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Everything was set up for “Four Kings” to be one of the truly great boxing books. It tells the story of the middleweight boxing division during the 1980s – widely recognised as the last glory era for the sport – where the four titans of Duran, Hagler, Leonard and Hearns fought out nine epic battles against each other over the course of the decade. The late George Kimball was one of the most gifted and lauded boxing writers of his generation, possessed of a Runyonesque turn of phrase and a legendary disdain for authority and flim-flam. So it is puzzling that “Four Kings” is not quite the classic that it ought to be.
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Taking part in this series is a tremendous honour for me. It’s an opportunity to share my story and the values I hold dear. I’ve always said, “Leadership isn’t about telling others what to do; it’s about showing them how it’s done.” Through my journey, I hope to inspire others to strive for excellence, to embrace discipline and determination, and to realize that anyone can become a true king or queen in their own life.” The book's highlights lie in the nuanced insights gleaned from conversations with key figures in the fighters' lives. For instance, Kimball shares fascinating details about Hagler's rise to prominence through his interactions with trainers Goody and Pat Petronelli, shedding light on the motivations and bonds that drove Hagler throughout his career. Kimball's portrayal of Hagler's frustration and the subsequent controversial decision in his fight against Leonard underscores the fighter's unwavering commitment and business acumen, solidifying his status as a legend in boxing. Hearns was skinny, worked hard, and was grateful to be able to participate at out-of-town trips Kronk Recreation Center's Emmanuel Stewart arranged for. Leonard, who among boxers was described as having "choirboy"-looks really sang in a church choir before he started boxing. It is worth noting the pair who scored 8 were so defensively sound that it was a rarity they were caught flush with a shot thus had their chin tested. Duran’s chin does not get downgraded with his KO loss to Hearns as that was the hardest right hand which would even threaten the consciousness of the most durable of pugilists. This aforementioned pursuit pays dividends in this category as the ‘Motor City Cobra’ became the first champion to win a world belt in five different weight classes with Leonard soon following the feat. The legendary lightweight also traversed through the divisions, retiring as a quadruple champion. Hagler never went outside the realms of 160lbs during his 14-year career though therefore scores himself one point for the division he triumphed in.The 1986 recipient of the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism, George Kimball spent a quarter-century as a sports columnist for the Boston Herald before retiring in 2005. A veteran of nearly title bouts, Kimball has covered boxing all over the world since the eras of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and was the only journalist to cover every fight of Marvelous Marvin Hagler's middleweight reign from start to finish. For the past decade he has written a weekly 'America at Large' column for The Irish Times. Kimball has received numerous awards for his Boxing, Golf, Baseball, and Olympic coverage, and in retirement, in addition to his Irish Times column, he keeps his hand in the game as a featured columnist for ESPN.com and for the monthly publication Boxing Digest. Most observers predicted a war when these two violence artists met in 1983. What followed was a tactical battle, showing that these two were skilled technicians as well as being brutal warriors. Duran abandoned his usual come-forward aggression to box on the outside. On reflection it might have been ill-advised, but he ran Hagler close with this bold strategy. Arguably the best performance anywhere on this list. Duran had taken Hagler to the limit over 15 rounds in his last fight. But Hearns would put himself in Marvin’s sights by shattering their shared rival in two brutal rounds. An astonishingly dominant display from the Kronk gym mainstay. The Four Kings time is a great era in boxing in the sense that it provided the link between the Ali-Foreman era and the Tyson-Lewis late eighties and nineties run. I loved the well-drawn pen portraits of each fighter which were anything but hagiographies - none of them came out of the book looking like angels though each had plenty of divine moments.
Kings - Apple TV The Kings - Apple TV
Chris Eubank said: “The Boxing Royalty. In the world of boxing, I’ve been called a champion, but for me, it goes beyond that—I am a king. Christopher Livingston Eubank, a name that echoes through the annals of the sport, isn’t just about winning in the ring; it’s about being a true King, both inside and outside of the squared circle. These four men defined an era in boxing,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Showtime Sports, in a statement. “Their individual stories, forever linked by the spectacular battles they waged, reflect a tumultuous period in American culture and history. THE KINGS takes the viewer beyond the glorious action of some of history’s most memorable prizefights to illuminate each man’s dramatic journey and the societal context that made them stars of sports and popular culture.”Kimball obviously knows his stuff and if there's any slight criticism from me it's that the book is very (obviously) American-centric: I felt that Duran was made to seem difficult to understand or know simply because he spoke another language or came from somewhere outside the USA. Pretty sure a guy who spoke his mind as freely as Duran did (always quoted in broken English, too) must have articulated his thoughts in easily-translatable Spanish somewhere. How was Hearns, Leonard and Hagler's Spanish? But anyway - it's a small whinge. And the tiny bit of Duran's autobiography which was quoted in the book didn't leave me salivating for more! A flawless and singular account of fights that remain potent and important decades after the final bell' - Irish Times When you discuss a showman though, no boxer is as flashy as Leonard. This attitude is a theory of what spurred Duran on to utter the words ‘No Mas’ as ‘Sugar’ would taunt even the most respectable of opponents. Not to mention, winning a gold medal for his country gave him the status of a golden child in the American media. The first 10/10 attribute in this rank goes to Bleacher Report’s fifth-best defensive fighter in the sport’s history. Leonard had everything in this department, foot feints, timing, punch awareness. Four Kingswill examine the notorious rivalry between British boxing legends Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn, Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno.
