The Kings documentary - Leonard, Hagler, Hearns and Duran

[Mark TKO]

Not sure if this was posted last year when it came out but I am 3 parts in to this brilliant doc series on the era of Leonard, Hagler , Hearns and Duran.

It's on the Discovery Plus channel - you can take advantage of the 7 days free trial to watch it (4 x 1 hour episodes)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14442878/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

[TitoFan]

Always miffed how they managed to totally ignore Wilfredo Benitez. He fought all but Hagler... and defeated Duran. Lost an MD to Hearns and a 15th round TKO loss to Leonard.

[SlimTrae]

Always miffed how they managed to totally ignore Wilfredo Benitez. He fought all but Hagler... and defeated Duran. Lost an MD to Hearns and a 15th round TKO loss to Leonard.

Good call. I've heard these 4 for so long, until this post I forgot how special Benitez was inside the ring. And to be so young when he was on his game.

[ykdadamaja]

I always wonder why we forget about Wilfred Benitez in the equation?

[Master]

Duran was the greatest lightweight ever.
Hagler was one of the greatest middleweight ever.
Leonard was the 2nd greatest welterweight ever.
Hearns was one of the greatest pound for pound boxers ever.

When you compare their challengers to these Gods of boxing, then most do not meet the grade. The fact that Wilfred Benitez is mentioned as the missing 5th boxer, is a testament to how great he truly was.

[Mark TKO]

Just finished it. Brilliant doc.

I had completely forgotten that Leonard and Duran fought a 3rd bout - though as the doc says being forgotten about is the best thing for it.

[Master]

Leonard v Duran 3 was a terrible fight but Roberto landed a big right hand in the last round that cut Ray very badly. That was the only real meaningful punch he landed in the fight.

Hearns got robbed in their 2nd fight.

[Mark TKO]

Yep proper robbery of Tommy that one.

They knew they couldn't give him the win but a draw made sure the path to more $$$ stayed intact.

Watch the documentary.

[Mark TKO]

Just read one of the judges scored the last round 10-8 for Leonard (no knockdown) that made all the difference.

Says it all.

What a great fight though - and Tommy accepted the decision. Shame how he lost all his money putting it down to helping out his extended family and friends.

[Master]

I will have to watch it. Tommy is broke? He was my favourite of the 4 Kings.

[Mark TKO]

Tommy currently worth about 450k dollars according to estimates. Auctioned everything off in 2010 owing to tax arrears.

Leonard was my favourite in the early 80s in my pre teen years obviously influenced by the media and hype you got on TV.

As I got older and more learned Hagler became my firm favourite - he did it the hard way.

I always had a soft spot for Tommy though and loved watching him fight. I've mentioned a few times on here how I was in a bar in Vegas before the Hatton Mayweather fight and he walked straight past me. Had a pen with me for autographs and a camera but was that starstruck I just stuck out my hand and gave him a feeble handshake.

[TitoFan]

I remember watching Leonard-Duran 1 on closed-circuit television when I was living in northwest Indiana. Had to go to an auditorium to see it. Still one of the best fights of all time, IMHO. Two guys at their absolute peak. Although maybe I should correct myself. Duran's peak had probably come at lightweight, a few years earlier. But he was still at his formidable best. Duran won that decision, only to lose a quick rematch months later in the "No Mas" fight. A little over a year later he faced "the other king", Wilfredo Benitez, and lost by UD. Those were the golden years of boxing.

[Master]

I disliked Leonard because I thought he was the pampered and spoilt boxer when I first watched him beat Hagler, Duran and draw with Hearns. So glad he was beaten by Norris and Macho Man.

When I looked back at his welterweight career I understood why he was a truly great fighter beating Benitez, Hearns and making Duran quit. That was incredible and he showed he had it all.

[Master]

The Kings ready to showcase unsurpassed brilliance and blood-tingling thrills and skills of four real boxing legends

FOR those fight fans who haven’t got access to the *discovery+ streaming service, find a friend who has because it’s featuring an *exhilarating *documentary series to drool over.

Between November 1980 and December 1989 four giant talents — Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran and Tommy ‘Hitman’ Hearns — had nine unforgettable fights between them. I was lucky enough to cover seven for SunSport.

For unsurpassed brilliance, blood-tingling thrills and skills and enough pathos to empty a box of tissues, those glorious battles will still be talked and argued about 100 years from now.

British director Mat Whitecross was commissioned by American network Showtime to make a documentary of those epics.

Whitecross and his producer Fiona Neilson have come up with a masterpiece, aptly named The Kings, which audiences will rave about for years.

It took two years to make and consists of four, classic one-hour films of such breathtaking magnificence it captures every nuance of those dazzling duels.

The legendary quartet are interviewed in great depth before and after the fights and each one gives a fascinating insight into their complex characters and personalities.

Four fights stand out above the others, the first Leonard-Duran showdown, their return five months later, Hagler-Hearns and Hagler-Leonard.

I missed Leonard-Duran II and Hagler-Duran but the magnificent seven I did see are indelibly imprinted in my memory, though they took place four decades ago.

If Hollywood had scripted the kind of 15-round war Leonard and Duran waged in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, the critics would have rubbished it as too far-fetched.

They would have said it wasn’t possible for two men to have traded such punishing punches for 45 minutes at such a breakneck speed.

That Panamanian devil Duran got the narrow points decision. Leonard lost his world welterweight title and his unbeaten record.

That fight was choc-full of brilliance and bravery and is still the best I’ve ever seen.

When they met again five months later in New Orleans, Duran, who claimed he had stomach cramps, cried ‘No Mas’ in the eighth round and quit — the most notorious and ignominious capitulation in boxing history.

Leonard had regained his title and reputation but easily his most sensational victory was when his hand and foot speed, plus his ring savvy, completely bamboozled Hagler to earn a memorable 12-round split decision to win the world middleweight crown.

Sugar Ray came out of retirement having had one fight in five years — Hagler who hadn’t been beaten for 11 years never fought again.

Those of us ringside in Las Vegas when Hagler defended against Hearns will never forget the first round — claimed to be the most ferocious opening three minutes of all time. As the bell sounded, they leapt at each other like a couple of ravenous lions fighting over a carcass.

Blood cascaded down Hagler’s face from a deep gash in his forehead.

Concerned referee Richard Steele asked, “Can you see, Marvin?” Hagler’s terse reply was, “I’m not missing him, am I?” before knocking out Hearns in the third round.

The Kings highlights the very best of boxing as well as the worst.

Apart from Hagler, who retired at 33, sadly the others carried on far past their best and got themselves beaten up by inferior opponents.

I found The Kings as mesmerising as When They Were Kings, the documentary about the Ali-Foreman Rumble in the Jungle saga that won an Oscar 26 years ago — and I can’t give it higher praise than that.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/17465...-hearns-duran/

[X]

I still can't quite believe that one of them has died. And it was the most indestructible and clean living one of them all!