55 years ago today, in Santa Fe, a 20 year old Carlos Monzon KO’d Ramon Montenegro in a couple of rounds to secure his pro debut. All these years later, and plenty of people refer to Argentina’s former middleweight world champion as THE best 160 pounder in boxing history.
Monzon himself famously said he was a better fighter at middleweight than was the legendary “Sugar” Ray Robinson. What is sure is the fact that Monzon at one time held the division record for most world title defences – 14 in all. During this time, from November of 1970 to his final fight in July of 1977, “Escopeta” was busy taking on and defeating the best.
Monzon, jailed for the murder of his wife, met his own death via a 1995 car crash that occurred as he was driving back to prison, having been on a short release due to good behaviour. Monzon had his wild side, of that there is no doubt; but his fighting prowess was undeniably that which belonged to a special boxer. Tough, clever, willing to face the best, and a natural middleweight, Monzon stamped his authority on one of boxing’s classic weight divisions.
Monzon lost three points verdicts early on in his career, and he also picked up no less than nine draws. But after the ninth of these ties, which came in early 1969, Monzon would win every single fight he ever had. By the year 1970, the 28-year-old was ready to challenge for the world title. Going in with the great Italian, Nino Benvenuti in a fight held in the defending champ’s home country, Monzon made the most of his big chance. Ripping the WBC and WBA titles from the 32-year-old via a TKO in the 12th round, the Argentine was the new 160 pound king of boxing.
The fight was so good, Ring magazine called it the fight of the year for 1970.
A most impressive fourteen successful retentions followed. Starting with a rematch with Benvenuti in May of 1971 (W TKO 3), Monzon went on to take care of every single worthwhile challenger that was out there. Such top class fighters as Emile Griffith (twice), “Bad” Bennie Brisco, Jose Napoles and Rodrigo Valdez (twice) were beaten, and Monzon defended his titles in countries such as France, Denmark, Monaco, America and his native Argentina.
A true world champion in every sense of the word (aside, perhaps from his out of the ring behaviour; later on in his life especially), it was an aggrieved Monzon who found himself stripped of his WBC belt in 1974 for fighting Napoles and not Valdez. This threat to his superiority (Valdez boxed Brisco for the vacant belt that same year, wining by 7th round TKO) would soon be taken care of, though.
After three defences of his WBA belt, Monzon met Colombia’s Valdez. Proving beyond any doubt that he was the real middleweight king, “Escopeta” beat Valdez twice – both times by unanimous decision. Still, Valdez proved to be a tough cookie, even flooring Monzon in the second fight. Just shy of his 35th birthday, Monzon wisely hung up his gloves while still being on top. After a career total of an even 100 fights (one no-contest), and after having made a long lasting world record number of defences, the all-time great had done enough.
His retirement announced in August of 1977, one month after the second Valdez fight, Monzon would make no comeback. The Argentine hero lived a relatively low key life in his retirement years, before the tragic turn of events that served to imprison him came about. There were rumours that the car crash that killed Monzon was a suicide attempt, but this claim never has, and never will be, substantiated (a movie one day, perhaps?)
In 1990, five years before his death, Monzon was deservedly inducted into The Hall of Fame. Just imagine how well this born fighting machine would have acquitted himself against today’s very best middleweights. Monzon Vs. Gennady Golovkin for an absolutely mesmerising Dream Fight, anyone!
