Sugar Ray Leonard was too fast for his own good. Thomas "Hitman" Hearns had a right hand that felt like a car crash. Roberto Durán was literally "Hands of Stone," a man who breathed machismo. And Marvin Hagler? Hagler was the boogeyman, a bald-headed monster who worked harder than anyone else because he felt the world was out to get him.
If you weren't there, it’s hard to explain what it felt like when these guys fought.
George Kimball’s four kings boxing book, officially titled Four Kings: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and the Last Golden Age of Boxing, is basically the Bible for this era. It isn't just some dry record of wins and losses. Honestly, it’s more of a forensic deep dive into why we don't see fights like this anymore. Kimball was a guy who sat ringside for almost all of it. He didn't just watch the fights; he smelled the sweat and saw the blood hit the canvas. He knew these men.
The 1980s were weird for boxing. Ali was fading out, and the heavyweights were becoming a mess of alphabet titles and uninspiring champions. But the "Four Kings" saved the sport by actually fighting each other. No marinating. No ducking. Just pure, unadulterated violence at the highest technical level.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Four Kings
We tend to look back at sports through rose-colored glasses. We think everything was better "back then." But with these four, it actually was.
People often think Sugar Ray Leonard was just a "pretty boy" or a media creation. Kimball’s writing clears that up pretty quickly. Leonard was a shark. He was arguably the most calculated, cold-blooded fighter of the bunch. He knew when to fight, when to retire, and how to get under Hagler’s skin so deep that Marvelous Marvin eventually left the sport in a huff and moved to Italy to make action movies.
Then there’s the misconception about Roberto Durán. After the "No Mas" fight against Leonard, the world wrote him off as a quitter. If you read the four kings boxing book, you realize how much of a comeback story Durán really was. He was a lightweight who moved up to fight giants. When he flattened Davey Moore or went the distance in a brutal war with Hagler, he proved that "No Mas" was an anomaly, not the rule.
Kimball doesn't shy away from the dark side. He talks about the politics. The Bob Arum vs. Don King rivalries. The way Vegas was built on the backs of these middleweights. It’s gritty.
The War: Hagler vs. Hearns
You can’t talk about this book without talking about the three rounds that changed everything. April 15, 1985.
Most sportswriters will tell you those eight minutes were the peak of human competition. Kimball describes it with a sort of poetic exhaustion. Hearns broke his hand. Hagler had a cut on his forehead that looked like a third eye leaking blood. The referee almost stopped it.
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If you’ve only seen the highlights on YouTube, you’re missing the context. Kimball explains the tension leading up to it—how Hagler wore a hat that just said "WAR" and how Hearns thought his reach would make it an easy night. It wasn't an easy night. It was a car wreck that lasted three rounds.
Why Kimball’s Perspective Matters
George Kimball died in 2011, but he left behind a narrative style that modern sports journalism is desperately missing. He didn't use "data points" or "win probabilities." He used his eyes.
He understood that Thomas Hearns was a tragic figure in a way. The "Motor City Cobra" had the most physical talent but perhaps the "glassiest" chin among the four. Yet, he never backed down. He fought everyone. Kimball captures that vulnerability. It makes the fighters feel like actual humans instead of video game characters.
The book is structured around the round-robin of fights between these four. You have:
- Leonard vs. Durán I, II, and III.
- Hearns vs. Cuevas (the precursor).
- Hagler vs. Hearns.
- Leonard vs. Hagler (the most controversial decision in boxing history).
- Hearns vs. Leonard II (the "War" part two).
It’s a tangled web. You basically need a map to keep track of who held which belt when, but Kimball handles the heavy lifting for you.
The Leonard vs. Hagler Debate
Even now, decades later, if you get two boxing fans in a room and mention Leonard vs. Hagler, an argument will break out. Kimball spent a lot of time on this.
Was Hagler robbed?
He certainly thought so. He spent the rest of his life thinking the judges were in Leonard's pocket. Leonard, on the other hand, fought the "perfect" fight—stealing rounds with flashy flurries at the end of each three-minute block. Kimball’s four kings boxing book dissects the scoring in a way that doesn't necessarily take a side, but it shows you why the sport is so beautiful and so corrupt at the same time. It’s a messy business.
The sheer psychological warfare Leonard used—making Hagler wait for years, choosing a huge ring, wearing extra-padded gloves—it was brilliant and frustrating. Hagler was the better "fighter" that night, but Leonard was the better "boxer." There’s a difference.
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The Cultural Impact You Didn't Realize
These guys weren't just athletes; they were icons. They represented different things.
- Durán: The pride of Panama and the Latin American struggle.
- Hearns: The grit of a crumbling Detroit.
- Hagler: The blue-collar, "working man" who got nothing for free.
- Leonard: The Olympic hero and the American Dream personified.
