Thread: How do you rank the Four Kings?

Rate Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, and Duran based on these three categories: personal favorite to least favorite, their performances against each other in the Four Kings era, and their overall standing as all-time greats. How do you see it?

My personal favourite is Thomas Hitman Hearns, just a frightening, aggressive, skilled, all action puncher. He had it all and is the p4p best of them all as he went up the weights with even more success than Duran.

I only became a Hagler fan after he retired and watched his boxing 1970's matches on ESPN where he was a speedy skilled southpaw who fought top contenders in their back yard. He took over 2nd place from Roberto Duran for me.

Duran was the greatest lightweight, (Sweat Pea would run him close) and how he beat Leonard was truly a phenomenal achievement. He then went on to beat undefeated Moore and Barkley were miracles. An all time great.

Never liked Leonard, he had the silver spoon, red carpet treatment who was the glamour boy. However he is probably the 2nd best welterweight of all time behind the real Sugar Ray by beating Hearns and Duran after that loss.

Favourite order
1. Hearns
2. Hagler
3. Duran
4. Leonard

Performances against each
1. Leonard but drew against Hagler
2. Hagler
3. Hearns beat Leonard in the rematch
4. Duran way out of his best weight

All Time Great (ATG)
1. Duran
2. Hearns
3. Leonard
4. Hagler

Although the "Four Kings" is typically the accepted moniker for those four fighters, I've always felt it to be a little of an affront to Wilfredo Benitez, who faced three of the four, and beat one of them (Duran).
The Leonard-Benitez fight was quite competitive, and I thought was stopped prematurely, although Leonard would've still been the clear winner by decision.
Wilfredo defeated Duran by UD in 1982, and then lost to Hearns by MD in that same year.

Regardless, since the OP asks to rank the Four Kings, I'll do so.

I rate Leonard as possibly TBE. So he would be #1.
I feel Duran had an incredible career, spanning various weight divisions. He also fought and beat many ATG's. So he'd be my #2.
Between Hagler and Hearns it's tough, as I liked them both.
But I'll go with the head-to-head and pick Hagler.

I'm reluctant to put Hearns 4th, as he was also a favorite of mine.
But it would be:

1. Leonard
2. Duran
3. Hagler
4. Hearns

Was a Leonard fan in the eighties when I was just a kid and taken in by the razzmatazz that went with him.

As I got older and learned how Hagler had done it the hard way he became my favourite. Leonard shouldn't have got the decision against him imo and well we all know how he won the greatest three round fight of all time. I don't even recall his fight against Duran....

As said the best version of Duran was not at middleweight so hard to judge him against the others in their prime.

And despite what the judges said Leonard Hearns finished 1-1.

For me it's Hagler, Leonard and Hearns joint second
then Duran.

Fantastic replies—great detail and thought put in. My rankings:

Favorites: Hearns, Leonard, Hagler, Duran.
Performances against each other: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran.
All-time great ranking: Duran, Leonard, Hagler, Hearns.

Having Hearns at #4 for both TitoFan and me doesn’t feel right, but there’s no wrong answer—you can make a strong case for any order. TitoFan also makes a great point about Benitez. He had competitive fights with three of the Four Kings and likely would’ve faced Hagler had he beaten Mustafa Hamsho.

Thomas Hitman Hearns is so underrated and unappreciated that it is almost criminal.

Hearns was a boxing miracle. He was so tall for his weight that it was unbelievable how he made the weight. Ray Leonard crapped himself when he saw Tommy after the weigh in.

Tommy had the longest reach, blinding hand speed and the highest level of boxing skills known to man. The hit man's right hand was a gift from the gods and when it landed it knocked out his opponent cold. Ask Duran who was brutally dispatched like no one has ever done to him before.

Hearns had the misfortune of meeting Sugar Ray who was getting out boxed and had the fight been 12 rounds would have won the contest.

Tommy landed that right hand on Hagler, but Marvin had a freakishly strong chin that he somehow took the punch and went on to win. No one else in history could have survived that brutal onslaught that Hitman rained on the Marvelous one.

Most of all Tommy brought excitement and entertainment into a contest. You knew you were going to get action when he was involved in a contest. Tommy is the best of the four kings for that alone.

Originally Posted by Master

My personal favourite is Thomas Hitman Hearns, just a frightening, aggressive, skilled, all action puncher. He had it all and is the p4p best of them all as he went up the weights with even more success than Duran.

I only became a Hagler fan after he retired and watched his boxing 1970's matches on ESPN where he was a speedy skilled southpaw who fought top contenders in their back yard. He took over 2nd place from Roberto Duran for me.

Duran was the greatest lightweight, (Sweat Pea would run him close) and how he beat Leonard was truly a phenomenal achievement. He then went on to beat undefeated Moore and Barkley were miracles. An all time great.

Never liked Leonard, he had the silver spoon, red carpet treatment who was the glamour boy. However he is probably the 2nd best welterweight of all time behind the real Sugar Ray by beating Hearns and Duran after that loss.

Favourite order
1. Hearns
2. Hagler
3. Duran
4. Leonard

Performances against each
1. Leonard but drew against Hagler
2. Hagler
3. Hearns beat Leonard in the rematch
4. Duran way out of his best weight

All Time Great (ATG)
1. Duran
2. Hearns
3. Leonard
4. Hagler

I reckon it was probably John Lennon, then Paul, then George and last Ringo

Na. For me? HAGLER

• Arguably only lost once.
• Only once knocked down, sloppily.
• Never close to being knocked out or even hurt.
• Didn’t play around with weight.

And the biggest thing that swings it for me was Hagler was the only one of the four who left the sport with dignity, that is he was only one of the four who left the sport when he was on top. The other three had fights way best their past, they chased the money and glory and thus lost to fighters that didn't even deserve to be in the same ring as them.

Hagler didn't do that. Lost a very close UD to SRL and then called it day and never came back. I love that

Number 2 would be Duran - First of all, his longevity. The guy turned pro 5 years before Hagler, and almost an entire decade prior to Leonard and Hearns. Yet he was killing guy after guy after throughout the 70's. His victory over Leonard is the best win of all time (imo) as I've explained here. Can anyone here imagine if Hagler, Hearns and Leonard had been natural lightweights or welters and moved up to fight a naturally prime Roberto Duran at Middleweight ? Destruction

Number 3 would SRL
Number 4 would be Hearns

But honestly ? I'll probably wake up tomorrow and totally rearrange the order as the margins are razor thin

atg ray, roberto, marvin, tommy

I think it is pretty much understood and decided that the correct order is:
Leonard
Hagler
Hearns
Duran...

Also, why do we always neglect Benitez in this discussion all the time? He beat Duran and took Hearns to a SD. He should get more respect. Should really be the 5 Kings.

ykdadamaja, based on the replies so far (unofficial as they may be), Duran is seen as the greatest, with Leonard and Hagler tied for second. But as I said, there’s no wrong answer. TitoFan made a great point bringing up Benitez—he deserves recognition as the 5th King.

Originally Posted by The Six Four

Rate Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, and Duran based on these three categories: personal favorite to least favorite, their performances against each other in the Four Kings era, and their overall standing as all-time greats. How do you see it?

This Thread is really thought provoking. Very interesting.
Personal favourite
Hearns
Duran
Hagler and SRL tied

Head to head
Leonard
Hagler
Hearns
Duran

Overall ATG standing
Leonard
Duran
Hagler
Hearns.

BUT………….I’ve said this before, IF Hearns had held on against SRL or IF it was a 12 rounder. And IF Hearns hadn’t lost his head and threw his game plan out the window against Hagler, he would probably have been not only #1 on this list, but #1 all time!