteca, Chavez made Haugen pay for his pre-fight remarks, by brutally pummeling him over five one-sided rounds. Haugen had remarked that Chavez’s legendary record was built against a lot of “Tijuana Taxi Drivers” but on this night, he found out how devastating an enraged Chavez could be.
2) Meldrick Taylor (3-17-90) – While many feel that Taylor was robbed when the fight was stopped with two seconds remaining and with him ahead on the cards, the punishment that Chavez dished out is undeniable. Taylor was fast and flashy, landing combinations and outworking Chavez, who kept steadily applying pressure. With Chavez trailing on two of the three cards, he finally cashed in against a swollen and bloody Taylor, dropping him with only seconds remaining and winning when Richard Steele made the controversial call to stop it.
3) Edwin Rosario (11-21-87) – Chavez outclassed hard-punching and highly-respected Rosario. He forced Rosario to fight off of the ropes and didn’t give him room to fire his heavy arsenal. Chavez punished Rosario down the stretch, landing an astonishing 61% of his punches throughout and swelling Rosario’s left eye shut, and forcing the corner to throw in the towel to save their fighter.

Pryor:

1) ** Alexis Arguello (11-12-82) – Arguello was a legend from Nicaragua, a champion boxer with explosive power. Pryor showed no fear in engaging Arguello in a slugfest which saw a total of 238 punches thrown in the opening round. Pryor was successfully able to walk through Arguello’s potent punches and gradually wear him down. Ahead on two of the three cards, Pryor came out furiously for the 14th round, some believing he was aided by the contents of a mysterious black bottle in his corner, and battered Arguello until the referee finally stopped the contest.
2) Akio Kameda (7-4-82) – Kameda was an undefeated Japanese southpaw who came into Pryor’s hometown of Cincinnati and found success early, dropping Pryor in the 1st round. From there, it was all Pryor as he swarmed Kameda with an all-out attack. Pryor floored a weary Kameda in the 4th, and twice more in the 6th, and keep attacking him until the bout was finally halted.
3) Antonio Cervantes (8-2-80) – Pryor’s title shot came in his 24th fight against 100-fight veteran Antonio Cervantes. Despite going down in round 1 and losing the first two rounds, Pryor would not be denied as he ramped up his offense, slicing Cervantes open in the 3rd round and annexing his title in the 4th.

QUESTIONS

Chavez:
1) Can Chavez keep Pryor from smothering him?
2) How will Chavez’s chin hold up to Pryor’s offensive output?
3) Can Chavez match Pryor’s speed and work rate?

Pryor:
1) Will Pryor wilt from Chavez’s body attack?
2) How will he survive an effective finisher like Chavez?
3) Can Pryor keep a blistering pace against the durable Chavez?

THE PREDICTION

With both fighters in the ring, awaiting instructions, the demeanors of each is evident as Chavez stands there in icy calm while Pryor bounces like a caged animal, ready to be unleashed.

At the opening bell, Pryor springs from his corner and takes the fight to the notoriously slow-starting Chavez, throwing punches from all different angles. While Chavez is able to slip or deflect most of them, it is clear that the opening round belongs to Pryor.

Chavez is looser in the 2nd round and he stands toe-to-toe with Pryor throwing one or two punches to combat Pryor’s volleys of five and six. Pryor keeps charging forward but Chavez is holding his ground and countering with short uppercuts on the inside and hooks to the head and body.

The first real moment of drama unfolds in the 3rd round and Chavez meets Pryor’s rush with a well-timed left hook that sends him backwards, followed by a right hand that deposits him on the canvas. Pryor is up at the count of five and he continues his kamikaze assault, but with more respect Chavez’s offense.

From rounds four through seven, it is Pryor who is getting the better of the action as his hand speed is making the difference, landing series of crisp and impressive punches to Chavez’s head, sending sweat flying and bringing the crowd to their feet. But Chavez is keeping a steady pace and countering with inside body shots that are gradually sapping Pryor’s strength.

Both fighters are showing signs of battle by the 8th round, with Chavez cut over the bridge of his nose and an abrasion under his left eye. Pryor is bleeding from the mouth and his right eye is starting to swell, courtesy of several crisp Chavez hooks. Throughout the 8th through 10th rounds, Chavez is starting to assert his command, keeping pace with Pryor and landing the more telling punches to both Pryor’s head and body.

Pryor tries to will himself back into the fight, dropping his hands to his sides as he jukes Chavez and fires lead right hands and uppercuts. Unlike other opponents, this tactic will not back Chavez up, who will hold his ground and take the opportunity to counter with short and precise punches inside of Pryor’s wild offense.

By the 13th round, Pryor is seemingly exhausted, with his right eye nearly swollen shut and is now less inclined to press the action. Chavez, stronger but also a bit arm weary, is patient in his attack and even pins Pryor in the corner at one point, landing several hard punches, and forcing Pryor to clinch as the round 14th ends.
After they touch gloves to start the 15th and final round, Pryor comes out with one more offensive blast, throwing wild punches from an assortment of angles. Chavez lands a right hand to stymie Pryor’s attack and they clinch again. As the final seconds tick down, both Chavez and Pryor are letting it all hang out, and a furious exchange punctuates the final seconds. At the bell, both fighters raise their arms in triumph, as Chavez’s handlers parade him around the ring.

The three judges turn in their score cards and the verdict is unanimous for Chavez by scores of 145-140, 144-140, and 145-139.

Your winner by Unanimous Decision is Julio Cesar Chavez

For the next installment of Fantasy Dream Fights, it will be a battle of the big men as George Foreman squares off against Lennox Lewis. This matchup will be available on July 28.

[/mpinpage]

Comments