Nigel Benn believes there is one British boxing legend who would have been able to overcome the iconic quartet known as the ‘Four Kings.’
The famous group consists of Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran, and saw the fighters each involved in epic battles against one another throughout the 1980s.
Fans often debate how the ‘Four Kings’ may have fared against fighters from different eras, and two-weight world champion Benn has weighed in with a view of his own.
Benn competed in a similar timespan as Leonard, Hagler, Hearns and Duran, and so was confident with his view when telling The Sun that Joe Calzaghe would have beaten them all.
“Old timers will tell you [Calzaghe] would never have lived with Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler or Tommy ‘Hitman’ Hearns.
“I disagree – Joe would have beaten them all. How many fighters would love to finish with a record like Joe’s?
“Outside of Wales, I don’t think he got the recognition he deserved. Forty six fights unbeaten is a heck of an achievement. I don’t think we will ever see his like again.”
Calzaghe is one of a few world champions to have retired unbeaten, after becoming unified super middleweight world champion before moving up to light heavyweight and ending his career with wins over Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.
It is perhaps his size that may have given Calzaghe an edge over the other ‘Four Kings’, with Hearns the only one of group that ever held gold at 175lbs.
