THE 100 GREATEST BOXERS OF ALL-TIME #26: CARLOS MONZON

“ESCOPETA”

Kenneth Bridgham

4 min readDec 10, 2022

87 WINS (59 BY KO), 3 LOSSES, 9 DRAWS, 1 NO-CONTEST

World Middleweight Champion 1970–1977

The Ring Fighter of the Year 1972

Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year 1972

International Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee 1990

A good-looking, broad-shouldered, tall, and fearless champion, Monzon was an idol in South America during the 1970s in the same way that Roberto Duran was in Central America in the same period. Like Duran at lightweight, Monzon ruled over his chosen division in dominant fashion. However, unlike the furious Duran, Monzon fought with a detached coolness that made him arguably more dangerous in the ring, as he calmly outthought his opponents, ensuring their destruction. Outside of the ring, his violent and reckless behavior brought about tragic self-destruction that would not only end his own life but that of the woman he loved. The grimmest of noir writers could not imagine the realities of Carlos Monzon’s tale of talent and tragedy.

Never truly an all-out slugger but not a defensive counterpuncher either, Carlos Monzon was the very definition of a boxer-puncher. He had crushing power in either hand (especially his long, accurate right cross), but also a natural sense of timing and ring generalship.

Carlos lost three of his first 20 fights after turning pro in 1963 but would not lose another fight after that until his retirement in 1977. He won the Argentinian middleweight (160 pounds) title in 1966 and the South American title a year later (both against the much more experienced Jorge Fernandez). He was subsequently a national hero, yet was entirely unknown to the rest of the world until he upset future Hall of Famer Nino Benvenuti in Nino’s native Italy with a twelfth-round stoppage on November 7, 1970, to claim the world’s championship.

Monzon would go on to defend his championship an average of twice a year for the next seven years, his fourteen total defenses still a middleweight division record for the most defense of the lineal title. In 1972, he defended the title three times (against Denny Moyer, Jean Claude Bouttier, and Tom Boggs), winning recognition as “Fighter of the Year” from both The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Nicknamed “Escopeta” (“Shotgun”) because of the decapitating nature of his blasting right hand, he also possessed a terrific left jab, and he used both weapons to knock out nine of his challengers, including future Hall of Famers Benvenuti, Emile Griffith, and Jose Napoles. It could be argued that he avoided a particularly dangerous challenger in the up-and-coming Marvin Hagler, and that would have certainly been a fascinating war of skilled and rugged warriors, but Monzon cleaned the division out of virtually every other worthy opponent. He was also a world-traveling champion, putting his belt on the line in Argentina, Italy, France, Monaco, and Denmark. Interestingly, he never defended in the United States.

In his second fight with another Hall of Famer, Rodrigo Valdes on July 30, 1977, an aging Monzon got off the floor to beat his rival. Wisely seeing the writing on the wall, he retired at age 35 while still champion of the world, having never been knocked out in 100 fights. This closed out his career with 80 consecutive victories.

To his credit, Carlos resisted the many offers and temptations to return to the ring, making him one of the few legends of the sport to avoid tarnishing his terrific record with unnecessary comebacks. He parlayed his fame and good looks into a successful acting career instead.

As cool and collected as Monzon was in the ring, he was the opposite outside of it. Known for chaotic, alcohol-fueled behavior in his private life, he was convicted of murdering the mother of his child in 1988 and was later killed when he ran his car off the road while on a furlough from prison in 1995 at age 52.