BoxRec

Marty Monroe was a product of the tough southern California amateur scene beginning his career at just five years old when he was mesmerized by the likes of Ray Robinson, Archie Moore & Floyd Patterson. After enjoying a fruitful amateur career winning the Los Angeles Golden Gloves heavyweight championship in 1973 he won the Western Regional Golden Gloves title & then went on to the Nationals where he lost to eventual champion Johnny Hudson of Detroit.
Turning professional shortly after Monroe became a featured attraction at LA's famous Olympic Auditorium & at the Coliseum in San Diego beating the likes of "King" David Smith, Tony Pulu & Dwain Bonds in the process.
Then he began to travel the country to gain further experience beating the unbeaten NYC Golden Gloves champion Gregory Johnson, the rugged Randy mack, knocking out 11-1 prospect Leroy Boone & another heavyweight with title aspirations in Henry "Quick Money" Lumpkin of Chicago.
This led to a 10 round title elimination contest with dangerous Scott Ledoux in his home state of Minnesota. With the winner guaranteed a title shot against WBC Champion Larry Holmes.
While many had Monroe beating Ledoux by completely outboxing him on the outside & landing flurries & snapping combinations over the course of the fight, the judges awarded the decision to the home state boy as he was the aggressor throughout & occasionally scored with his sweeping overhand rights.
This setback resulted in Monroe changing his style from being a slick boxer-mover to a more flatfooted stance relying on his underrated power in his next two fights. Both of them fifth round KOs over top ten rated heavyweights Lyn Ball & Eddie "The Animal" Lopez.
Monroe now rated #4 in the world was on the cusp of yet another opportunity for a title shot, all he had to do was get past the fellow top five contender & USBA Heavyweight Champion Greg Page. The 14-0 Page was much larger than Monroe but just as quick with heavy hands as he proceeded to overpower the flat-footed smaller man en route to a fifth round TKO win.
This loss sent Monroe into two years of inactivity until he returned to the ring two more times in 1983. Both were wins, but being well over thirty now, he just didn't have the desire to chase after more meaningful fights anymore & he & his wife/manager decided that he'd rest on his accomplishments at 24-2-1 ( 15 KOs ).

Marty Monroe was a capable fighter, but bit off far too much when fighting the very talented Greg Page. But even at the beginning of his career, Page's weight varied to a great degree, giving me the impression that he lacked dedication. As a result, I believe that Page didn't come close to fulfilling his potential despite winning the W.B.A. version of the world heavyweight title. Page would go on to lose to Tony Tubbs in his first title defense.

- Chuck Johnston

I knew Monroe.. I was in Vegas for his fight with Gregory Johnson because I was friends with other boxers on the card.. Boxrec has Marty's weight for that fight wrong.. It was actually Monroe at 192 and change and Johnson weighed 212+... It was a good win for Monroe beating a guy that big.. He didn't have the size to compete with guys like Greg Page or he would have made more of an impact on the Heavyweight Division.

I remember every fight that night like it was yesterday.. especially the Foreman-Lyle fight which other Heavyweights panned and said it was a complete mess and they would soon be out of Boxing getting hit like that.. I just thought they were very sloppy on the night and would pull it together better in future fights.. Losses and very tough fights effect some boxers a lot more than others.. You have to take every lesson you can from them and keep going.

Chuck1052 wrote:Marty Monroe was a capable fighter, but bit off far too much when fighting the very talented Greg Page. But even at the beginning of his career, Page's weight varied to a great degree, giving me the impression that he lacked dedication. As a result, I believe that Page didn't come close to fulfilling his potential despite winning the W.B.A. version of the world heavyweight title. Page would go on to lose to Tony Tubbs in his first title defense.

- Chuck Johnston

Give Greg Page and Michael Dokes one thing. They both won the world title, something the more hyped up Gerry Cooney wasn't able to do.

yeah,but it wasn't from the Boxing great Larry Holmes that those titles were won from.

Nile4000 wrote:

Chuck1052 wrote:Marty Monroe was a capable fighter, but bit off far too much when fighting the very talented Greg Page. But even at the beginning of his career, Page's weight varied to a great degree, giving me the impression that he lacked dedication. As a result, I believe that Page didn't come close to fulfilling his potential despite winning the W.B.A. version of the world heavyweight title. Page would go on to lose to Tony Tubbs in his first title defense.

- Chuck Johnston

Give Greg Page and Michael Dokes one thing. They both won the world title, something the more hyped up Gerry Cooney wasn't able to do.

