Name your quartet of sporting greatness.

[Stat Brother]

Five Live are currently running a retrospective of this:-

25 years since Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard locked horns at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas in their $26 million Super Fight, 5 live Boxing looks back at a truly great era in the ring. Mike Costello and Steve Bunce also remember some of the other great boxers of the time, including Tommy Hearns and Roberto Duran and discuss some of the most explosive, contentious and memorable fights in the history of the sport

Begging the question of the thread.

The same sport, the same discipline therein, (no 3 batsmen and a bowler), at the same time.

 

[wunt be druv]

Ian Botham,Kapil Dev,Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall.Four of the best all-rounder Cricketers ever.

 

[Frutos]

Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Norton

Heavyweight boxing will never be that good again.

 

[Stat Brother]

Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Norton

Heavyweight boxing will never be that good again.

I have to ask, due to my ignorance.

What was Norton's record against the other 3?

 

[Stat Brother]

Ian Botham,Kapil Dev,Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall.Four of the best all-rounder Cricketers ever.

Yep that's the way to play.

 

[Frutos]

I have to ask, due to my ignorance.

What was Norton's record against the other 3?

He never fought Frazier as far as I can recall and Foreman destroyed him in two rounds, but he fought Ali 3 times with all three going to points and the first two being split decisions.

Norton won the first fight and Ali the second and third (although many people feel Norton deserved the verdict in the 3rd fight), and Norton famously broke Ali's jaw in the first one.

He's probably the least known and least renowned of the four, but I'd say he deserves his place in there. He was a key part of that era.

 

[1066familyman]

Very good question SB.

Not my sport at all, but I wonder if Federer, Nadal, Djokovic & Murray would qualify ?

Given that we're constantly being told that in most other era's Murray would actually be winning major titles (they call them Grand Slams don't they?).

 

[pauli cee]

crumplin. mayo, jones and....
(sorry, just saw it said same era)

how about the windies fast bowling attack, 60's to 80's, with Garner, Holding, Croft, Roberts, (and marshall), and all in one team!
tho sure some aussie quicks would like to have a go at that one...

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm not setting myself up as arbiter here but until Murray beats at least 2 of the 3 for 'Slam titles.
That looks like 3 +1, to me.

 

[Beach Hut]

Hawkins, Lehman, Mcleod, Loft - guess the link

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Hawkins, Lehman, Mcleod, Loft - guess the link

One was once a great financial institution and money cannot buy the joy the other three gave us.

 

[sparkie]

Ian Botham,Kapil Dev,Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall.Four of the best all-rounder Cricketers ever.

Would have gone with Imran Khan instead of Marshall myself.

 

[Barry Izbak]

Would have gone with Imran Khan instead of Marshall myself.

Quite right. Not least because you couldn't really call Marshall an all rounder, when Imran definately was.

 

[Marxo]

I have to ask, due to my ignorance.

What was Norton's record against the other 3?

Yes but he was in Mandingo!

 

[wunt be druv]

Would have gone with Imran Khan instead of Marshall myself.

I do agree,it was only after I posted,that I remembered Imran,which is unforgivable given that I had the honor of meeting him at the County ground and bought him an orange juice from the bar,top bloke and brilliant cricketer.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm struggling for football, even though in the back of my head I have the names to go with Best, Cryff, a German, an Italian.

 

[NMH]

I'm struggling for football, even though in the back of my head I have the names to go with Best, Cryff, a German, an Italian.

Hmm, Germany don't produce many 'flair' players as such, they have such a tight teamwork ethic that a tricky individual would probably be seen as an affront, a crass and low-class concept! Klinsmann was the most outstanding individual I can think of for them, but Gerd Muller holds the best goalscoring record with 68 from 62 appearances.
For the sake of old-fashioned romanticism I'll suggest Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

For Italy , howabout Luigi Riva. I can't think of a heavier name to drop there.
Oddly, in my lifetime there was one Italian who was not a legend, didn't seem to have been a big-name before or afterwards, but Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci was outstanding in the '90 World Cup. He won the golden boot, was fascinating to watch him tucking them away. His international career seemed mercurial, and brief. Baggio was the 'big name', but I will never forget the impact of Schillaci.

 

[jasetheace]

Gehan Mendis, Keplar Wessels, Javed Miandad, Imran Khan. Now growing up in that era of Sussex cricket was something to behold! With apologies to T Greig, G Le Roux et al!

 

[drew]

Leighton Rees, John Lowe, Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson (RIP)

 

[Dr Q]

Senna, Prost, Piquet, Mansell