Showtime will chronicle the classic 1980s rivalry between four champion boxers in a new documentary series The Kings to premiere June 6.
The four-part series will chronicle the battles between boxers Roberto 'hands of stone" Duran, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas "the hitman" Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard, said network officials.
The Kings spotlights boxing's evolution from the end of Muhammad Ali's era to the era of the four boxers, set against the seismic political and socio-economic shifts taking place in the United States. Through in-depth interviews and archival footage, the series also examines the very personal battles that each man waged on his unique journey to the center of the sports world, said Showtime.
“These four men defined an era in boxing,” Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza said in a statement. “Their individual stories, forever linked by the spectacular battles they waged, reflect a tumultuous period in American culture and history. The Kings takes the viewer beyond the glorious action of some of history’s most memorable prizefights to illuminate each man’s dramatic journey and the societal context that made them stars of sports and popular culture.”