Cooney was a mental case and his training was very inconsistent.. Like Kelly Pavlik, he didn't handle fame very well.. He looked strong for the Norton fight, but looked very weak and slack for many of his fights -- a lot like Jerry Quarry who looked strong for the Ron Lyle fight, but looked a mess for Chuvalo, Norton, Ali 2, and Frazier 2.. Cooney needed a boxing coach, a nutritionist, and a strength trainer...also a Shrink.. He was more messed up than Tyson Fury.

Off topic, but I agree with Kalan that Cooney was a clear "head case" and his ambivalence about being a fighter showed through. I always thought he tanked the Holmes fight (whether he would've won under any circumstances is still debatable...) because he was afraid that winning would bring even more scrutiny and responsibility and lock him in further to something he really didn't want that much, hence his "trying to go the distance". I always will wonder what would have happened if he would've come out with bad intentions and just went full force at Holmes for the vicious KO.

About Marty Monroe, the loss to Page was surprisingly one-sided and completely exposed him as too small to be a top heavy. Before that, I suppose it was an optical illusion, but he never looked that small or underpowered.

His ex-wife/ex-manager Jean Darcy was one of the additional selling points to his appeal as they came across as a very dapper and stylish couple that caught the attention of the press and the "wife as manager" gimmick didn't hurt either. She has a couple of interviews up on YouTube from then where she interviews Monroe and other CA fighters and discusses his career and their marriage.

Kalan wrote:

Nile4000 wrote:

Chuck1052 wrote:Marty Monroe was a capable fighter, but bit off far too much when fighting the very talented Greg Page. But even at the beginning of his career, Page's weight varied to a great degree, giving me the impression that he lacked dedication. As a result, I believe that Page didn't come close to fulfilling his potential despite winning the W.B.A. version of the world heavyweight title. Page would go on to lose to Tony Tubbs in his first title defense.

- Chuck Johnston

Give Greg Page and Michael Dokes one thing. They both won the world title, something the more hyped up Gerry Cooney wasn't able to do.

Cooney was a mental case and his training was very inconsistent.. Like Kelly Pavlik, he didn't handle fame very well.. He looked strong for the Norton fight, but looked very weak and slack for many of his fights -- a lot like Jerry Quarry who looked strong for the Ron Lyle fight, but looked a mess for Chuvalo, Norton, Ali 2, and Frazier 2.. Cooney needed a boxing coach, a nutritionist, and a strength trainer...also a Shrink.. He was more messed up than Tyson Fury.

Nope, Fury had him beat. Cooney's problem was just that he didn't have quite the fire in the belly. Not really something you need clinical counseling for...though it could do some good, if he was a willing partner in upping his "positive thinking" quotient. I think you know that.....and will likely reconsider this statement. Fury, he may well have some instability, the type that goes beyond environmental stuff, and simple lack of focus.

are you nuts ? of Course Cooney had "Fire in the Belly"
at least up until the fight with Michael Spinks.
he admitted years later tho that it wasnt until later in his boxing career that he learnt to set up his punches.
He had some major dsitractions outside the ring of course.

BoxBuzz wrote:

Kalan wrote:

Nile4000 wrote:
Give Greg Page and Michael Dokes one thing. They both won the world title, something the more hyped up Gerry Cooney wasn't able to do.

Cooney was a mental case and his training was very inconsistent.. Like Kelly Pavlik, he didn't handle fame very well.. He looked strong for the Norton fight, but looked very weak and slack for many of his fights -- a lot like Jerry Quarry who looked strong for the Ron Lyle fight, but looked a mess for Chuvalo, Norton, Ali 2, and Frazier 2.. Cooney needed a boxing coach, a nutritionist, and a strength trainer...also a Shrink.. He was more messed up than Tyson Fury.

Nope, Fury had him beat. Cooney's problem was just that he didn't have quite the fire in the belly. Not really something you need clinical counseling for...though it could do some good, if he was a willing partner in upping his "positive thinking" quotient. I think you know that.....and will likely reconsider this statement. Fury, he may well have some instability, the type that goes beyond environmental stuff, and simple lack of focus.

Ahhhh NO... You're being a totally ignorant knob about this as usual Buzzbox... Cooney was worse off than Fury. Cooney was into substance abuse and alcohol. One of his main drugs was cocaine. He was rusty for the Holmes fight from being inactive for more than a year -- and he didn't fight for more than 2 years after he lost to Holmes. So 1 fight in more then 3 years during his absolute prime. Why? Cooney said drinking, drugging and self-loathing ravaged him. "I was a walking dead man."

