Joe Calzaghe vs Carlos Monzon primes at 168lbs

Calzaghe by close decision for me due to all the things you mentioned. But Monzon did have an excellent straight right hand and we know Calzaghe was open to that punch.

Calzaghe close UD due to his speed and volume but i am not writing Monzon off.

 

If Monzon could carry the weight, he'd break Joe down. I feel like Monzon had the frame to carry 168.

Joe is the bigger man, but the gap in class is bigger than the gap in size.

Monzon by late stoppage.

 

Not sure where you are getting that Calzaghe was much bigger as he was 6'0 and Monzon was 5"11 and i would not say he was faster than Monzon. Carlos was a smooth master boxer and had much better punching power that he was given credit for. In my opinion, no won came close to beating him. I thought he fought better competition than Calzaghe as beating a 39 year old Roy Jones and a 43 year old bernard Hopkins isn' the greatest feat in the world. Mikkel Kessler was the best Calzaghe fought and he was very good but no Valdez or Briscoe or Griffith or even Benvenuti. I would go with Monzon in a close but tough UD

 

you make a lot of good points. One thing though: do you think Calzaghe's left handed stance would cause issues for Carlos?

 

Tough to call.. I tell you one of the things that are underrated about Calzaghe tho.. his physicality.. Kessler was a big SMW & Joe was bossing him at times.. also watch the stinker Hopkins fight if you're brave enough.. there was a period in the Hopkins fight, where Bernard clinched Calzaghe and Joe flung him around in the clinch... it made a believer out of Hopkins, so much so he spent most of the fight pretending to the referee.. Joe's overall core strength in clinches is often overlooked.. Monzon is probably a greater fighter overall but this would be tricky beating a natural 168lber of Calzaghes calibre..

 

While Calzaghe had a crap ton amount of physicality like @LenHarvey mentioned, Monzon was still a live dog in the clinch and anywhere else man,maybe in a battle full of wrestling and angle changing Monzon by SD.

 

Monzon and it is not even close.

Calzaghe is the bigger man, but he is not crafty enough to outbox/outpunch Carlos.
Calzaghe would be way too open to Monzon's relentless and surgical aggresiveness.
I expect an UD or maybe even a late stoppage.

 

Joe ain't beating Monzon. Monzon matches nicely style wise but the killer is his great stamina. Any attempt to outwork Monzon or come at him late will be met in kind. There isn't a pace that will suit Calze in this one, Monzon will go thru whatever gears he needs to.

 

I'm going with on one of those brutal ko's late in the fight by King Carlos. He saves his A#1 punch as well as anyone in the sport. And it ends fights. tough going 45 minutes in there and being forced to go mistake free & I it's Joe the one making the mistake.

 

It would be similar to Rodrigo Valdes-a guy who should have been in the IBHOF long before he died, but who at least was finally inducted.

Monzon wins by a close but comfortable decision 144-141.

 

This is a good analysis, I think Calzaghe would have absorbed Monzon's jabs and right hands well, imposing him an inside fight where Joe would have imposed the pace and that thanks to speed, high workrate and stamina he would have won. Calzaghe on points for UD, not wide but clear.

 

Can see Monzon exploiting flaws in Calzaghe that he was allowed to get away with all his career. Monzon UD.