Four Kings — Gambit Pictures Four Kings — Gambit Pictures
Sports fans and boxing enthusiasts alike will love this compelling study of the resurgence of boxing in the early 1980s - and the four 'greats' who effected that change. Four Kings captures the contests, fighters and the period with a wonderful perception and vividly conjures up those by-gone smoky and raucous ringside nights in Vegas... Four Kings: Leonard, Hearns, Hagler, Duran, and the Last Great Era of Boxing" by George Kimball takes readers on a captivating journey through the careers of four iconic boxers of the '70s and '80s. Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Roberto Duran are regarded as pillars of that era, and Kimball delves into their lives and the intertwined nature of their fights. Hall of Fame boxers Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran are the subject of Showtime’s newest documentary, “The Kings.” The four-part series premieres Sunday, June 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Following a brief fallow period in the wake of Ali’s retirement, boxing was revitalized when Leonard became a world champion in 1979 and waged his first battle with Durán in 1980. From that point, the Four Kings engaged in a decade-long run of riveting fights that far outperformed any other sport in attention and revenue. They were the most popular stars of sports and American culture. Lennox Lewis added: “It is pretty special to have been on this journey through the 80s and 90s, and a privilege to share the story with Frank, Nigel & Chris on screen. Whilst we had our own lanes, our own processes and experiences, we had the combined desire to get to the top and we achieved that, in the process we made history as the first ones to do it for Britain and the rest have followed. Everybody knows what happened in the fights, but they didn’t see what led up to the fight, the rivalries were real, we all wanted to outdo each other, I’m excited that this series will give the public a chance to see behind the curtain.”Sugar Ray Leonard: Charming and one skilled fighter, Ray Leonard was thought to be the new Muhammad Ali, after all, they shared the same coach in Angelo Dundee. Leonard had fast hands and excellent footwork. He also had the most wins against the Four Kings. Some deem this to be the Wilmington native’s best attribute but also believe it to be ‘Marvelous’ Marvin’s worst. Those people include me. Although he could get off short hooks on the inside or ranged jabs on the outside, Hagler never had the speed to go with these punches. Hearns did though as did Duran which made them a couple of the best offensive fighters in the sport’s history. The points are out of 10, if maximum points were awarded to one of the ‘fab four’ members, it would not mean they were merely the best in their group with that respective attribute, but the best in the world. Another maximum amount of points awarded to Leonard for his attributes. Many believe him to be the most skilful of the four and reviewing his points with these attributes that viewpoint might just ring true. He is ranked first in Bleacher Report’s ’15 fastest boxers of all-time list’ and it is hard to argue with it when watching his performances. To determine the rank of each pugilist and edge our opinion into the discussion, the total score of each pugilist tells you how we see the list from best to worst out of the fabulous four.
Four Kings: Every Hagler, Leonard, Duran And When We Were Four Kings: Every Hagler, Leonard, Duran And
Duran’s entertainment inside and outside of the ring has built him a huge, loyal fanbase to this day. His fan-friendly style that the casual watcher would perceive as brawling gained him lots of followers. He is also labelled a God in his home nation of Panama due to being a representative of his people in front of thousands as well as helping with crisis in the country. FOUR KINGS: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and the Last Great Era of Boxing” was published, to widespread acclaim, by Mainstrean Press in the United Kingdom and by McBooks Press in the United States, and immediately became the best-selling boxing book in both countries.In boxing, it is said that styles make fights. From 1980 through 1989, it was the style of four great fighters that not only made legendary fights, it ushered in a boxing renaissance. The fierce rivalry between world champions and future Hall of Famers known as the “Four Kings”– Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Durán, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard – produced a Golden Age defined by the nine world championship fights between them and solidified their place among the greatest to ever live.
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