Carlos Monzon (Ripped by Sports Illustrated)

Nino Benvenuti vs. Carlos Monzon I

Some Facts

* Saturday Night Fight
* Held at the Palazzo Dello Sport, Rome, Italy
* Attendance 12,000
* Live Gate $120,000
* Nino Benvenuti (Undefeated in '31' bouts in Rome, Italy)
* Nino a 2-1 Betting favorite
* First time Carlos Monzon had fought outside of South America
* Carlos Monzon had novacaine injections in his hands, to ease the constant pain from punching too hard.
* Carlos Monzon had paper cups thrown at him in the ring, for his rough-house tactics he put on Nino.
* The left hooks to the body by Carlos, hurt Nino early in the fight.
* Nino did make a go at it in Rounds 5 and 6, to stem the tide just a bit.
* Nino, to deflect Carlos and his rough-style, threw a few elbows himself.
* The Italian Press, on Nino's offense, said it was like 'shooting pea's at a tank.'

 

Vic_Brasil

The Oakland Tribune

Here's one of Carlos Monzon's Argentina bouts

saturday - July 18, 1970 (4-months before fighting Nino Benvenuti)

Estadio Luna Park, Buenos Aires, Argentina

World Middleweight Championship (North American vs. South American) Elimination Bout

#1 Middleweight - Carlos Monzon 65-3-9 (44 KO's)
vs.
#1 Light-Middleweight - Eddie 'Bossman' Pace 33-22-1 (9 KO's)

In front of 11,000 Argentinian fans, 28 year-old Carlos Monzon, the #1 Ranked Middleweight,
wins a lack-lustre 10-Round decision over 32 year-old veteran American #1 Ranked Light-Middleweight
Eddie Pace, for the North American vs. South American Middleweight Elimination Championship.

The winner, Carlos Monzon, is now in line for a Title shot versus World Champion, Nino Benvenuti of Italy.

The 6' 1" Monzon, showed nothing more than left jabs, and constant clutching
in controlling this fight with the light-punching California-based boxer. Monzon
used his long arms like 'tentacles', in wrapping up the 5' 9" Pace, every time he
got in close in an attempt to work the body.

The durable American, became frustrated in his attempt to land on the tall and
awkward Top-ranked Middleweight, and Pace resorted to bull-rush advances in the
later rounds. Monzon, using his left arm like a matador redirecting an on rushing bull,
would guide the smaller Pace to his side, and then smother him with both arms while
landing short chopping punches to the American's upper body.

Ring observers scored it for the local Argentinian, 7-2-1 in rounds.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eddie Pace, a 32 year-old American, based out of California. A 5' 9" boxer/counter-puncher,
who was a pretty good inside fighter. Had a good chin, was durable, and had incredible stamina.
He had no power, and his offense was usually a solid left jab followed by two-fisted inside punching,
but he had a busy non-stop attack.

Eddie Pace, campaigned as a 147 lb. Welterweight in the middle-1960's. He did move
up to Light-Middleweight in 1969 and then Middleweight in 1970.

Eddie 'Bossman' Pace in 1970

Was ranked as the #1 Light-Middleweight (154 lbs.), when entering the ring versus Carlos Monzon.

Eddie 'Bossman' Pace had scored a major 'upset' in January 1970, when he won by 'disqualification' {W Disq. 8}
over the World Light-Middleweight Champion and #1 Ring Magazine Middleweight, Freddie Little, in a bout held in
Rome, Italy.

Eddie, also fought, and lost a 'close' 12-Round Decision to veteran and former World Light-Middleweight
Champion Denny Moyer in February 1970, for the 'vacant' NABF Middleweight Championship.

Eddie had also defeated the 'highly regarded' and #6 World-Rated Middleweight, Brazilian, Juarez De Lima
by 10-Round Decision in April 1970.

Eddie 'Bossman' Pace
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A.J.

Does make a good point,,,,,,,

Loading up on Argentinian (Welterweights, Light-Middleweights and Middleweights)
if anything, had to give Carlos Monzon 'super confidence' and a feeling of invincibilty.

The Top Argentinian Middleweights - Jorge Fernandez, Antonio Aguilar and Carlos Salinas
that Carlos fought, were all quality boxers, but not considered Top 20 material.

And, the only American Middleweights that Carlos took on, before facing Nino Benvenuti
were Bennie Briscoe (May 1967) and Tom 'The Bomb' Bethea (August 1969).

In both bouts, Carlos was far from 'dominating' or 'impressive'.

Remember, Carlos was a 2-1 Underdog when facing the Champion Nino Benvenuti in Rome, Italy in 1970,
and the only thing that was worth mentioning, was that he was both the Argentinian and South American
Middleweight Champion.

Before that bout, nobody outside of Argentina thought Carlos was that good.
Even Ring Magazine, who had rated Carlos as high as #6 in 1968, had dropped him
to #10 in 1969, and only had him as the #5 Middleweight before facing Nino.

In hence, is impressive record accumulated in Argentina (pre-November 1970) was
really nothing more than a 'nicely packaged box'.

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