When they fought, it wasn't just about a belt. It was about whose philosophy of life was better. Kimball captures the 1980s aesthetic perfectly—the glitz of Caesars Palace, the high stakes, and the feeling that every one of these fights was a global event.
Honestly, the way Kimball writes makes you realize how much we’ve lost with the current fragmentation of boxing. Nowadays, stars protect their "O" (undefeated record) like it’s a holy relic. The Four Kings didn't care about their records as much as they cared about their legacies. They all lost. They all got knocked down. And they all got back up to fight the next guy on the list.
That’s the soul of the four kings boxing book. It’s a tribute to a time when being the best meant beating the best, not avoiding them.
Reading Between the Lines
Kimball's prose is sharp. He doesn't waste words. He’s got that old-school newspaper grit. He mentions the trainers too—the legendary Emanuel Steward at the Kronk Gym and Angelo Dundee in Leonard's corner. These guys were the architects.
Steward, in particular, turned Hearns into a weapon. The book dives into the atmosphere of the Kronk Gym, a basement in Detroit that was basically a sauna with boxing rings. It’s those little details that make the book more than just a sports recap. You can almost feel the humidity and the smell of old leather.
One thing that’s kinda wild to think about is how small these guys were compared to today's heavyweights, yet they hit just as hard. They were middleweights and welterweights, but they dominated the sports world. They were the biggest stars on the planet.
Is This Book Still Relevant?
Yes. If you want to understand combat sports today—from the UFC to modern boxing—you have to look at the blueprint the Four Kings created.
The way fighters market themselves today? Leonard started that.
The way fighters use "intimidation"? Hagler and Durán were the masters.
The way fighters rely on freakish physical advantages? Hearns was the prototype.
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Kimball’s book serves as a reminder of what the sport can be when the best athletes are also the most courageous. It’s a fast read, mostly because the drama is built-in. You don't need to embellish a story about a man getting his jaw broken and still trying to throw a knockout punch.
The ending of the book is a bit melancholy. It covers the inevitable decline. The late-career fights that shouldn't have happened. The way the "Golden Age" slowly flickered out as the 90s approached and Mike Tyson took over the spotlight. But that’s the nature of the sport. It’s a cycle.
Practical Insights for the Modern Fan
If you're going to pick up the four kings boxing book, here is the best way to consume it. Don't just read it cover to cover in one sitting.
- Watch the fights first. Go to YouTube and look up "The War" (Hagler vs. Hearns) or "The Brawl in Montreal" (Leonard vs. Durán I).
- Read the chapter on that specific fight immediately after. Seeing the footage and then reading Kimball’s "insider" perspective on what was happening in the locker rooms changes the experience completely.
- Pay attention to the technical stuff. Kimball explains why a certain jab worked or why a stance change mattered. It’ll make you a smarter viewer.
The book is available in most libraries and online retailers. It’s often cited by commentators like Joe Rogan or Max Kellerman as a "must-read." They aren't lying. It’s one of the few sports books that actually lives up to the hype.
Moving Forward With Your Boxing Education
If you finish Kimball's work and find yourself craving more of that 80s grit, there are a few other places to go. You shouldn't stop at just one book if you really want to get the "feel" of that era.
Check out the documentary The Kings on Showtime/Paramount+. It uses a lot of the same narrative beats as Kimball’s book and features incredible archival footage. It’s the perfect visual companion.
Also, look into the individual biographies of the men. In the Ring with Marvin Hagler or Leonard's own autobiography, The Big Fight: My Life in and out of the Ring, provide the personal perspectives that Kimball, as an observer, could only guess at.
Ultimately, the story of the Four Kings is a story about human limits. How much can a person take? How much can they give? George Kimball didn't just write a boxing book; he wrote a book about the peak of human willpower. It’s a masterpiece of the genre. Go find a copy, get a coffee, and prepare to feel like you’re sitting in the third row at the Caesars Palace outdoor arena in 1981. It’s the closest most of us will ever get.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Search for "Hagler vs Hearns Round 1" on a video platform right now. It is the most important eight minutes in the history of the sport and sets the stage for everything Kimball writes about.
- Compare the "No Mas" accounts. Read Kimball’s version of why Durán quit in the second Leonard fight, then find an interview with Durán from the last ten years. The discrepancy between the "stomach cramps" excuse and the reality of his frustration is a fascinating study in athlete psychology.
- Analyze the Leonard-Hagler scorecards. Look up the actual round-by-round scoring from their 1987 fight. See if you agree with judge JoJo Guerra’s infamous 118-110 scorecard—most people definitely don't.
- Follow the Kronk Gym legacy. Research how Emanuel Steward’s training methods from the Hearns era eventually influenced modern champions like Lennox Lewis and Tyson Fury. The "tall man" boxing style Hearns pioneered is still the blueprint for many of today's greats.