Remembering Monzon – World Boxing Affiliation

“So long as I field, I’ll do it any method I would like and with whoever they put in entrance of me” (Carlos Monzon).   

As soon as a journalist requested Muhammad Ali’s well-known coach, Angelo Dundee, who was his excellent fighter amongst his trainees. “There have been many glorious boxers. But when my opinion counts, for me the right boxer is, was, Carlos Monzon,” was his laconic and forceful reply.

We keep in mind Dundee’s phrases as a result of on August 7, Argentina’s Carlos Monzon “Escopeta”, born in San Javier, province of Santa Fe, would have turned 80 years outdated. Monzon, the legendary middleweight world champion, remembered for having been essentially the most well-known, idolized and greatest Argentine boxer of all time within the tough and tumble self-discipline of boxing.

FROM MISERY TO BONANZA

Monzon fought professionally between 2/16/1963. He knocked out Ramon Montenegro in 6, in his debut, and on 7/30/77, he defeated Colombian Rodrigo Valdes in Fonteiville, Principality of Monaco. The latter was his hundredth struggle (not together with nearly as many in beginner, years 1959-62) accomplished a document of 87 wins, 59 by KO, 3 defeats and 9 attracts, and 14 profitable title defenses (a document for that point, immediately of Bernard Hopkins’ with 20), since he gained on 7/11 of ’70 vs. Italian Nino Benvenuti by KOT12 in Rome for the WBA and WBC belts in his first title shot after profitable the Argentine and South American titles in opposition to his fellow countryman Jorge Fernandez, by factors in each contests.

Household poverty compelled him to go away elementary faculty on the age of 10-12 to work as a shoeshine boy, consuming water vendor, milkman, meat sack loader and the latter served to strengthen a portentous physique of 1.81 meters, 193 centimeters in attain, of pure muscle tissues distributed between a mean of 69.85 kilos and 72.56 kilos, division limits. On the age of 16-17 he present in boxing and within the gymnasium of the Union de Santa Fe soccer membership the path to fame and bonanza.

Juan Carlos (Tito) Lectoure, essentially the most well-known Argentine boxing promoter, proprietor of Luna Park, the Mecca of boxing within the nation, and Amilcar Brusa, a talented coach, helped him to open the doorways from his first 7 fights in beginner boxing.

Lectuore noticed in him a winner and commenced to rent him in opposition to famend native and overseas opponents. He defeated all of them, most of them by knockout, apart from defeats on factors in opposition to his countrymen Antonio Aguilar and Alberto Massi and in Rio de Janeiro in opposition to the Brazilian Felipe Cambeiro. He defeated all of them three within the rematches. A singular element in his aggressive method of combating, moreover being a wonderful finisher, was to punish the opponent even when he went backwards, one thing unusual.

Within the first protection of the world belts he repeated in opposition to NB in 3 rounds, in Monte Carlo and adopted with Emile Griffith (KOT14, September 71), Denny Moyer (KOT5, March 72), Jean Claude Bottier (RTD12, June 72), Tom Bogs (KOT5, August 72), Benny Briscoe (DU15, November 72), Griffith once more (DU15, June 73), Bouttier (DU15, September 73), Jose “Mantequilla” Napoles (RTD6, February 74), Tony Mundine (KOT7, October 74), Tony Licata (KOT10, June 75), Gratien Tonna (KO5, December 75) and Rodrigo Valdes (DU, June 76 and July 77). Most of them, for the WBA and WBC scepters, had been mounted by the actor Alain Delon.

A SAD AND UNEXPECTED END

After retirement, appearing in half a dozen movies and a busy love life (he was linked to the mannequin, actress and TV presenter Susana Giménez), he married Alicia Muñiz.

His irascible mood obtained him concerned, along with her, in a violent home altercation: on February 14, 1988, Valentine’s Day, he arrived house with some additional drinks, argued with Muñiz, beat her uncontrollably and threw her off a balcony.  He was sentenced to 11 years in jail for easy murder. Seven years, on January 8, 1995, he was granted particular routine go away and return to jail. He was driving at 140 kms/h and his automotive crashed on the Los Cerrillos street. Dying was instantaneous.

His burial occurred the next day on the Santa Fe Municipal Cemetery and greater than 60 thousand folks attended to farewell to the favored former world champion, an unforgettable title for the outdated historical past of the game of gloves and fists.