This has been posted before. One thing to realize is that Conteh and especially Galindez were much better fighters circa 74-75 than they showed later in their careers. By the latter 70's Conteh's right hand problems and Galindez's many wars had rendered them a shell of what they once were. My late friend and I talked about this fight for a whole year (late 74-late 75) but the powers that be just wouldn't let it come off. A summer of 75 matchup would have been the perfect time for them to have fought. I believe you could have had a decision either way or a cuts stoppage win for Conteh or a Victor TKO after landing some late fight counter-bombs. I always favored Victor and my buddy was Conteh all the way. It's a shame because it had all the makings of a all-time great scrap.
Jowcol is correct in saying that Conteh and Galindez during 1974-76 were better fighters than in the later '70s. My analysis is based on how they would have paired up, let's say, in 1975. I lean towards Conteh by decision, because Galindez always had trouble with slick boxers, and Conteh was probably a better boxer/technician than anyone Galindez ever met. Add to this that Conteh -- before he broke his right hand in 1975, at least -- was a pretty decent puncher. Conteh's snapping punching power could have cut Galindez severely, too, as Galindez was always prone to cuts. There is also a chance that Galindez's strength and extraordinary stamina could have pulled this fight out by late round knockout. Conteh would have been at a physical strength and durability disadvantage relative to Galindez. Conteh's chin wasn't stellar, and Galindez's chin was like rock. Punch for punch, Galindez could do more damage to Conteh than vice verse. Still, I like Conteh. Conteh was taller, slicker, faster with his hands and feet, and easily the superior boxer in the open ring.
I'd give the edge to Galindez, mainly because I don't think Conteh ever really reached his full potential. When he still had two good hands, he was more aggressive and tended to get drawn into slugfests (see his fights with Ahumada and Bennett). It wasn't until after he broke his hand that I felt he became more disciplined and better technically. I think Galindez could get Conteh into the kind of sloppy slugfest that he likes and work his way to a close decision.
Seeing Lonnie Bennett mentioned, it reminded me of his fight with Conteh; we dubbed it "the battle of the head butters". John got the head shot in first against Lonnie in their bout but Bennett did the same thing to Yaqui Lopez here in Indy in early 1977. Lopez decked Bennett early in the fight, was dictating the pace and appeared on his way to an easy win when Bennett''s head came crashing home. Instead of a technical draw, our local referee inexplicably awarded a TKO victory to Bennett; the resulting BOOS were deafening. Conteh may have gotten that head into Victor as well, whether intentional or not which could have spoiled this great matchup. My $0.02
