As the days lead into weeks and the weeks into months, this pandemic continues to weigh on us all. Live sports are making valiant efforts to restart, the outcome of which is still to be seen and boxing has attempted to lead the way, with Top Rank’s “Summer Series”. The bi-weekly program started June 9th, and although it has produced some exciting bouts, it has been met with lacklustre approval from the fans, featuring far too many mismatches, and a serious dearth of name brand talent.
It is in times like these, with a lack of credible action on the horizon, that boxing fans can turn to the past, to relive classic fights, and watch unseen old bouts for the first time. This is what led me to pick up George Kimball’s excellent “Four Kings”, the story of Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and the so-called last great era of boxing. Kimball, who died in 2011, was a sportswriter for twenty-five years, writing for a variety of publications, including the Boston Herald.
Boxing literature is usually hit or miss. It doesn’t have the same volume of content like baseball, which means there are fewer “must-reads” out there. Another issue surrounding boxing lit is it’s time frame. The vast majority of boxing writing centres around “The Golden Age of Boxing”, the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, which were a chaotic and tumultuous time when it came to the way Black boxers were viewed. This makes some of the literature difficult to read in today’s society, a la Norman Mailer’s ‘The Fight’ or A.J. Liebling’s ‘The Sweet Science”. Kimball’s book, published in 2008, manages to avoid this pitfall.
The beauty of “Four Kings” lies in its simplicity. Each chapter of the book, save for the first and last, is dedicated to one of the nine fights between each of the Kings. It begins with Duran-Leonard I, and ends with Duran – Leonard III. While telling the story of the headline fight of each segment, Kimball manages to deftly dance between each of the four royal pugilists, describing their journeys as well. This allows the reader to follow the path of all four Kings, while still focusing on the main event of each chapter.
This made for an excellent reading experience, as it provided the opportunity to watch the fights on YouTube, in chronological order. Kimball also goes beyond the bouts featuring just the Kings, and details many major non-foursome bouts within each chapter (he briefly describes most of the title fights and defenses of each fighter). Watching and reading about the fights in chronological order allows the reader to see the boxers grow, adapt and change, and fully appreciate all of their artistry.
When it comes to writing style, Kimball does not possess the poetic flair of Mailer or Liebling. His approach is more straight-ahead, and for this style of book, it is especially effective. As a boxing journalist during the era, Kimball had access to all the major players at the time, Bob Arum, Don King, Emmanuel Steward, Angelo Dundee, and many more. His insights into the matchmaking and politics of boxing in the 80’s are often surprising and remarkable. He also drops juicy anecdotes that the mainstream fan may not have heard before, such as the story of Sugar Ray Leonard being invited to the president of HBO Sports’ private box for Wimbledon. Leonard decides to skip the event, but given his generous nature, he gifts his tickets to two prostitutes, who show up unannounced in his place.
Overall, Kimball’s book reads like a timeline of the Four Kings, and that’s okay. He adds in just enough personality that the reader is never bored, and his experience and insight add ample reason to recommend this to any boxing fan.
Final Word:
Although never reaching the pinnacle of boxing’s elite literature, “Four Kings” is definitely a worthy read, and should at least be considered for the top 10 pound for pound boxing books.