If a guy has mulit-million dollar fistic talent -- and is taking 2 and 3 years off between fights in his prime because he can't handle success -- and he turns to drugs and alcohol because he doesn't believe he deserves success -- he has massive psychological problems... Do a little research on Cooney.

yeah, Cooney's main problem it seemed was ultimilately not really trying to focus the demons in him,
into his actual boxing training.
like not becoming a gym rat.
maybe he thought he was going to be young forever,as so may young people in their early 20's appear to think and postponed a lot of stuff not feeling he was ready.
I think he may have also suffered from some type of low self esteem even before he ever even put on a pair of boxing gloves.
( although I'm not a Psychiatrist of course,so dont quote me on that)

BTW there is a great short clip of Marty Monroe knocking out Ron Lyle somewhere.
I think it's in the televsion video-taping of Monroe's TV fight with Lynn Ball.

Nile4000 wrote:

Chuck1052 wrote:Marty Monroe was a capable fighter, but bit off far too much when fighting the very talented Greg Page. But even at the beginning of his career, Page's weight varied to a great degree, giving me the impression that he lacked dedication. As a result, I believe that Page didn't come close to fulfilling his potential despite winning the W.B.A. version of the world heavyweight title. Page would go on to lose to Tony Tubbs in his first title defense.

- Chuck Johnston

Give Greg Page and Michael Dokes one thing. They both won the world title, something the more hyped up Gerry Cooney wasn't able to do.

I don't consider either Page or Dokes a former champion. I don't adhere to the alphabets bodies. If you do, then Monte Masters was HW champion and so was Joe Bugner in his 40s.

Caractacus wrote:BTW there is a great short clip of Marty Monroe knocking out Ron Lyle somewhere.
I think it's in the televsion video-taping of Monroe's TV fight with Lynn Ball.

I don't think Lyle and Monroe even fought.

Tony1244 wrote:

Nile4000 wrote:

Chuck1052 wrote:Marty Monroe was a capable fighter, but bit off far too much when fighting the very talented Greg Page. But even at the beginning of his career, Page's weight varied to a great degree, giving me the impression that he lacked dedication. As a result, I believe that Page didn't come close to fulfilling his potential despite winning the W.B.A. version of the world heavyweight title. Page would go on to lose to Tony Tubbs in his first title defense.

- Chuck Johnston

Give Greg Page and Michael Dokes one thing. They both won the world title, something the more hyped up Gerry Cooney wasn't able to do.

I don't consider either Page or Dokes a former champion. I don't adhere to the alphabets bodies. If you do, then Monte Masters was HW champion and so was Joe Bugner in his 40s.

I also don't think much of the alphabet boxing organizations. In regards to Greg Page, I was simply stating that he won the WBA version of the world heavyweight championship, nothing less and nothing more. Monte Masters was light years from being as good as Page or Michael Dokes. While being managed and promoted by his father-in-law, Pat O'Grady, Masters was fed a steady diet of stiffs while fighting in Oklahoma City, which is located in a state which didn't have a boxing commission at the time. Masters won the World Athletic Association (WAA) version of the world heavyweight title. As I recall, the WAA was a creation of Pat O'Grady and Champ Thomas.

Sean O'Grady also was fed a steady diet of stiffs with his father, Pat O'Grady, being his manager and the promoter of his bouts in Oklahoma City. But unlike Masters, O'Grady was a capable fighter. I saw O'Grady fight Danny "Little Red" Lopez in person at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Despite making the suicidal move of taking the fight to Lopez and taking punishment in the process, the 17-year-old O'Grady acquitted himself well until his corner didn't allow him to come out for the fifth round. Note- At the time in California, the minimum age for professional boxers was 18. As a result, I am wondering if someone was being less than truthful about Sean's actual age.

- Chuck Johnston

Cooney was pushed into boxing by his violent, alcoholic father whose approval Gerry desperately wanted and boxing was the only way he ever got it. Love-Hate relationship with boxing and why he all of a sudden put the handcuffs on himself with that stupid "Gotta go the distance" approach to trying to point score Holmes instead of trying to break him in half with left hooks and really trying to win. If he'd have won, Cooney would've been the greatest sports hero of our lifetime and would have been absolutely besieged with attention and adulation, which he craved, but intense responsibilities and scrutiny and he had no desire for any of that,

There was a great interview Sports Illustrated did with him like a week before the fight with Holmes and Cooney presented as an emotional child trying desperately to get the writer's approval and admitted "I've been wondering whether you like me or not" through their whole day together. I guarantee Larry Holmes spent no such energy worrying about anything but winning and cashing in for his family. One was a grown man and the other a befuddled child. Hard to guess in retrospect who would win, eh?

The clip in question, BTW, was a rare grainy ringside camera clip of Lynn Ball scoring the upset KO of Ron Lyle that earned him the fight with Marty Monroe.

Chuck1052 wrote:

Tony1244 wrote:

Nile4000 wrote:
Give Greg Page and Michael Dokes one thing. They both won the world title, something the more hyped up Gerry Cooney wasn't able to do.

