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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. While Kimball occasionally interjects personal recollections that may slow down the narrative, his sharp attention to detail and analysis of how the fighters influenced each other make for an engrossing read. On this day in 1987, Sugar Ray Leonard beat Marvelous Marvin Hagler by split decision to win the middleweight championship of the world. Boxing has garnered a certain level of unpopularity in some circles due to the brutality of the sport (after all, some die in the ring) but honestly the lack of men like Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, and Duran bring the demise of the sport before anything else.
Boxing history: The Four Kings – Edgar Gonzalez Anaheim Boxing history: The Four Kings – Edgar Gonzalez Anaheim
A magical era in boxing, when champions were household names and they proved themselves by fighting other champions. While he was the winner, Hagler looked a shadow of himself when he knocked out John Mugabi in 1986, prompting Leonard to come out of a third - of five - retirements. The other two greats dismally score 1 point apiece as they only had 1 yet emphatic win during this competitive time. And I could have done with a lot less of the author in the book - just because you were there, doesn't mean we need to see so much of you!Few fight endings are as infamous as this, as Duran said ‘No Mas’ at the end of an eight-round humbling. Reliving the events in this book is almost bittersweet in a way, as they're no longer a generation of elite fighters today, willing to emulate the four king's legacy and trade leather in the ring. Through a compelling blend of archival footage showcasing their electrifying clashes that mesmerized global audiences, and exclusive interviews offering poignant insights into their personal struggles with mental health beyond the spotlight, Four Kingsrevisits a pivotal era in British sports history. Four Kings" reads like an exploration of the footnotes found in sports publications like Sports Illustrated and Ring Magazine.
Four Kings: Prime Video boxing documentary to star Chris Four Kings: Prime Video boxing documentary to star Chris
This book nicely filled in the gaps and sent me shuffling back to You Tube to catch up on what I'd missed. 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. Thomas Hearns: The Hitman, as Hearns is known, is probably the best pure boxer among the Four Kings. 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.Marvelous always argued he’d done enough to win, feeling his rival had simply come to run and citing the 12-round distance as a hindrance, with 15 having been the standard. Hagler often considered himself something of a loner - he once remarked that wounded birds in his mother's backyard were "the only friends I could relate to, maybe the only friends I really liked. Not to mention, winning a gold medal for his country gave him the status of a golden child in the American media.
Poll: Who was the greatest of boxing’s legendary “Four Kings
Hearns did though as did Duran which made them a couple of the best offensive fighters in the sport’s history. I’ve always said, “Leadership isn’t about telling others what to do; it’s about showing them how it’s done. 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. This period of time in boxing history was a special time and each of the 4 individual stories interwoven was part of World Boxing folklore. There is a story to told on Halger, Hurns, and Leonard representing three distinct forms of complemntary/clashing views of Black masculinity/ Black identitiy which a modern journalist might have persued more, and I think may deserve some analysis.Some deem this to be the Wilmington native’s best attribute but also believe it to be ‘Marvelous’ Marvin’s worst. 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. By that stage, though, Hagler had already cemented his status as one of the all-time greats and the tangles he, Leonard, Hearns and Roberto Duran had with each other in the '80s would see them chronicled as the 'Four Kings'. I was too old to really remember any of the fights (think I might have seen the Minter-Hagler one on TV) but as an armchair boxing fan I've heard and know the names well.
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