Is it possible Monzon is overrated ? S.I. Vault article rips him ..

I think it was KO magazine that did a middleweight special pull out magazine back in 1993 or 1994 and there was an article about Carlos Monzon after he had beaten Rodrigo Valdez. That was the first time I'd ever heard of him and I was blown away - how could there be this guy who went undefeated over the last 13 years and 80+ fights of his career and I'd never heard a single thing about him?

He has to be at least top 3 all time at middleweight in my view.

 

He knew boxing. Kram wrote a brilliant book on Ali/Frazier shortly before he died. Doesn't mean that he was always right. Here he seemed to have unrealistic expectations or a built in biased regarding the things he may have been reading and hearing about Monzon.

 

Best comment on here.

 

Good point. It could be as simple as Carlos bigtimed him or didn't grant him an exclusive interview. Or didn't show up.
Mark Kram might be the most talented boxing writer that I have had the pleasure of reading.

 

Monzon was knocked down 3 times earlier in his career by a light punching Argentinian named Felipe Cambeiro, Monzon spent years of his early career not leaving Argentina fighting 3rd tier fighters. The first time he fought a name is was against Bennie Briscoe and it was a draw. The fight took place in Argentina so who says the decision was fair? The first time I believe he fought outside South American was against light punching Nino Benvenuti 82 wins with 35 knockouts. He fought Nino twice toward the end of Nino's career. Monzon then fought light punching Emile Griffith 85 wins with 23 knockouts. Monzon then fought Denny Moyer another light puncher 98 wins 38 knockouts, A few fights later Monzon for Briscoe again and stunned badly by him. He fought Jose Naples a guy with cute record who fought the vast majority of his career in Cuba and Mexico I believe feasting off low level opponents.Tony Licata had a cute record with no punching power. Ricardo Valdez had a good record but against spent most of his career fighting in South America. He knocked down Monzon in their second fight.

Monzon is very overrated. He wasn't fighting talent like Roy Jones Jr, Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Julian Jackson, Gerald McClellan ect a middleweight. He fought the guys from his era and looking back on them they were overrated. You frequently here people talk about how Monzon couldn't be hurt when clearly he could be hurt and knocked down because he was hurt and knocked down. Monzon is another one of these fighters who gets hyped up by these older wanna be boxing experts because either they heard he was good or because they act like every fighter from certain eras couldn't lose.

 

I guess if he doesn’t say the guy’s the best fighter ever then he must be trash?

Here’s the deal: Monzon, unbeaten in more than a decade and the absolute kingpin of the 160-pound division, comes to New York to be seen in person by the U.S. press (and fans) for the first time. The Latin press has likened him to Sugar Ray Robinson. He’s fighting Tony Licata, a limited guy.

And Carlos is not overwhelming in any way — not powerful, not fast, just patient but kind of dull.

What’s he supposed to write, that the guy is on par with Robinson? That the division is stacked for a guy like Licata to not be ranked No. 1? No, he wrote what he saw — that Galindez was impressive and by comparison to his own hype, Monzon was not.

It’s like hearing about the fury and sublime ability of Roberto Duran for 10 years and going to see him win a pedestrian decision over Saoul Mamby — you going to say he lived up to his billing? No, you’re not.

He’s not writing a career retrospective. He can’t go on YouTube and watch all of Carlos’ greatest hits. He’s covering one event on one night. And he covered it accurately. I’ve seen the Licata fight and I know enough about Licata to know what he was and what he wasn’t, and off that I wasn’t terribly impressed with Monzon either — were you? Really?

 

A couple of things. He fought Nino Benvenuti because Nino was The World Middleweight Champion, Undisputed. If you want to be a Champion it's an important part of the process. Maybe today it isn't. Boxers today can just out tweet the other guys and pick a paper strap off the sidewalk. In the bad old days you had to fight the champion.

Emile Griffith was a former Middleweight Champion. Bennie Briscoe was a rough customer. Hell Hagler got on his bike to avoid mixing it with Bad Bennie. Briscoe fought alot of tough fighters.
I'm not saying Carlos Monzon fought the greatest crop of contenders but I don't think your cherry picking angle has any basis in reality or fact.

 

Indeed, he is entitled to his opinion, and I do not sense a personal animosity; more a case of either: "I don't know what I've just seen...", or: "What I've just seen doesn't tally... ...am I missing something". Either way, it's led to a kind of self-indulgent, pithy retort. I found it, in some ways, a bit amusing - although, if I dare say, I do detect an edge of prejudice in his remarks.

Anyway, I am now compelled to watch the Monzon/Licata bout, again.

 

And Those were his good traits. I think I just became a Carlos Monzon fan. Sign me up!!!

 

I think what made Carlos Monzon a very special middleweight champion was his skill in the ring. He was not mouthy, but let his dukes speak in the ring, and he had his own style, not a flashy copy cat of anybody else. When he retired, he compiled a record of 89-3-9, 61 KO's record. The last time he tasted defeat was on Oct 9 1964, went 82 fights without a loss. He defeated the three men who beat him,8 of the nine men who had a draw with him. He was decked by Jorge Fernandez, in a South American Title fight, in 1966, and against Rodrigo Valdes, on July 30 1977, in Monte Carlo, Monaco, to retain his title for the 14th time, he then retired. He only fought the opponents of his era, not fighters of the future, because that could not possibly happen. He had a well respected trainer in Amilcar Brusa, a man that the late Angelo Dundee respected. Everybody has a right to their own opinion, I respect that. But I prefer a fighter who is his own man, does not have to be boastful or cute in the ring, there was only one Muhammad Ali, he was the greatest. I did read somewhere that he was not as popular as past champions because he did not want to learn the american language. But in my opinion, an all time great. It is okay to have confidence as long as you use it in the ring, not coming out of the mouth, let your fans do the bragging about you.

 

ETM, you are both fair and honest!

 

I have my moments.

 

Mark Kram, the author of the piece was a career journalist and has a bias in his articles against unpretty boxers. Nothing new, just his opinion. Monzon was a beast and is not overrated.