I don't consider either Page or Dokes a former champion. I don't adhere to the alphabets bodies. If you do, then Monte Masters was HW champion and so was Joe Bugner in his 40s.

I also don't think much of the alphabet boxing organizations. In regards to Greg Page, I was simply stating that he won the WBA version of the world heavyweight championship, nothing less and nothing more. Monte Masters was light years from being as good as Page or Michael Dokes. While being managed and promoted by his father-in-law, Pat O'Grady, Masters was fed a steady diet of stiffs while fighting in Oklahoma City, which is located in a state which didn't have a boxing commission at the time. Masters won the World Athletic Association (WAA) version of the world heavyweight title. As I recall, the WAA was a creation of Pat O'Grady and Champ Thomas.

Sean O'Grady also was fed a steady diet of stiffs with his father, Pat O'Grady, being his manager and the promoter of his bouts in Oklahoma City. But unlike Masters, O'Grady was a capable fighter. I saw O'Grady fight Danny "Little Red" Lopez in person at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Despite making the suicidal move of taking the fight to Lopez and taking punishment in the process, the 17-year-old O'Grady acquitted himself well until his corner didn't allow him to come out for the fifth round. Note- At the time in California, the minimum age for professional boxers was 18. As a result, I am wondering if someone was being less than truthful about Sean's actual age.

- Chuck Johnston

Don't get me wrong. I would have favored both Dokes and Page to have beaten Cooney. I just go linear and one champ at a time. All very true on Sean and Monte. This was of course way before the web and 500 TV channels, so someone like Monte Masters was quite a mystery to me at the time. I just knew he had a good record on stiffs.

Tell me about Lopez-O'Grady. I was following O'Grady thru newspaper clips.I saw a Sean O'Grady knocked out so and so once or twice a month. Then all of a sudden I see Danny Little Red Lopez stops Sean O'Grady! Why diid they take the fight? Did they think they could win? Guess they needed the money. That was some huge step up.

Pat O'Grady said he didn't think Sean would win but took the Lopez fight for two reasons- he thought a loss wouldn't hurt Sean and the experience would be invaluable and he thought the "unbeaten" streak was actually a hinderance to his son's psyche.

That doesn't make the best sense, does it? But then again, nobody ever accused Dad of doing a genius job directing Sean's career....

I don't blame Pat O'Grady for matching his son, Sean, with Danny "Little Red" Lopez. It was worth a gamble and gave Sean a decent payday and some valuable experience despite losing. Moreover, Sean proved to himself and others that he could really fight while facing Lopez. A professional boxer really doesn't know if he can fight while being in the ring with stiffs.

- Chuck Johnston

Tony1244 wrote:

Caractacus wrote:BTW there is a great short clip of Marty Monroe knocking out Ron Lyle somewhere.
I think it's in the televsion video-taping of Monroe's TV fight with Lynn Ball.

I don't think Lyle and Monroe even fought.

Could have been Lynn Ball.
Marty Monroe was Ron Lyle's sparring partner,and Monroe broke Ly'les nose
when Lyle was training to fight Scot Ledoux originally.and Monroe substituted in Lyle's place for that fight.

Caractacus wrote:

Tony1244 wrote:

Caractacus wrote:BTW there is a great short clip of Marty Monroe knocking out Ron Lyle somewhere.
I think it's in the televsion video-taping of Monroe's TV fight with Lynn Ball.

I don't think Lyle and Monroe even fought.

Could have been Lynn Ball.
Marty Monroe was Ron Lyle's sparring partner,and Monroe broke Ly'les nose
when Lyle was training to fight Scot Ledoux originally.and Monroe substituted in Lyle's place for that fight.

I believe it was Lynn Ball. Don't think there's a film on it.

check this clip out at 2:14


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-8PTOdY6rE

Caractacus wrote:check this clip out at 2:14


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-8PTOdY6rE

Thanks for sharing that clip. That's something that I haven't seen since it was originally broadcast back in 1980.

Chuck1052 wrote:I don't blame Pat O'Grady for matching his son, Sean, with Danny "Little Red" Lopez. It was worth a gamble and gave Sean a decent payday and some valuable experience despite losing. Moreover, Sean proved to himself and others that he could really fight while facing Lopez. A professional boxer really doesn't know if he can fight while being in the ring with stiffs.

- Chuck Johnston

Pat knew his kid Sean couldn't fight.. He put Sean in with the worst bums imaginable and then dumped him into a big money fight with Lopez who he knew would knock Sean out.. You know if your kid can fight.. You know if your kid has the skills to go in there with a world class fighter ... or not.. You can tell by watching him box and get hit in the gym.. If he's getting ripped by spar-mates who are less than world class he's not ready.