How underrated was Carlos Monzon?

[oogiebe]

To me he was among the best middleweights of all-time if not the best. He seems to be the forgotten great!

[Seamus]

I vaguely recall his name. When did he fight ?

[SenorPipino]

I don't think he's underrated at all.

Monzon has always been considered a top #5 or so ATG middleweight.

His style, despite being a puncher, was rather methodical, and fans have a tendency to reminisce and debate about the more dynamic, flashy fighters.

But make no mistake, Monzon was terrific. In the past 40 years since his retirement, only Hagler rivals him.

He went unbeaten for 13 years and made 14 successful title defenses over 7 years.

Beat some great fighters like Benvenuti (twice) Griffith (twice) and the very talented Valdes (twice).

Monzon also toyed with legendary welterweight king Mantequilla Napoles.

Fought to a draw with Philly tough guy Bad Bennie Briscoe before winning the championship, and then dominated Briscoe a few years later in a title bout.

Monzon is very well a top #20 P4P ATG. If fans fail to recall his often sublime skills, it's their loss.

[elmersalsa]

Carlos Monzon was so great that he didn't lose in his last 81 fights. He is the best middleweight ever in my book and a top 20 pound per pound ATG

[APerno]

Feel pretty certain Benvenuti's people underestimated him - They pulled him off the bottom of The Ring Magazine's top ten list, oops!

[Nile4000]

And he didn't have the psychological crap that Hagler had. He could deal with just about any opponent.

[oogiebe]

I don't think he's underrated at all.

Monzon has always been considered a top #5 or so ATG middleweight.

His style, despite being a puncher, was rather methodical, and fans have a tendency to reminisce and debate about the more dynamic, flashy fighters.

But make no mistake, Monzon was terrific. In the past 40 years since his retirement, only Hagler rivals him.

He went unbeaten for 13 years and made 14 successful title defenses over 7 years.

Beat some great fighters like Benvenuti (twice) Griffith (twice) and the very talented Valdes (twice).

Monzon also toyed with legendary welterweight king Mantequilla Napoles.

Fought to a draw with Philly tough guy Bad Bennie Briscoe before winning the championship, and then dominated Briscoe a few years later in a title bout.

Monzon is very well a top #20 P4P ATG. If fans fail to recall his often sublime skills, it's their loss.

An excellent, well thought out, and lucid commentary...thank you!

[oogiebe]

Feel pretty certain Benvenuti's people underestimated him - They pulled him off the bottom of The Ring Magazine's top ten list, oops!

LOL! Like Frazier taking on Foreman as a warm-up for Ali rematch...WOOOPS!

[oogiebe]

Carlos Monzon was so great that he didn't lose in his last 81 fights. He is the best middleweight ever in my book and a top 20 pound per pound ATG

Agreed!

[oogiebe]

And he didn't have the psychological crap that Hagler had. He could deal with just about any opponent.

Late in his career, Rodrigo Valdez gave him fits, but Monzon was amazing!

[sweetsci]

I'm commenting without reading the previous posts yet...

When I first got into boxing in the mid to late 1970's he was being called the greatest, or one of the greatest, middleweights of all time. So he wasn't underrated at all and was probably overrated.

If the question were "How underrated IS Carlos Monzon?", I'd say his greatness status has slipped and he's been forgotten by many people. So these days he's probably significantly underrated.

[SenorPipino]

And he didn't have the psychological crap that Hagler had. He could deal with just about any opponent.

Late in his career, Rodrigo Valdez gave him fits, but Monzon was amazing!

Especially in their second bout when Monzon was floored in the second round.

I believe that Valdes was only the second fighter to drop Monzon.

That was a close fight but Monzon controlled the late rounds to win a deserved decision in his final fight.

I thought that Monzon clearly won the first fight with Valdes. He layed on the ropes quite a bit but masterfully used his long arms to tie up Valdes before the Colombian could get off.

[gilgamesh]

He's not the least bit underrated. He's revered as one of the 3 or 4 best Middleweight Champions of all time by most anybody that knows their stuff about the sport.

[elmersalsa]

King Carlos, a true all time legend!

[Ambling Alp II]

I don't think he's underrated at all.

Monzon has always been considered a top #5 or so ATG middleweight.

His style, despite being a puncher, was rather methodical, and fans have a tendency to reminisce and debate about the more dynamic, flashy fighters.

But make no mistake, Monzon was terrific. In the past 40 years since his retirement, only Hagler rivals him.

He went unbeaten for 13 years and made 14 successful title defenses over 7 years.

Beat some great fighters like Benvenuti (twice) Griffith (twice) and the very talented Valdes (twice).

Monzon also toyed with legendary welterweight king Mantequilla Napoles.

Fought to a draw with Philly tough guy Bad Bennie Briscoe before winning the championship, and then dominated Briscoe a few years later in a title bout.

Monzon is very well a top #20 P4P ATG. If fans fail to recall his often sublime skills, it's their loss.

On this forum at least, he is certainly not underrated. (I am sure there are casual fans or younger fans who aren't as familiar with him.) Many people rank him as the number #1 middleweight of all time; just about everyone has him at least #4.

I will say this: I don't rate him quite as high as I used to.
I used to just look look at the quality of opponents (listed above) and have him #1.
However, if you take a harder look, it's not quite as impressive.

The first Briscoe fight was a draw in Argentina. I strongly suspect Briscoe should have got the decision.
How much did Benvenuti have really left when Monzon beat him? (He also seemed to get away with some dirty tactics in the rematch.)
Griffith was way past it when Monzon fought him; yet Monzon barely won the second fight. Griffith had no business being that competitive. This makes me wonder if Monzon really was the best.

Having said, you can still make a serious argument for him being #1. The top 4 middleweights are that close. You can also make a serious case for him being one of the Top 10 pound for pound fighters of all time.

[elmersalsa]

I don't think he's underrated at all.

Monzon has always been considered a top #5 or so ATG middleweight.

His style, despite being a puncher, was rather methodical, and fans have a tendency to reminisce and debate about the more dynamic, flashy fighters.

But make no mistake, Monzon was terrific. In the past 40 years since his retirement, only Hagler rivals him.

He went unbeaten for 13 years and made 14 successful title defenses over 7 years.

Beat some great fighters like Benvenuti (twice) Griffith (twice) and the very talented Valdes (twice).

Monzon also toyed with legendary welterweight king Mantequilla Napoles.

Fought to a draw with Philly tough guy Bad Bennie Briscoe before winning the championship, and then dominated Briscoe a few years later in a title bout.

Monzon is very well a top #20 P4P ATG. If fans fail to recall his often sublime skills, it's their loss.

On this forum at least, he is certainly not underrated. (I am sure there are casual fans or younger fans who aren't as familiar with him.) Many people rank him as the number #1 middleweight of all time; just about everyone has him at least #4.

I will say this: I don't rate him quite as high as I used to.
I used to just look look at the quality of opponents (listed above) and have him #1.
However, if you take a harder look, it's not quite as impressive.

The first Briscoe fight was a draw in Argentina. I strongly suspect Briscoe should have got the decision.
How much did Benvenuti have really left when Monzon beat him? (He also seemed to get away with some dirty tactics in the rematch.)
Griffith was way past it when Monzon fought him; yet Monzon barely won the second fight. Griffith had no business being that competitive. This makes me wonder if Monzon really was the best.

Having said, you can still make a serious argument for him being #1. The top 4 middleweights are that close. You can also make a serious case for him being one of the Top 10 pound for pound fighters of all time.

I agree with almost everything you have said Alp, except the phrase he could be a top 10 pound per pound all time great. But, to me, he is #1 at middleweight atg rankings