STEVE’S SOAPBOX
classic round-robin were highlighted in the highly acclaimed Legendary Nights series on HBO during the 2000s. More recently, Showtime featured the four fighters’ intertwined careers in a four- part 2021 documentary simply titled The Kings . Several books, including Four Kings , penned by the late, great George Kimball, have been written about their storied battles with one another. Which brings us to this generation. What do we make of Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez? It was around 2020
Last year, these four engaged in a grand total of five fights. The reality is that it’s too much to ask these guys to be what the “Kings” were, or what even Manny Pacquiao, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera were to their generation. Forget about the likes of Roman Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada, Carlos Cuadras and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, too. The business and game of boxing has changed, and unfortunately, so have the
fighters who amuse us at times but fail to truly leave an indelible mark on our souls. Maybe I’m being a bit too harsh on this current crop. Admittedly, I am getting more cynical in my old age. There is a chance that these still-young men are not perpetrators of the current marketplace, but merely products of it. But there seems to be some hope as we head into 2025. While the year began with a lawsuit between Haney and Garcia, stemming from their bout
last year, it looks like they’re headed to a rematch in the second half of the year. It was formally announced on January 20 that those two will co-headline a May card in Times Square in New York City as a prelude to their second meeting, which could land in October. Garcia will take on Rolando Romero, while Haney will face former unified junior welterweight champion Jose Ramirez. While some may prefer for this second chapter to take place immediately, the reality is that neither have been
when you started seeing homemade graphics and memes floating around social media depicting them – all basically lightweights at the time – as the modern- day version of the above- mentioned foursome. They were young, talented, marketable and had their own sect of dedicated fan bases to rely upon. This would be the quartet that would be the foundation of the 2020s for the boxing industry. So, as we cross into the halfway mark of the decade, are they holding up their end of the bargain?
in the ring since last April. As for the perennially disgruntled Lopez, who has a love-hate relationship with his promoter, Top Rank, the word is that he has signed a multi- fight agreement with Turki Alalshikh and his organization. This path could see him face Richardson Hitchins in a junior welterweight unification battle in the spring. Then a bout with The Ring’s No. 1-rated welterweight, IBF beltholder Jaron “Boots” Ennis, culminating with Lopez eventually facing the winner of Garcia-Haney II. As for Tank, he is scheduled to face Lamont Roach on March 1. He seems content in playing by himself in the PBC sandbox for the time being. But overall, there seems to be some activity and action taking place amongst this group. Maybe in a few years, they will define this decade, and not be the problem with it.
The Four Kings’ rivalry was cover- worthy throughout the 1980s.
Well, as this is being written, there have only been two fights involving any of these guys – both involving Garcia. “KingRy” was run over by “Tank” Davis in seven rounds in 2023, and last year his points victory over Haney (where he scored three knockdowns) was overturned after he tested positive for the banned substance ostarine. He was suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission for one year from the date of that contest (April 20). Keep this in mind: When Leonard and Hearns engaged in their initial battle in 1981, Leonard was 25 years old and Hearns was just over a month shy of his 23rd birthday. This current group ranges from 26 (Garcia and Haney) to 30 (Davis). They are entering their physical primes. But what do they say about youth being wasted on the young?
IS THERE HOPE? By Steve Kim
F ighters define eras. Eras define fighters. And it’s the fights that should frame how we look at any particular era of boxing. Case in point: My formative years – growing up in Valencia and then Montebello, California – were during the 1980s. So when I think of boxing – while many conjure up images of “Iron” Mike Tyson – for me, this decade was ruled by “the Four Kings.” Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran were the signature boxers in my view. From 1980 to 1989, they engaged in a series of bouts that not only generated millions of dollars for themselves, but wrote a vital piece of boxing history as
So far, Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez have only combined for two bouts.
fighters. They aren’t as active and are therefore not as seasoned – and they are not nearly as recognizable to the general public as their predecessors. They don’t even seem as relatable as boxers of the past. Leonard, Hagler, Duran and Hearns would regularly leave us in awe. The modern day “star” is more likely to make the public cringe with their antics. It’s not really a knock on them but the reality of the current culture we live in. Social media can only do so much in the guise of building up personal brands. Many moments go viral, but how many are truly unforgettable? For decades, boxing created legends. Now it creates a generation of forgettable
well. Perhaps even more importantly, they created a generation of fans that help sustain the business to this day. The word “iconic” comes to mind when you think of these four hall of famers and some of the battles they had. From 1980 (beginning with Duran handing Leonard his first professional defeat) to their admittedly forgettable third clash in 1989, there were nine fights involving these titans of the ring. It’s why a couple of bouts from their
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