Rodrigo Valdez - Devastating Puncher

Right now this second you would have to favour Valdez over Canelo .

But the way we view Canelo has to be fluid and as such his ranking will change over time.

Maybe to the point where we favour him to beat Valdez.

 

I'll never favor Canelo over Valdez. He simply isn't talented enough and doesn't have the style.

 

That's not a good thing to say mate.

Imagine if you was to judge Valdez only up until 1972.

If in the lead up to the Carlos Marks fight someone was to say "I'll never favour Valdez over Randy Turpin, he simply isn't talented enough and doesn't have the style"

Don't be so naive.

 

Yes he does deserve respect. He is underrated fighter of the 70's. Monzon couldn't
stop Bennie Briscoe in 2 fights and Hagler too the only man who could stop Bennie
was Valdez.

 

Valdez wasnt just dealing with his brothers death. Valdez had been in a car accident the previous year and in the accident his right hand got mangled. His right hand was his power hand and it was thought for a time that he would never be able to fight again. After he came back his hand was never the same, it was deformed, as a result he was never the same fighter. Valdez became Monzon's #1 in 1973. It was three years before they actually fought and that rests squarely on Monzon. He wanted nothing to do with Rodrigo until after there was so much talk around about Rodrigos hand being bad.

 

Valdez suffered from fighting in era of a ATG. He nemesis was Monzon like
De Jesus was with Duran.
https://www.si.com/vault/1977/08/08/626354/a-star-bows-out-a-star-bows-in

 

Couldn't agree more. Well put, Mac!!!

 

Super stuff, Red!!!

 

I was just picturing Gil Clancy during negotiations and being told by Golden Boy that Valdes would have to come in at a catchweight. Oh, that would be something.

 

Valdez likely could have done it. He was a small MW who spent the first six years of his career fighting at LW and then WW and came in pounds under the MW limit up until the end of his career.

 

Valdez and Briscoe would both walk through Canelo. Emile Griffith would outclass him.

 

Mendoza maintains that Monzon never faced any big punchers as was the bigger man in all his major contests.