#7 Carlos Monzon - Top 10 of Boxing’s Most Terrifying Fighters

Unless you are in your 60’s or a boxing historian like me, the name Carlos Monzon might be a mystery to you. Let me introduce you to perhaps the greatest middleweight ever. Mention the word domination and that would define Monzon’s illustrious career. The man ruled the middleweight division from the time he became champion and even before until he retired as champion with a final fight on July 30, 1977.

In a career that began in 1963 with a second-round knockout of Ramon Montenegro in Argentina, Monzon’s native country, the middleweight phenom would fight 99 more times and win all but three of his fights. Born Carlos Roque Monzón Ledesma, Monzon would defend the belt 14 times, a championship he won by beating Nino Benvenuti by a second-round KO. His final defense and last fight were against Rodrigo Valdez and Monzon retired as champion.

In the process of winning 87 of 100 fights, Monzon knocked out 59 opponents or 68% of his victims. While he lost just three times, Monzon did have nine draws on his record and one no-contest decision. The no-contest came in just his second pro fight, his first loss was to Antonio Aguilar in just his eighth fight. A year later in 1965, Monzon would lose to Felipe Cambeiro by decision to make his record at that point 11-2.

Carlos Monzon’s final loss came on October 9, 1964, to Alberto Massi by unanimous decision but he would later score a TKO over Massi this after he had won the Argentina middleweight championship. Monzon also reversed the Cambeiro loss winning a decision in the rematch. He would also fight Antonio Aguilar three more times scoring to KOs and a decision. Thus from October 9, 1964, until he retired in 1977, Carlos Monzon would not lose another fight.

Monzon compiled a record of 71-0-9 from the Aguilar loss to the final Valdez decision win. Unfortunately, Carlos Monzon had a turbulent and troubled personal life, having a well-known affair while still married and then had domestic violence issues with his mistress who would eventually leave him. His next wife, he became violent with and the result was her death at his hands which he was sent to prison for.

In 1995, Monzon was permitted a weekend furlough from his jail cell but upon his return to prison, the vehicle he was traveling in overturned and Monzon was killed instantly. But inside the squared circle, his reputation of domination and knocking out opponents remains as his legacy and based on his career in the ring, he is, in fact, one of the most feared fighters ever.