Some rivalries can be great at the start, and in the middle. But not so much at the end. The conclusion can be a downer. It was, today in 1989, when the celebrated and so cherished ‘Four Kings’ boxing marathon that saw all-time greats Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Marvelous Marvin Hagler go to war, came to an end.
After eight amazing, captivating fights that fascinated the entire world, these fights being fought across four weight divisions, over the span of a full decade, Leonard and Duran dually boxed a dud, the thrilling series going out with a less than adequate whimper.
But prior to the super middleweight title fight that opened the Mirage in Las Vegas some 35 years ago (some great and expensive fireworks exploding into the air prior to the expected ring fireworks that sadly never came), we boxing fans had been treated to a mesmerising series of fights, with each of them being memorable for pretty much all the right reasons.
It all started in June of 1980, when Duran and Leonard met in Montreal. The fight, a fifteen rounder that had all fans stood up and screaming throughout, saw former lightweight king Duran take Leonard’s welterweight belt along with his unbeaten record. To this day, plenty of folks you know you listen to say the June 1980 war ranks as one of the greatest fights ever witnessed.
The rematch, the second fight in the ‘Four Kings’ go around, saw Leonard shock the world, and Duran, with the words ‘No Mas’ being projected into the world’s consciousness, this in November of 1980. The mighty Duran did the unthinkable and flat-out quit!
Fight three saw Leonard duke it out with Thomas Hearns, this in a fight that decided who the best welterweight in the world was. In a great, epic fight that went down in September of 1981, Leonard dug down deeper than he knew he had a right to, this as he fought through a busted up eye to stop Hearns in the 14th round. This one was a fight that many people suggest just might have been the greatest welterweight title fight ever.
Fight four saw a reborn Duran push reigning middleweight king Hagler all the way in Vegas in November of 1983. It was mighty close, with Hagler edging Duran as a result of his late-rounds flurry. One point was pretty much all that separated these two all-time greats at the end.
Fight five came the following June, again in Vegas. And this one was truly stunning. Hearns, now operating at 154 pounds, iced Duran in frightening style, “The Hitman” leaving Duran flat on his face courtesy of his brutal right hand. Hearns had well and truly put the loss to Leonard behind him.
Fight six came in April if 1985, again in Vegas. We all know how special, how brutal, how magnificent the three round war Hagler and Hearns engaged in was, and always will be. Hagler reigned supreme, as not only the middleweight champ, but also as the King of the ‘Four Kings.’ Or did he?
Fight seven came in April of 1987, the venue one more time…….you guessed it, Vegas. Leonard, returning from both a layoff and retinal surgery, somehow managed to pull it off, with Sugar Ray befuddling an oddly passive (and for long periods, an orthodox) Hagler for the close points win. To this day, we fans love to debate who REALLY won…….
Fight eight saw Leonard and Hearns rumble again, this some eight years after their first battle, the venue the same. This time, Hearns had too much for his classic rival, with Tommy scoring two knockdowns and also bossing much of the action. Shockingly, the judges had it a draw at the end. Leonard, however, had the good grace to admit that he and Hearns were now “one and one.”
And then, instead of a Hearns-Leonard III, or a Leonard-Hagler II, we got Leonard-Duran III. It was 35 years ago this week, and we got an unfortunate dud. The anticlimactic finale to what arguably deserves to be ranked as the greatest boxing series ever, though a disappointment, does not detract from the sheer beauty and specialness of the ‘Four Kings’ saga and what these ring immortals did – for us, for themselves, and for their sport.
Nine big fights, at least five of them in with a shout when it comes to listing the greatest fights in boxing history.
What’s YOUR favourite ‘Four Kings’ fight?
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