There has been (and continues to be) much debate on the Four Kings of boxing – Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler. It was a very rare, once-in-a-generation era in which four of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters emerged in similar weight-classes to battle each other. The Four Kings were four very different fighters with clashing styles. And until now, the greatest among these four still remains in contention, with personal preference being the only true staple.
Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns is undoubtedly the greatest in terms of pure boxing. His jabs and crosses were quick and devastating as lighting. And since he had the longest reach among the kings, he was perhaps the toughest to deal with. You could get knocked the hell out before you even knew it.
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However, that wasn’t a problem for either Marvin Hagler or Sugar Ray Leonard. Leonard was fast and had amazing footwork to dodge Hearns’ jabs and crosses and Hagler was built like a German tank and could absorb the brunt of Hearns’ blows. Both Leonard and Hagler beat Hearns during their respective battles.
Hearns though, knocked Duran into oblivion. Duran being the smallest of the Four Kings, had unbelievable heart, but was clearly overmatched. However, Duran is the only fighter among the Kings to have beaten Leonard convincingly. Leonard on the other hand is the only fighter to have beaten all three opposing kings (he avenged his loss to Leonard in the infamous “No Mas” fight).
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That just a sample of a debate, the tip of the iceberg as it were. But in our opinion, all Four Kings were equally as great. You just have to appreciate what they brought to the ring.
My name is Alton Ingram. I love football, movies, and alternative rock. For more about me and what I do, check out this Twitter page.
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