There was big talk of monzon stepping up and fighting john conteh and bob foster but for some reason the fights didnt happen, Monzon really struggled to make middleweight so he might of been even more powerful as a lightheavy. Also didnt monzon use to have gym wars with his friend and training partner victor galidnez?
Probably a bridge to far...even for Monzon. You dont get much harder a task then John Conteh and Bob Foster at that weight...He would have not beaten them.
Conteh outpoints him, maybe even stops him. I think COnteh is seriously underrated. Foster knocks Monzon out within five IMO. Like Hagler, I feel Monzon was pretty much unbeatable at the weight, and very nearly undentable (until late on in his career) but would struggle anywhere upwards. Even with 168 I feel Hagler would struggle to fit any more mass on his 5'8 frame, and although Monzon was bigger, I feel his style of strong, consistent pressure and rigid punching would not transfer up well against COnteh (free-flowing, adaptable, good heart and resilience, movement, well, all-round skills) and Bob Foster (needs no introduction) Monzon wasn't impossible to hit, and relied on his chin at times. Valdez was pretty much as hard a hitter as you will find at MW, but Foster is something else entirely. Conteh provides a different obstacle, but I feel he would be too strong even for Monzon.
and let's not forget that Valdez wasn't a massive 160 lber. He had fought at a much lower weight at the start of his career, though he was stout for his 5'9 frame...........what I'm saying is that Foster is a different proposition. Of course, we need to take into account that when Monzon was finally shaken and dropped it was the last fight of his career :good he WAS made of iron