Comments Thread For: Daily Bread Mailbag: Manny Pacquiao, the 'Four Kings', and Andre Ward's standing

[HandsofIron]

I'm not sure of your points about Hagler. Some fighters start young and grow with age, therefore outgrow weightclasses. Duran was a middleweight when he fought Hagler, NOT a lightweight. Have you looked at Benitez's overall record, or did you stop after Hearns? (a loss btw). I don't have a dog in the fight since I place no value in the 3 or 4 kings designation, but your evaluation of Hagler does him a diservice.

Leonard is the only one with wins over them all.
Hagler beat two of the three he faced.
Hearns beat two of four and lost two by ko.
Duran won 1 and lost to all four
Benitez won one, lost two.

The disservice is to Wilfred Benitez being left out of the 4Kings moniker since he conquered 3 weight classes where as Hagler only stayed at one, that elevates Benitez over Hagler.

Duran, SRL, Hearns, Benitez were either all undefeated or in close contention with HOF worthy opponents in their respective weight classes, (135, 147, 140) and it was only until they all faced each other in their primes did they finally lose, that shows how great they were. Hagler had already lost to journeymen while in his prime and in his own, natural weight class.

And Duran wasn't a true Middleweight, his limit was 147, he was able to compete at the higher weights because of his cunning, smarts and legendary skills.

[Mark Elding]

The disservice is to Wilfred Benitez being left out of the 4Kings moniker since he conquered 3 weight classes where as Hagler only stayed at one, that elevates Benitez over Hagler.

Duran, SRL, Hearns, Benitez were either all undefeated or in close contention with HOF worthy opponents in their respective weight classes, (135, 147, 140) and it was only until they all faced each other in their primes did they finally lose, that shows how great they were. Hagler had already lost to journeymen while in his prime and in his own, natural weight class.

And Duran wasn't a true Middleweight, his limit was 147, he was able to compete at the higher weights because of his cunning, smarts and legendary skills.

I completely concur with your praise for Benitez, arguably the most naturally gifted pugilist ever, and certainly the most gifted defensively. However, he’s omitted from ‘The Kings’ simply because he didn’t face Hagler. All the other guys fought each other at least once, hence their collective moniker.

At his absolute peak, I rate Wilfred as Puerto Rico’s finest, and believe he would have had Trinidad and Cotto swinging at air all night. Tragic what the sport ultimately did to a guy who so rarely even got hit.

[Dr Z]

I did not like Ward and I did not enjoy watching him fight. He was one of the dirtiest fighters EVER. As soon as he found out in the ring that the other guy had better boxing skills, he would start grappling, head butting and hitting low on purpose, again and again and again. It was terrible to watch that referees let him get away with that stuff. He is an ATG dirty fighter.

Ward does rate hightly in the P4P dirty fighters. He lacked a good kindey punch like Hopkins though. But head butts, and low blows for sure.

[real raw]

The disservice is to Wilfred Benitez being left out of the 4Kings moniker since he conquered 3 weight classes where as Hagler only stayed at one, that elevates Benitez over Hagler.

Duran, SRL, Hearns, Benitez were either all undefeated or in close contention with HOF worthy opponents in their respective weight classes, (135, 147, 140) and it was only until they all faced each other in their primes did they finally lose, that shows how great they were. Hagler had already lost to journeymen while in his prime and in his own, natural weight class.

And Duran wasn't a true Middleweight, his limit was 147, he was able to compete at the higher weights because of his cunning, smarts and legendary skills.

Your assessments seem more based in romatization, "his cunning, smarts and legendary skills." than actual accomplishiments. Duran was able to compete because he weighed the same as his opponents.

[Poopdick]

doesn't matter who you'd rather your son fight like. it matters seeing someone fo extraordinary things that most ppl can't or won't do.