Carlos Monzon

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KSTAT124
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Carlos Monzon

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While there are those who belittle his accomplishments, the fact remains Carlos Monzon was inducted into the now defunct Ring Magazine Hall of Fame, the World Boxing Hall of Fame, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Most historians recognize Monzon as one of the greatest middleweights of all-time.

Monzon came up during a time when there were other highly regarded middleweight prospects and a number of experienced veterans competing in South America. Only a few were or would be known on the international scene but there were plenty of tests for a young fighter like Monzon and sometimes it took more than one attempt for him to "pass a given exam." In his first two years as a pro, 1963 and 1964, Monzon went 17-3-1 with one No Contest, losing to fellow Argentine prospects Antonio Aguilar and Alberto Massi and to Brazilian veteran Felipe Cambeiro and fighting to a draw with another Argentine prospect Celedonio Lima. He would beat all four in rematches and add another two victories over both Aguilar, who would gain some success on an international level, and Massi in subsequent bouts.

He fought 12 times in 1965, going 8-0-4. He opened the year with a draw against former world-ranked contender and former South American and Argentine champion Andres Selpa but beat Selpa in a rematch two months later. Another draw, this one against Argentine veteran Emilio Ale Ali, followed. Monzon was 4-0-2 in his next six bouts including the rematch victory over Cambeiro and two eight-round stalemates with Brazilian Manoel Severino, both in Rio De Janeiro. He finished the year defeating three undefeated fighters, Lima (18-0-5), Aguilar (34-0-2), and Carlos Salinas (19-0-3), who would later also enjoy some success internationally.

In 1966, Monzon coasted through his first 5 bouts, going 4-0-1 against less than stellar opposition, but would then face his most accomplished opponent to date, former world welterweight title challenger Jorge Fernandez, a perennial world-class welterweight, junior middleweight, and middleweight contender. Fernandez (109-6-1) held both the Argentine and South American middleweight titles but in his September 3, 1966 bout against Monzon, only his national title was on the line. Monzon won that belt as he passed the test with a close but well-earned unanimous decision.

Closing the year off with another 4 wins including a TKO over his former conqueror Massi, Monzon had improved to 34-3-6-1 NC.

The Argentine champ would rack up another 6 wins in the first four months of 1967 including second victories over Salinas and Massi. That led to a bout with Philadelphia's Bad Bennie Briscoe (who will be inducted into the WBHOF in October of 2010). Briscoe came into the Monzon match off a TKO win over fellow Philadelphian George Benton and a decision loss to former world welterweight champion and future Hall of Famer (IBHOF) Luis Rodriguez. (Benton would later be inducted into both the IBHOF and the WBHOF as a trainer.) Monzon and Briscoe battled a a 10-round draw.

In his next bout, Monzon captured the South American middleweight title with his second 12-round decision over Jorge Fernandez. A KO win over Aguilar and the first of two decisions over Panamanian veteran Tito Marshall, who owned wins over Dave Charnley, Joe Shaw, and Briscoe, followed. Another 4 wins including the second over Marshall closed out '67.

Monzon opened 1968 with a draw with future Argentine light heavyweight champion Juan Aguilar but, after beating Massi again, defeated Aguilar in their rematch. Through the rest of the year and through 1969, Monzon, as usual, remained active, posting another 13 wins and one draw. Among those he beat were Americans Dub Huntley, Charley "Bad News" Austin, Johnny Brooks, Harold Richardson, and Tom "The Bomb" Bethea and old South American rivals Ali, Salinas (after fighting to a draw with him), and Severino (in defense of the South American title).

In 1970, he won five bouts before challenging for the world title including a 5th round knockout over Antonio Aguilar, a 9th round TKO over Juan Aguilar, and a 10-round decision over American veteran Eddie Pace.

During the last twenty fights of his career, all of which he won, he went 15-0 in world title bouts, 8-0 against fellow world champions, and 7-0 against fellow Hall of Famers.

The following were his opponents in his championship bouts (and how Monzon defeated them):

Nino Benvenuti, a future Hall of Famer (both IBHOF and WBHOF), was past his prime but he was still the reigning world middleweight champion, and the betting favorite, when he put the title on the line against Monzon. He later invoked the rematch clause in their original contract to become Monzon's first challenger. (TKO-12, TKO-3)

Future Hall of Famer (IBHOF, WBHOF) Emile Griffith, also past his prime, was still a formidable force and a bona fide top 5 middleweight contender both times he challenged Monzon. Griffith came into his first fight with Monzon off 10 straight wins including victories over former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Dick Tiger, a future Hall of Famer (IBHOF, WBHOF), and world-ranked Doyle Baird, Tom Bogs, Nate Collins, Rafael Gutierrez, Ernie "Indian Red" Lopez, and Max Cohen. (TKO-14)

