Teddy Atlas Names The Best Of The Four Kings Leonard, Duran, Hagler And Hearns
The legendary ‘Four Kings’ made a significant impact on boxing during the 1980s, creating some of the most iconic moments in the sport’s history. Recently, Teddy Atlas shared his opinion on the matter. This famed group consisted of Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, and Thomas Hearns, all widely recognized as some of the finest boxers ever. Each fighter entered the ring against one another at least once in their careers, generating a series of unforgettable bouts that fans will remember for years to come. Arguably, the most unforgettable clash among ‘The Four Kings’ occurred in November 1980 when Leonard unexpectedly compelled Duran to retire in the eighth round of the infamous ‘No Mas fight’ held at the Superdome in New Orleans. The renowned trainer-turned-analyst Teddy Atlas expressed great admiration for Leonard when discussing his top ten greatest fighters of all time, placing ‘Sugar Ray’ just ahead of Duran at number 9 on his list. “If you can take the ‘Sugar Ray’ name and get away with it, without embarrassing the name, and he did. He made us think of another Sugar Ray.” It’s evident why Atlas holds this view, as Leonard achieved champion status in five weight classes throughout his illustrious 20-year professional career, including a tenure as the undisputed welterweight champion that he secured in 1981 after defeating Tommy Hearns. ‘Sugar Ray’ would subsequently become a titleholder at both middleweight and super-middleweight, achieving yet another win over Duran in December 1989 to defend his WBC title at 168lbs.
Published: 2025-12-24 22:37:00
source: www.secondsout.com
