The other Fab Fours

Jel · May 11, 2024

I think Estrada-Cuadras 2 is the best fight I’ve seen in recent years, even better than Estrada-Gonzalez 2.

It was a fight you rarely see - two skilled fighters but going to war with no quarter given and emptying their souls against the other.

That fight should have been headlining a packed house in any of the great historic boxing venues but it unfolded in front of a practically empty arena with everyone masked up during COVID times.

In that environment, it’s amazing they went at each other the way they did. They could have been fighting in the backstreets or away from the cameras in the local gym for all they cared.

One of the great but also hugely underrated all-Mexico wars.

Saintpat · May 11, 2024

I don’t think Chacon and Navarette fought each other, so I kind of have to dismiss that as any kind of Fab Four … just like Wilfred Benitez definitely belongs in Leonard-Hearns-Duran-Hagler company but since he and Hagler never fought it’s a Fab Four rather than a Fab Five.

I will point out that Alexis Arguello fought (and beat) all of those 130-pounders mentioned (Chacon, Limon, Navarette, Boza Edwards) in a 13-month span no less (he also beat Gerald Hayes in the middle of that, otherwise he’d have beaten them all in succession) so maybe @Jel could sub AA in there (although we’d lose some exciting fights with Navarette).

You have the trio of Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank and Steve Collins at 160/168 in the UK with a super series of big fights that would surely have become a quartet had not Michael Watson sustained career-ending brain damage vs. Eubank. To me that one feels a bit empty without Roy Jones Jr being involved.

scartissue · May 11, 2024

If you guys want to have some fun with these stats, then go no further than the late 50's to early 60's lightweights, which I'm a big fan of because of the depth and the competition that was conducted at 135. This Era consisted of fighters such as Carlos Ortiz, Joe Brown, Ismael Laguna, Doug Vaillant, Kenny Lane, Orlando Zulueta, Paolo Rosi, Len Matthew's, Dave Charnley, Carlos Hernandez, Paul Armstead and Alfredo Urbina. And they were all fighting each other, in many cases, multiple times. But don't take my word for it, just check them out and enjoy the round-robin that was conducted back in the day.

Jel · May 11, 2024

Saintpat said: ↑

I don’t think Chacon and Navarette fought each other, so I kind of have to dismiss that as any kind of Fab Four … just like Wilfred Benitez definitely belongs in Leonard-Hearns-Duran-Hagler company but since he and Hagler never fought it’s a Fab Four rather than a Fab Five.

I will point out that Alexis Arguello fought (and beat) all of those 130-pounders mentioned (Chacon, Limon, Navarette, Boza Edwards) in a 13-month span no less (he also beat Gerald Hayes in the middle of that, otherwise he’d have beaten them all in succession) so maybe @Jel could sub AA in there (although we’d lose some exciting fights with Navarette).

You have the trio of Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank and Steve Collins at 160/168 in the UK with a super series of big fights that would surely have become a quartet had not Michael Watson sustained career-ending brain damage vs. Eubank. To me that one feels a bit empty without Roy Jones Jr being involved.
Click to expand...

I kind of see Boza-Navarette-Chacon-Limon as a group of four, even though you’re right to point out that Chacon and Navarette never met in the ring so yeah, if I’m not including Benitez with Leonard, Duran, Hagler and Hearns then why am I including Navarette or why don’t I substitute him with Arguello who did fight all three?

Well, that group of fighters all met Arguello before he left the division and then followed him in taking turns at holding the title he vacated. AA dominated that division whereas the others were pretty much of equal abilities and that brought about a series of tremendous fights.

So, yeah, it’s an inconsistency but I think that group really reflects a group of fighters engaged in a virtual round robin (Chacon-Navarette being the one missing fight) and that brought about some absolute classic fights as a result.

Anyway, that’s my logic and I’m sticking to it!

Jel · May 11, 2024

Thought I’d also point out this outstanding write up on the Fab Four of Chacon, Limon, Boza and Navarette by @Flea Man:
https://www.thefight-site.com/home/the-ferocious-four-and-all-their-fights-ranked

He’s called them The Ferocious Four, which is pretty apt when you take the vicious nature of some of their fights into account.

Saintpat · May 11, 2024

Jel said: ↑

I kind of see Boza-Navarette-Chacon-Limon as a group of four, even though you’re right to point out that Chacon and Navarette never met in the ring so yeah, if I’m not including Benitez with Leonard, Duran, Hagler and Hearns then why am I including Navarette or why don’t I substitute him with Arguello who did fight all three?

Well, that group of fighters all met Arguello before he left the division and then followed him in taking turns at holding the title he vacated. AA dominated that division whereas the others were pretty much of equal abilities and that brought about a series of tremendous fights.

So, yeah, it’s an inconsistency but I think that group really reflects a group of fighters engaged in a virtual round robin (Chacon-Navarette being the one missing fight) and that brought about some absolute classic fights as a result.

Anyway, that’s my logic and I’m sticking to it!
Click to expand...

Too bad you weren’t booking the Fabulous Forum or the Olympic at the time to give us that Navarette-Chacon showdown. No way that wouldn’t have ended up being a good scrap too.

Hi-Tech · May 6, 2025 at 2:03 AM

Just started watching some of the fights from Chacon, Edwards, Limon, and Navarette, all of them all-time classics. It's insane that Arguello managed to beat all of them

LenHarvey · May 6, 2025 at 2:59 AM

30s... McLarnin, Ross, Canzoneri & Mandell/Ambers..

George Crowcroft · May 6, 2025 at 3:27 AM

Chacon vs Limon 4
Chacon vs Boza 2
Morales vs Barrera 1
Morales vs Pacquiao 1
Duran vs Leonard 1
Marquez vs Pacquiao 2
Estrada vs Gonzalez 2
Estrada vs Cuadras 2
Rungvisai vs Gonzalez 1
Hearns vs Leonard 2
Hagler vs Hearns

roughdiamond · May 6, 2025 at 7:19 AM

Devin 'The Drug' Haney
Ryan 'King Roid' Garcia
Teofimo 'The Takeaway' Lopez
Gervonta 'Twink' Davis

Honourable mention to Rolly 'The Monster' Romero.

Jel · May 6, 2025 at 12:08 PM

roughdiamond said: ↑

Devin 'The Drug' Haney
Ryan 'King Roid' Garcia
Teofimo 'The Takeaway' Lopez
Gervonta 'Twink' Davis

Honourable mention to Rolly 'The Monster' Romero.
Click to expand...

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