Future Hall of Famer (WBHOF) Denny Moyer, a former world junior middleweight champion, also was past his prime but was the reigning NABF middleweight champion and was unbeaten in 15 bouts (13-0-1-1 NC) going into his challenge for the middleweight title. (TKO-5)

Jean Claude Bouttier, the reigning European champion, had beaten numerous contenders and former contenders including Pedro Miranda, Stanley "Kitten" Hayward, Juarez De Lima, Jo Gonzales, Pascal DiBenedetto, Tom "The Bomb" Bethea, Lonnie Harris, Juan Carlos Duran, Raul Soriano, Bunny Sterling, Manuel Gonzalez, and Baird. (TKO-13)

Tom Bogs, who was 53-0-1 before losing to Griffith, had held the European light heavyweight title before dropping down and winning (then losing) the European miiddleweight championship. He held wins over Gomeo Brennan, Milo Calhoun, Di Benedetto, Yoland Leveque, Piero Del Papa, old Monzon foe Antonio Aguilar, Les McAteer, Juan Carlos Duran (to whom he would later lose the European middleweight belt), Young McCormack, Chris Finnegan, Don Fullmer, Art Hernandez, Jose Chirino, and De Lima. After losing to Monzon, Bogs would regain the European middleweight title, move back up to the light heavyweight class, and beat fighters such as Mike Quarry, Vicente Rondon, Eddie "Bossman" Jones, and Sterling. (TKO-5)

Perennial contender Bennie Briscoe, who had held Monzon a draw in the latter's 51st pro fight, had won 12 of his last 13 (reversing the only loss) coming into his challenge for Monzon's belts. He would later fight Rodrigo Valdez in two later challenges. As stated earlier, Briscoe is a member of the WBHOF's class of 2010. (UD 15)

Griffith went 6-1-1 in his 8 bouts btween his first and second challenges- with wins over up-and-comers Danny McAloon and Jacques Kechichian, future Hall of Famer (WBHOF) Armando Muniz, and Lopez in their rematch, two wins over former contender Joe DeNucci, a controversial disqualification loss to Bouttier, and a draw with Cohen. (UD 15)

Bouttier had won 6 in a row since his loss to Monzon to earn a second shot. He had DQ wins over Chirino and Griffith and had stopped Aguilar, DeNucci, Hernandez, and Alvin Phillips. (UD 15)

Future Hall of Famer (IBHOF, WBHOF) and reigning two-time world welterweight champion Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles was Monzon's opponent in his ninth defense. Far from finished, Napoles would go on to make four more successful defenses of the welterweight crown, including stopping Hedgemon Lewis and twice outpointing future HOFer Muniz before losing the championship to John H. Stracey. (TKO end of 7)

Australian Tony Mundine, Anthony Mundine's dad, held the Australian and Commonwealth middleweight titles and the Australian heavyweight title. He owned victories over Sterling, Moyer, De Lima, Aguilar, Lonnie Harris, Cohen, Carlos Marks, Griffith, and Cohen. He would later win the Australian and Commonwealth light heavyweight titles and score victories over Andros Ernie Barr, Pete McIntyre, Pat Cuillo, Monty Betham, Bunny Johnson, Hocine Tafer, and Mustafa Wassaja. (KO-7)

Tony Licata was Monzon's opponent for his only fight in the United States. Licata, who had wins over McAloon, Chirino, Phillips, Hernandez, Moyer, Griffith, Mike Baker, Willie Warren, Vinnie Curto, and Ramon Mendez, faced Monzon at New York's Madison Square Garden. Licata later outpointed future WBA light heavyweight champion Mike Rossman. (TKO-10)

Tunisia-born Frenchman Gratien Tonna, then the reigning European champ, had previously challenged for Valdez' title and had beaten Kevin Finnegan for the European title. He would go on to split a pair of TKOs with future world middleweight champion Alan Minter. (KO-5)

Rodrigo Valdez had won the vacant WBC title by beating Briscoe. The WBC stripped Monzon, after the Napoles fight, for not facing Valdez. The Ring and the WBA continued to recognize Monzon. Valdez successfully defended the WBC title four times with wins over Tonna, Mendez, Rudy Robles, and Cohen. Monzon re-unified the titles by defeating Valdez in his 13th defense and defeated Valdez again in their rematch. Valdez went on to win both the vacant WBA and vacant WBC titles by again defeating Briscoe after Monzon's retirement. (UD 15, UD 15)

Not one of his challengers was undeserving. They had all earned their shots. Some may have posed greater threats than others but all were legitimate top ten, if not, top 5 contenders.

Monzon was no choir boy and no role model outside of the ring but within the squared circle, he was deserving of his accolades.

http://ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/ ... onzon.html

http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/monzon.htm

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_ ... &cat=boxer
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the13r
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Re: Carlos Monzon

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