A few years ago, when Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, and Gervonta Davis crossed the 135-pound team undefeated, I simply referred to them as the “Four Princes.” Berto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler teamed up frequently, and many classic matches earned them the nickname “The Four Kings.”
Important caveat #1: This is not to say that I consider this quarter to be among the greatest quarters of all time, although it may have a lot of potential. What’s more, four of the most talented fighters in the age and weight class are expected to come together and deliver a classic fight series that this generation can look back on in the same way.
However, it didn’t take long for me to seem to abandon the whole idea. Surprisingly, Lopez lost to Jorge Kambosos – although in fairness, he lost to Jorge Kambosos in bad health; This is probably just a shot; maybe Shakur Stevenson can replace him. But then Stevenson laid an egg on Edwin de los Santos in one of his worst matches in recent years, as Lopez began to alternate exciting and wet fights, like his boring fight with Jamaine Ortiz. And Davis created a legal problem for himself, and then the window closed.
Leonard had just turned 24 when he first met Duran; at the age of 25, he returned to fight Duran and defeated Hearns. Lopez and Stevenson are both 26, Davis 29, and before Saturday night their entire team had just one game against their opponents: Davis in the seventh round last year against Garcia.
However, it was a big deal: With Terence Crawford beating Errol Spence, it was one of the biggest boxing matches in America in the year 2023. It’s a testament to the appeal of this winning team, it’s an interesting fight. Other than that, it was a one-sided fight, even if Garcia had some moments, and the breakdown seemed to show the release of “KingRy’s” phase.
‘KingRy’s’ Victory Breathes New Life into the ‘Four Princes’ https://t.co/Pl6uyirbNB
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) April 22, 2024
Amazingly, Garcia was able to fight Haney within a year. If he loses, he can go 0-2 against another, Wilfred Benitez in the group. (If you’re offended by that comparison, considering that Benitez is a legitimate Hall of Famer, he’s the Peter Lawford of some gang. Children: Ask your parents. Or your ancestors.
Heading into Saturday night’s six-round contest at Barclays House, it looks like a pretty good deal to this observer. Garcia had his moments against Davis – a left hook that stunned Haney in the first round – but his strategy seemed to be 30 seconds per round (usually the first 30), trying to deliver in severe punishments.
Even after the seventh round, when Garcia knocked Haney down and let him hang on, there was a sense that this might be the case. Garcia lost focus and hit Haney with a break, prompting a furious Harvey Doc to call the stoppage, giving Haney a moment to recover and take a big break from Garcia. . In the following rounds, Haney seemed to be back to his best, although he still seemed to be struggling with the injury in the seventh round.
Garcia’s explosive power in the final round sealed the victory and breathed new life into the Fourth Prince in the process.
While it was an exciting fight, and aside from an exciting win for Garcia, it created a great rivalry – one that we’ll likely see in the fight this season – and some have sought opportunities to be a part of the action. Stevenson was one of them, and he posted his congratulations on social media and explained that he wanted to smoke.
Garcia’s win was important not only for his performance, but also for the team’s competition. Because rebuilding four Kings (or five) needs Sugar Ray Leonard – and now it’s Garcia.
Important caveat #2: I’m not saying Garcia is Ray Leonard. I’m not saying he’s good or that he’ll be perfect. But Leonard was the star around the rest of the Kings who managed to turn it around. He was handsome, famous, and famous on Madison Street, and everyone wanted to fight him. The main thing is that he wants to fight them again (although he toyed with Hagler and waited until he got older and then retired for a while before facing him). Garcia is the same as 2024, with 11 million Instagram followers, and most importantly, is very good at joining others in the ring.
(That’s also a bad thing. After the shows, Leonard’s life turned upside down with accusations of bad friends, drug and alcohol abuse. Garcia’s victory doesn’t hide the real worries to his mental health. The fact is that these past few months, he can make Andy Kaufman look like a fighter Muhammad Ali before hitting the Sonny Liston Tribute, but chances are Garcia will have to surround himself with supporters who care about him.
How this all works out remains to be seen. My enthusiasm for The Fourth Prince may not have had a reason, and it may not have been as shaken as I thought it would be: Lopez may have missed her chance, Davis may have moved on to a different pool. Stevenson may end up being another member of the group. But Garcia’s victory gave new life to the hopes of a group of highly skilled fighters who will do what boxing fans love: come to the feet, take a lot of punches, and deliver something that’s inevitable. be overlooked in practice.
